Wet weather, rising rivers keep officials on wary alert

As rains continue to soak saturated

ground, flood worries rise
By:Melissa Edmond and Donna Lukiw
   Borough officials watched water levels in the Millstone and Raritan rivers closely this week, as forecasts call for more rain in the already-soaked Manville area.
   "We’re preparing for the worst and hoping for the best," said Councilman Kenneth Otrimski, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) director.
   Mr. Otrimski said he — and police and fire personnel, Mayor Angelo Corradino and Borough Administrator Gary Garwacke — have been checking the river gauges and levels of the water every hour.
   "I’m going to be doing that most of the night," he said, Wednesday. "The water is not supposed to reach its highest point until between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. (Thursday)."
   "If it’s going to flood, it’s probably going to happen before 8 a.m." he added.
   Detective Sgt. John Crater said the Manville Police Department will notify residents if the water levels get to the point of flooding.
   "We don’t know what to expect but once it gets to that point of flooding, we will definitely notify everyone," he said.
   He said the Police Department will activate the public siren system informing residents to tune into the radio station 1700 AM for any public addresses or emergency evacuations.
   In case any residents are concerned about possible flooding, the Police Department’s voice mail system will include information of any possible flooding threats, if necessary.
   "If the waters reach an extremely high point, school administrators will be advised to call students’ parents to be sent home," he said.