Rahway Action Meeting, March 31st, 7:30pm

A letter from Rahway citizens that I encourage my Rahway and Linden constituents in particular, to read and get involved with. Thanks.

Dear Assemblyman Green:

As you are aware the storm on Saturday, March 13, 2010, left a trail of damages to property throughout our state. Since Rahway is a river community the city was hard hit, especially those of us who are residents living along the South Branch of the Rahway River in the 4th Ward.

In the 4th Ward we have come to describe this storm as one of the worst in over a decade, almost reminiscent of the flooding in the days before the Levy was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers over 30 years ago. We are extremely alarmed by the abnormal rush of 3 to 6 feet of water upon our streets and homes in the span of less than an hour, this coupled with the fact that a downed tree across East Lake Avenue left many homes without power for their sump pumps, lights, furnaces, and telephones and blocked the only possible escape route for many residents.

We are concerned that flood gates were erected across Hazelwood Avenue, concerned about the questionable condition of the pumping stations along the levy, concerned about the city's plan for safety and evacuation of the residents, and concerned about what financial assistance is available to the residents to recover their tremendous losses such as cars, furnaces, water heaters, appliances, furniture, and more. We have many questions and we want answers. Therefore, we are requesting your presence at an Action Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 31, 2010, at 7:30PM at Progressive Baptist Church, 1085 Main Street, Rahway, NJ.

We are sure you are aware that the residents of the 4th Ward have experienced repeated losses due to flooding that dates back more than fifty years. We feel it is about time that our government officials step up to the plate and put an end to this suffering and environmental injustice occurring in our community. Please give us confidence in your concern for your constituents by being present for this Action Meeting on March 31, 2010.

Yours truly,
John Drummer, Rahway resident
Jimmy Proctor, Progressive Baptist Church, Rahway NJ
Gwen T. Samuels, Rahway resident
On Behalf of the 4th Ward March 13, Committee