When remnants of Tropical Storm Ida swept into Millburn, N.J.,—25 miles west of New York City—last week, the flooding that resulted was not a complete surprise. The 10 in. of rain that fell in New Jersey on Sept. 1, the heaviest in the New York metro area, pushed the Rahway River's west branch over its banks and into many of the prosperous town's homes and businesses.
Huge downpours regularly overwhelm the rivers, creeks and sewers of densely developed Northern New Jersey. Millburn Township Deputy Mayor Richard Wasserman told a local television station the town has long been working on infrastructure and flood control. "We’ve had this before. It’s been an ongoing effort," he said.