Below is an updated from Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla on Tropical Storm Ophelia and the City's flood mitigation efforts.
Dear Neighbors,
I hope this letter finds you in high spirits as you enjoy the sunshine that we are seeing for the first time in a while. I am writing to provide an update on the recent weather event that impacted our city, Tropical Storm Ophelia. I was briefed earlier today by staff, and want to share some key information regarding the storm's potential impact and the measures taken by the City, that mitigated our risk of flooding.
I’m glad to share that while Tropical Storm Ophelia brought a significant amount of rainfall to our area, with a total of 2.15 inches of rain falling through Monday morning, there were very little, if any prolonged flooding incidents in Hoboken. The North Hudson Sewerage Authority’s H1 and H5 Pump Stations pumped a total of 17 million gallons of stormwater out of Hoboken during the storm. Additionally, the surface green infrastructure and subsurface stormwater detention systems in our three resiliency parks(ResilienCity Park, 7th and Jackson, and Southwest Resiliency Parks) withheld stormwater from our streets.
It is through these investments in our infrastructure, our commitment to resilience, the tireless efforts of our city's dedicated employees, and the unwavering support of Hoboken residents that we can handle storms more effectively. Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation, as we work to build a stronger more resilient Hoboken. While we will never be able to fully eliminate flooding during the most severe of storms, the weekend was proof that our flood mitigation infrastructure and resiliency efforts can make a difference and alleviate flooding during many heavy rain events that could have, in previous decades, flooded certain areas in our city.
As a reminder, for more information on the City’s ongoing sustainability and resiliency initiatives, please visithttps://www.hobokennj.gov/resources/sustainability.
Sincerely,
Ravi S. Bhalla
Mayor of Hoboken
