Hurricane Irene swept across New Jersey on August 28, 2011, becoming the first hurricane to make landfall in the state since 1903. The winds of Irene – a Category 1 storm – were not as strong as originally feared, but she dumped 6 inches of rain onto the already saturated soils of the Pleasant Valley. August 2011 will go down in history as the wettest month ever recorded in New Jersey, shattering the previous record.
Flash floods inundated Howell Living History Farm on Sunday, seeping all the way into the farm’s visitor center lobby. Farmer Gary Houghton says it’s the worst flooding he’s seen at the farm in his 30 years here. Elsewhere in the drenched state, flooded rivers have set many all-time records for high watermarks.
Power was restored to the farm at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The farm’s a mess, but thankfully none of the storm damage is severe. All the animals are safe, and no buildings or structures were hit with fallen trees. The water damage in the visitor center appears to be relatively minor.
Nonetheless, the flash floods have churned up the parking lot, washed away fences, and deposited silt and rocks over several of the farm fields. The Howell Farm mailbox on Hunter Road, which sits about four feet high, was discovered filled with mud. Branches and debris sit atop the bridge over Moore’s Creek.
The farm was closed today, and cleanup is underway.
View the slideshow below to see some photos of the storm damage.
Flash floods inundated Howell Living History Farm on Sunday, seeping all the way into the farm’s visitor center lobby. Farmer Gary Houghton says it’s the worst flooding he’s seen at the farm in his 30 years here. Elsewhere in the drenched state, flooded rivers have set many all-time records for high watermarks.
Power was restored to the farm at 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The farm’s a mess, but thankfully none of the storm damage is severe. All the animals are safe, and no buildings or structures were hit with fallen trees. The water damage in the visitor center appears to be relatively minor.
Nonetheless, the flash floods have churned up the parking lot, washed away fences, and deposited silt and rocks over several of the farm fields. The Howell Farm mailbox on Hunter Road, which sits about four feet high, was discovered filled with mud. Branches and debris sit atop the bridge over Moore’s Creek.
The farm was closed today, and cleanup is underway.
View the slideshow below to see some photos of the storm damage.
RSS Feed
