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YouTube Uploaded by designandshutter on Aug 30, 2011

And my ass is currently sitting at point A on the map below—a 10 minute car ride from Lake Hiawatha. The end of my street is underwater from the separate river surge that left my small cross street—at the very bottom of the map—under four feet of water.

New Road, just behind me on the map, is underwater. That little patch of blue, just behind New Road on the map,  consumed the whole area. Route 46 and North Beverwyck Rd, highlighted in purple, are underwater. The green exit markers—45, 47A, 43, 47B, and 47—are, the last I heard, all underwater. I’ve heard reports that the Parsippany Hilton—located near those exit markers—is submerged up to the second floor. Vail Road and Edwards Road—in the center of the map—are underwater, along with the shopping center in that area. The Shop Rite, where I buy most of my groceries, is underwater.

The flooding, quite literally, just missed me. My apartment complex is called Rutgers Village, but neighbors tell me the Parsippany Police have been calling us Rutger Island.

On the positive, my community has been coming together. There was a block party near one of the barriers a few days ago. Everyone was cooking food, drinking, and feeling lucky. I’ve met several neighbors, and the mood has been almost celebratory mixed with a fair share of awe in the face of nature. But I can’t help wondering: What if Irene hadn’t slowed down? And what if the next storm is just a little bit worse?

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