Flooded rivers turn into sheets of ice, as some New Jersey residents struggle to stay warm
WAYNE, N.J. -- Heavy bursts of snow coated roads across New Jersey late Monday into Tuesday, leading to hazardous driving conditions.
In flood-ravaged communities across Passaic County, receding rivers created even more icy trouble.
Flooded communities turn into icy messes
CBS New York spent the morning in Wayne, where Fayette Avenue was half pond-half ice rink. A flooded park also froze nearby.
"I would just say, take it slow and easy. That's what I've been telling my customers," Wayne resident Tommy Verzillo said.
Watch Christina Fan's report
Gerard Neville came back to check on his rental unit, which was completely destroyed after December's storm.
"I'm out. There's nothing in there. There's no floor. There's no nothing," he said.
He says he was swamped with 2 feet of water and is now staying with his sister.
"It's getting tiring. I am getting too old for this. Getting too old for this," he said.
Neville says his elderly neighbor moved out, too, and he's had enough. Like many who rent on his street, he doesn't have rental insurance.
"Pull the switch so we can get some relief," he said. "I don't know the politics behind it, and I don't want to know. I just want to know that we're going to get relief."
In the still-swollen Pompton River, a yellow Jeep was somehow pushed up against a tree.
"It's been I think maybe a month it's been up there. They haven't put it down yet," Wayne resident Omar Qasim said. "Now, I am thinking they put it up there on purpose so their car doesn't get messed up."
Qasim lives in one of Wayne's flood zones and understands the pain so many are going through.
"I have a couple of friends that haven't been going to school for, like, two weeks because their whole house has been flooded," he said.
Watch Christine Sloan's report
For some families, staying warm is the biggest challenge after last Tuesday's storm and the subsequent flooding damaged furnaces, hot water heaters and other appliances in basements. Many were without heat for one of the coldest nights of the year.
Wayne resident Blaine Tor lost his washer, drying and water heater, among other meaningful possessions.
"The water came up so fast this time, there was nothing I could do," he said. "My son and my daughter let me come and use their shower, and I'm going to go up to my daughter's later and do some laundry after the claims adjuster comes."
Passaic County officials said there are several warming shelters open, including at least two in Paterson.
Schools in Wayne had a 90-minute delay Tuesday. There were also delayed openings in Ridgewood, Paramus and Elizabeth. Montclair, Jersey City, Maplewood and South Orange schools were closed.
Dangerous road conditions
With frigid temperatures in play for the next several days, officials are warning people to heed signs and barriers.
"There have been a few stragglers that, unfortunately, when they see the barriers, they think they're for everybody but them, and then they drive around them, and then all of sudden, their car is filling with water and they're dialing 911," Wayne Mayor Christopher Vergano said. "So I'll make the pitch once again. If you see road barriers, if you see cones up like this, it means for everybody, not just the chosen few."
"All roads are passable right now. Everything is open," New Jersey Department of Transportation Assistant Commissioner of Operations Chris Feinthel told CBS New York early Tuesday morning. "But I would advise everyone to take your time, give yourself adequate time, because we're not to blacktop just yet. It's slushy and it's cold, and there's definitely scenarios where it's a little bit slippery."
Watch: NJ DOT checks in about road conditions
By midday, plow trucks were navigating on slippery roads, while some streets were blocked off.
As day turned to night in the Tri-State Area on Tuesday, roads turned to ice rinks.
"It's been slippery, icy," Edgewater resident Keisha Brown said.
CBS New York's Ali Bauman found most major thoroughfares were relatively safe around the evening commute, but the back roads of Bergen County were much more slick. Some hilly streets in Edgewater even had to be closed off.
In North Bergen, plenty of drivers and homeowners were picking up ice melt from Home Depot.
"How were the roads when you were driving over here?" Bauman asked one person.
"Terrible. I slipped like seven times," he said.
"Kinda last minute but trying to get the ice all cleared out from my driveway and the sidewalks and everything," North Bergen resident Alan Milin said.
Now it finally feels like winter for Milin, after last year's warm and dry season.
"It's been a long time, which is probably why I wasn't prepared," he said.
Over in Fairview, the ice even put a damper on nighttime sledding for Diana Medina's daughter, who threw in the towel.
"It's a little bit dangerous to go down because it's too icy," Medina said.
Thirteen-year-old Dylan, however, was up to the challenge; the icy hill made for a faster ride. The only problem is there's not much of a cushion.
"It's rough, but, you know, it works," he said.
AAA is reminding drivers to check that tires are properly inflated and have plenty of tread before hitting the road, and never use cruise control when driving on ice or snow.
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