On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida touched down in Lousiana as a category 2 hurricane. (Correction: Since then, Hurricane Ida progressed to a category 4 hurricane, and the correct term is “made landfall” not “touched down.”) It left most of the New Orleans area without power and with wind gusts sustained around 150 mph. Afterward, it made its way up through several states, including Tennessee and Pennsylvania, to arrive in New Jersey. Causing several reported tornados near the Hoboken area, the storm came through the region and caused Stevens to push all classes and administrative offices to work remotely on Thursday, September 2.
The storm landed in Hoboken approximately around 6 p.m. causing torrential rain and wind for many hours. Many school and club events, including Wittpenn Walk and the New Student Convocation, were postponed due to the storm’s expected totals. Some students, faculty, and staff were stranded on campus until the storm eased. The storm took a toll on Stevens buildings as well; Babbio Garage experienced heavy flooding as well as some campus dorm buildings.
Meanwhile, in other Hoboken regions, residents dealt with various issues, such as flooding and power outages. Upper and more elevated Hoboken regions drained into the less elevated areas in Hoboken, causing severe and sometimes waist-high flooding. This prevented Stevens from having detrimental flooding to the areas around campus, but residents further into the center of Hoboken, such as on Adams Street, experienced this type of chaotic flooding.
Late Wednesday night, Hoboken issued a state of emergency, and non-essential travel out of Hoboken was restricted for a limited time. Roadways were blocked off and streets were flooded. Furthermore, sirens continued Wednesday night into Thursday. Hoboken received a total of 4.92 inches of rainfall.
On Thursday at 2 p.m., Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla addressed residents in a press conference to speak about the effects of Hurricane Ida and the city’s recovery plan. Bhalla mentioned that the Hoboken Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) was activated, and call centers in City Hall were providing assistants calling for help. Due to the recent influx in extreme weather conditions, the Mayor urged the federal government to provide a disaster declaration for Hoboken to allow Hoboken to receive extra funding for emergency response.
For more information and updates about the current state of emergency in Hoboken and recovery help, visit: https://local.nixle.com/alert/8947902/.
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