New Jersey towns deal with aftermath of storm

Area residents watch Glen Brook flow past the remains of Lake Morris Road Bridge in Sparta, New Jersey, on Sunday

SPARTA, New Jersey (CNN) -- A preliminary flood damage estimate, expected to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars from Saturday's torrential rains, will be announced on Monday, said a spokesman for New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman.

The storm caused about $166 million in damage in Sussex County alone, said Phil Morlock, the county's health and public safety administrator.

There, three dams and four concrete bridges were swept away, and numerous roads were damaged after heavy downpours dropped up to 14 inches of rain on the area around Sparta.

"Mother Nature can be a very nasty lady," Morlock said.

Shelters that had housed 300 people overnight were closed, Morlock said Sunday, as most residents either returned to their homes or found temporary housing with friends and family members.

WEATHER FORECAST   • Sparta, New Jersey (Morris County)     MESSAGE BOARD Nature's wrath

The town of Newton lost much of its drinking water because of damaged pipes, and mudslides threatened homes in Sparta.

The preliminary damage estimate in nearby Morris County was $7 million, said Rick Loock, deputy coordinator of emergency management for the county. 200 homes were damaged along with 30 businesses, and 30 people remained at an area shelter run by the Red Cross, he said.

Northern New Jersey residents were stunned by the damage.

"I have never seen anything like it and I have lived here for 30 years," said John Burrows, a resident of Lake Mohawk.

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Sussex County Sheriff's Office
National Weather Service
NOAA National Weather Radio

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