Flooding Nightmare Continues in West Deptford

Backyards and basements under feet -- not inches -- of floodwater

Residents in one South Jersey neighborhood say the latest bout of heavy rain is just adding insult to injury.

"It's a few feet from my home and my neighbors already have it in their homes," Barbara Holland said Monday.

Holland tipped NBC Philadelphia off to the flooding in her neighborhood back on March 16.

Backyards, garages and basements in a three-block area along Asbury, Cedar and Walnut Avenues near the Sunoco Eagle Point Refinery in West Deptford, N.J. were left under several feet of water after the last major storm earlier this month.

Those waters never receded as the latest rain began to fall Sunday night and continued to fall late into Monday.

"If we get another 2 to 4-inches of rain we may be underwater permanently," Don Beyers said. He says he's been pumping water out of his basement for the past two weeks.

The residents asked Sunoco and the township to help pump out the floodwaters, but each pointed fingers in the other direction, leaving residents stuck up their newly-minted creek.

The township did eventually install a large pump to help displace some of the water, but the latest rain has rendered it useless.

"I have to look at it every morning before I go to work, 'Am I going to work or am I going to maintain the sandbags,'" Karl Messerschmitt said.

Almost 2-inches of rain fell at Philadelphia International Airport as of Monday night. The airport is directly across the river from the West Deptford neighborhood.

The heavy rain is expected to continue until late Tuesday and gusting winds aren't sure to help.

Flood Watches and Warnings remain in effect for most of the area until Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

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