Galindo (Glen) King grew up on Flagler Street, in the economically and geographically depressed section of Morristown known as the Hollow.
Every time it rained, he remembers thinking, “Here we go again.”
The Whippany River would overflow its banks. He’d get the day off from school. And his neighbors would be isolated from the rest of town by the swirling floodwaters.
As a child, he thought every place was like this. Only later did he realize the danger, and the displacement of families and local businesses.
On Tuesday, King listened as Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11th Dist.) announced $300,000 in federal funding for a study by the Army Corps of Engineers to recommend ways to cure flooding along the 16-mile river.
The money is for one year. Sherrill’s office said the congresswoman will seek added funding to complete the study, which the Army Corps estimates will take up to three years.
Flanked by state-, county- and local officials, Sherrill spoke outside Morristown’s Bethel A.M.E. Church, where King is assistant pastor.
In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene sent the Whippany surging into the basement; only the generous support of a private donor saved Morris County’s oldest African American house of worship from a soggy ending.
Sherrill said a “strike force” of mayors along the Whippany has found the river clogged by abandoned cars and landscaping debris, among other flotsam.
She expressed confidence that the Army Corps, working with the state Department of Environmental Protection and local officials, will identify solutions.
“I’m very optimistic…every level of government we have here has come together to address these issues,” said Sherrill, who also has secured $1.5 million for a 10-year project to clear dead trees and de-snag streams downriver, and shore up the riverbank by replanting vegetation.
At least three flood studies have been conducted in the vicinity of Bethel AME Church in this century, according to Siva Jonnada, chairman of the nonprofit Whippany River Watershed Action Committee. He is encouraged this time because of federal involvement.
“This sounds very promising…we’ll definitely be on top of it,” said Jonnada, whose organization recruits volunteers every spring to fish debris from the river in Morristown.
Some 500 bags of trash were removed last month, from the Lake Pocahontas dam along Patriots Path downstream to Bishop Nazery Way near Bethel A.M.E.
Led by Pastor Sidney Williams Jr., Bethel will continue pushing for affordable housing in the flood plain, King said.
Williams, who was in Boston on Tuesday addressing churches there, had tried to revive town plans for 73 affordable apartments near the river, after Irene. But town hall support evaporated. Mayor Tim Dougherty said Tuesday the proposed developer backed out after the flood.
King noted the town approved market-rate apartments in the flood plain in 2021, however. He said he hoped officials keep Second Ward residents in mind as they work to improve the river.
“We’ve gotten to a point where we’ve never been before,” King said of the federal study. “My concern is for the greater good of the community.”
Sherrill said she would be happy to engage with Williams separately about housing.
Officials at Tuesday’s event included state Sen. Anthony M. Bucco and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (both R-25th Dist.); Morris County Commissioners Stephen Shaw and Tayfun Selen; and Mayors Dougherty, Jason Karr (Morris Plains) and Mark Taylor (Florham Park).
Col. Matthew Luzzatto and program Chief Joe Seebode represented the Army Corps of Engineers. The state D.E.P. sent Kunal Patel, chief of the Bureau of Flood Enginering and Climate Resilience Design.
Dougherty said he was impressed with how quickly the study project has come together. Bucco hailed it as an example of government collaboration for the public good, and said the project ultimately will reduce flood risks for first responders.
Shaw credited Hanover Mayor Thomas (Ace) Gallagher for spearheading the strike force, and welcomed Sherrill’s delivery of federal funds.
“This is a great start,” Shaw said. “That’s what this is, a start.”
This story has been updated with additional details about the amount and duration of the study.
