Tracking Elsa: Bergen County Bears Brunt Of Storm Damage As Severe Weather Hammers Tri-State Area
RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- New Jersey saw significant damage after storms swept through the area Thursday, with trees crashing onto homes and even trapping a woman in a car.
With trees scattered across streets and high voltage wires dangling in branches, Bergen County took the brunt of the fast-moving, hard-hitting storm.
The extent of the damage took homeowners in Ridgewood by complete surprise.
One homeowner has a huge mess on her hands after a massive, mature oak tree fell from a neighbor's yard, across the fence and pierced the top floor of her Tudor home on Heights Road.
"I was just like everybody pick up everything and move it," she told CBS2's Jessica Layton. "I started screaming up the stairs, 'Are you alright? Are you alright?' And she came running down with a phone and laptop, and she was like, 'A tree went through Abigail's bedroom.'"
Splintered portions of the tree, the roof and insulation now hang from that bedroom ceiling, but with holes in the roof, it was raining inside the home, too, causing the ceiling in another room to bubble up and leak.
"The water is just pouring down. It's now flooded the basement," the homeowner said.
Heavy rain made driving through Ridgewood dangerous.
Crews diverted traffic around nearby North Monroe Street after the road buckled under the weight of that rain.
Giant pieces of hail pounded Hillsdale, while the Hackensack Fire Department tweeted photos of cars stuck in floodwaters.
And thank goodness for brave neighbors in Teaneck.
"The moment there was a big crash, I basically put down everything and looked out the window and went out immediately once I saw the car underneath the tree," resident Ben Jachter said.
He and others helped rescue two women and a child who were trapped after a tree came down on their car.
"Me and one of the passerbys had gotten the child out of the car as well as one of the women. One on the driver's side was still stuck in place," Jachter said. "We then gave firefighters the assessment. They helped bring the final woman out."
He says thankfully, they all looked to be fine.
So far, there have not been reports of any injuries in Bergen County.
Crews are out repairing power lines. They want to remind residents if they see downed wires, assume they are live, call 911 and avoid them.
Stay with CBS2 News and CBSNewYork.com for the latest storm coverage.
