'I Can't Sleep Peacefully': Rutherford Homeowner Desperate For Help After Ida Triggered Mudslide In Front Yard
RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- More than a week after the remnants of Hurricane Ida slammed the Tri-State Area, many residents are still desperate for help, including one New Jersey resident whose front yard turned into a mudslide.
First the flood, now the frustration -- the family put up tarps to temporarily protect the rest of the property, but that's not a permanent fix. They need insurance or FEMA to step in, but that hasn't happened yet. That desperation is something being felt across New Jersey in the aftermath of the storm.
Rattana Kidchob stared in disbelief at the destruction that has taken over her front yard.
"I don't know what to do. I'm so scared," she told CBS2's Jessica Layton. "I can't sleep peacefully."
She's wide awake with worry over the disaster Ida left behind. When rain fell at a record pace in Rutherford, so did several trees and it all triggered a mudslide.
Parts of her three-layer retaining wall were swept across Jackson Avenue.
So far, her pleas for help from their insurance company and FEMA have gone unanswered.
"She said everyone's desperate and more worse than me," Kidchob said. "I'm shaking. That's why I reached out to you. I know everyone needs help. Me too."
Meanwhile, the situation in Manville remans dire. Extra police are patrolling the hard-hit town, where looters are looking for scrap metal in heaping piles of property.
"They just want to make a dollar, and it's sad that they have to do that, take advantage of people while they're down like that," Manville Office of Emergency Management Director John Bentz said.
Thursday, another death was confirmed in New Jersey when a body was pulled from the Passaic River just after noon near Newark. That follows the discovery of a body in the river near Kearny on Wednesday. Police suspect it could be two college students who were swept away the night of the storm.
RELATED STORY: Ewing, N.J. Police Officer Recounts Rescue Of Woman Caught Up In Ida Floodwaters Captured On Video
But in all the tragedy, we're still hearing incredible stories of heroism, like the Ewing Township police officer who trudged through waist-deep water to save a stranded woman.
Video from a bodycam worn by Officer Justin Quinlan shows his bravery in action.
"We said a couple prayers together, and just kind of, I kept reassuring her that we're gonna be OK, someone is gonna come help us," he said. "If she is watching or if she's listening, I'm just glad she's OK."
Back in Rutherford, Kidchob's family is still staying in their home, but they admit they worry that the foundation is unstable and about what will happen if it rains again before they can get a professional contractor to check it out.
CBS2's Jessica Layton contributed to this report.
