Chaverim of Rockland is being credited with saving more than 20 people from 5 separate families who became trapped in rising floodwaters while traveling near Monsey during a torrential downpour.
The dramatic scene unfolded on Sunday afternoon, when Chaverim was called in by Rockland EMS for assistance with hikers, some of them injured, who had become trapped on Bear Mountain. As its members were en route to assist with rescuing them, Chaverim began receiving frantic calls from numerous people begging for assistance on Seven Lakes Drive, which was completely flooded.
Terrified callers from five separate families described how their vehicles were already submerged and had to be abandoned, and how floodwaters were quickly rising around them, threatening to r”l wash them away.
Chaverim immediately diverted several of its members heading to Bear Mountain to the scene and deployed additional units to rescue the stranded individuals, who included multiple young children among them.
Various other agencies, including Rockland Hatzolah, Kiryas Yoel Hatzolah and Chaveirim also responded to the area, but the waters were too deep to traverse, setting up a life-threatening crisis that seemed impossible to resolve.
But in a stroke of sheer hashgacha, Rockland Chaverim had recently taken delivery of Rescue 1 – a new, highly specialized vehicle donated by three local businesses, specially modified for high-water rescues. Within minutes, the rescue truck was at the scene, with Chaveirim members plowing through the deep waters and plucking up the wet, terrified, and extremely grateful people one by one.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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8 Responses
Why was anyone out driving? after weather forecast had already warned of potential exceedingly serious flooding
Since early last week the national weather service has been warning about this severe storm and it’s potential for causing flooding.
@147 and @amilzola
Not everybody in the world knows what the weather will be tomorrow or next week or even that day. Many people don’t even have any internet related items so they can’t check.
Hatzlacha
To147
First of all they were predicting heavy rain no one anticipated such a deluge. Second its the summer many people head up to the Catskill for Shabbos In addition yesterday was visiting day in many camps The timing of the rain around 4pm was perfect timing for many people heading back to NYC to be stuck in this rain. For those that aren’t familiar with this area. There are basically 2 routes to get the Castikills from NYC You can take the NYS thruway or the Palisades interstate pky Both routes pass the Monsey NY area further up on the Thruway you connect to route 17 and you pass Kiryas Yoel
Why do you only mentioning only Chaverim Rockland in the headline if you have KJ Chaverim and Hatzolah as well?
The national weather service predicted at a minimum one inch of rain per hour, this is a week prior to the storm landing. Don’t folks bother to read the weather or is it the lack of basic science education that keeps folks from being prepared for extreme weather or the ability to read a forecast discussion?
147,
seriously??
call them up and ask why?
are you stupid or what?
have you never done something that seems to others silly to do but knew that you needed to for whatever reason that NO-ONE else knew?
be a bit more considerate please.
I do have my phone set up to receive text weather/traffic/public safety warnings. I’ve never used my phone for internet access, others can do the same.