Rahway's Big Storms and What They Mean for Your Roof

Rahway has been through some of the worst weather in New Jersey's recent history. Here's what it means for your roof - and how to be ready for the next one.

Ask anyone who's lived in Rahway for a while about storms and you'll hear the same names. Most of the damage people remember is flooding along the Rahway River and Robinson's Branch. But the same storms bring wind, sideways rain and falling trees, and those are what hurt roofs.

The storms Rahway remembers

Floyd (1999). Tropical Storm Floyd flooded large parts of the city, including the old public library at St. Georges and Central avenues. The building was later demolished; the site is now Berzinec Park, and a new library opened in 2004.

Irene (2011) and Sandy (2012). Back-to-back years of severe storms. After Sandy, the state's Blue Acres program bought and demolished around twenty flood-prone homes near New Church Street and Central Avenue - the land is now Sal Mione Park - with more buyouts on West Grand Avenue near Rahway River Park.

Ida (2021). The remnants of Hurricane Ida dropped close to ten inches of rain on Rahway in about a day - roughly a fifth of a normal year's rainfall. Hamilton Street and Veterans Memorial Field on Central Avenue went under water, and a home on River Road was destroyed in an explosion after the family had evacuated.

Add in the nor'easters that come through most winters and the short, violent thunderstorms of summer, and it's clear why Rahway roofs take a beating.

What these storms do to roofs

Flooding is a ground-level problem, but the weather that comes with it works on the roof:

• Hours of heavy rain find every weak spot - worn flashing, cracked pipe boots, tired valleys. A roof that handles a normal shower can leak in a storm like Ida.
• Wind-driven rain gets pushed sideways and uphill, under shingle edges and behind chimney flashing.
• Gusts lift shingles and break their seal, even when they don't blow off.
• Overwhelmed gutters back water up under the roof edge.
• Falling limbs from Rahway's mature street trees crack shingles and boards. See when a tree falls on your roof.

Before the next big storm

1. Clean the gutters and downspouts in late fall and before forecast storms, so the water has somewhere to go.
2. Look at the roof from the street for missing, lifted or curling shingles. Small problems become big ones in a long storm.
3. Check the chimney for loose flashing or thick tar patches - classic leak points in wind-driven rain.
4. Trim back branches that hang over the roof, especially dead ones.
5. Know where things are: your breaker panel, a flashlight, buckets and a tarp.

After the storm

• Stay away from downed wires and call PSE&G about any line that's down.
• Walk around the house and photograph any shingles or debris in the yard.
• Check top-floor ceilings and the attic for new water.
• If the roof is open, get it covered quickly - see emergency roof repair.
• For damage you can't see from the ground, have the roof looked at - see storm damage repair.