Sep 6, 2008 10:35 pm US/Eastern
Lodi Residents Brace For Hanna's Floods
by CBS 2HD's Carolyn Costello
LODI, N.J. (CBS) ―
As Tropical Storm Hanna barreled its way towards the tri-state, many inland communities prepared for potential flooding. Residents of Lodi, N.J., having faced flood conditions before, were especially cautious.
"We're praying big time...my whole family is here praying," resident Joann Ciarocco said.
Joann and her husband weren't t relying on prayers alone to get them through the storm Saturday. The couple's family helped them load a U-Haul with valuables and furniture as the rain fell and the street quickly filled with water.
"It'll go right up to the front steps. It'll go all the way out to the corner, and then all the way up the block," said Sherri Ciarocco, Joanne's daughter. "The street literally turns into a river."
They've stored photgraphs and memorabilia on high shelves and lined the back door of their home with sandbags.
They were expecting the worst Saturday because they've been through it before. In April 2007, heavy rains and flooding destroyed everything in their home.
"It was devastating. They lost everything. My parents lost everything," Sherri said.
"It's the hardest thing you can imagine. You don't know what to grab first," Joanne said.
The Fire Department was on standby, ready to evacuate if the water were to reach six or seven feet high. The Ciarroco family said it wouldn't be easy to leave behind the home they've shared for 47 years.
"My father says he's going down with the ship," Sherri said.
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