Remembering Hurricane Irene : Tree Goes Over Dam At Kingsland Park Nutley NJ

The anniversary of Hurricane Irene is being marked all over the region with photo tributes of flooded car parks, images of vehicles submerged on freeways, and water filled homes. In almost every image, the effect of the storm is show in a low lying area where water collected, but where does all that water come from?

Run off from Montclair, Bloomfield, Belleville and Nutley feed into the Third River as it makes its way to the Passaic River. One of the more picturesque areas of the river is Kingland Park in Nutley. The park is home to Kingland Manor and sadly, the neglected United Nations Gardens. During light rain showers litter and debris from communities along the river is washed into the river making for some interesting sites : among the hundreds of water bottle one can usually spot basketballs, plastic toys, red solo cups and beer cans. With a little more rain, erosion sometimes tears at the shoreline taking earth and plantlife with it.

After the rain stopped following Hurricane Irene this tree was spotted going over the falls at Kingsland Park. It is both a testament to the power of water and a predecessor to the question "how the heck did this wash up on the beach?"