Roofing in Maplewood, NJ: Where 8.39 Inches of Rain Went
Where did 8.39 inches of rain go on Maplewood roofs in September 2021? Down gutters and into storm sewers that the state's report says were designed for lesser storms. A stain, a loose shingle or a drooping gutter is reason enough to call (862) 358-4524 and describe it. Gutter and downspout work and leak repair are the pages to open first.
Where the water goes
Poor drainage, a river branch and 137 wet basements
The state's Essex County recovery report blames Maplewood's local flooding mainly on poor drainage and says the storm sewers were built for storms with a 5 to 10 percent chance in any year. The East Branch of the Rahway River and its tributaries overflowed in the township, and 4.7 percent of the land, 116 acres, sits in the 1 percent annual-chance flood zone.
For Sandy, the report logged 200 damage records in Maplewood. Of those, 196 were residential and 137 listed water in the basement. A roof does not flood, but its gutters and downspouts decide where the water lands, and Rutgers puts an inch of rain over 800 square feet of roof at 500 gallons of runoff.
Have these ready
Before you call from Maplewood
Have the street address, the room where water shows plus the roof's age when it is known. Pictures taken from the yard or through the attic hatch speed things up.
Owners and landlords can call (862) 358-4524. A tenant tells the landlord or property manager instead. If a wire is down, 911 or PSE&G comes first; the utility lists Maplewood in its electric territory.
Around town
Maplewood and the towns around it
Maplewood covers about 3.9 square miles. West Orange and South Orange lie to its north, Newark and Irvington to its east, Union to its south and Millburn to its west. The business address, 1980 Springfield Ave, is on the state highway that starts in Irvington and runs to Morristown.
The neighbors that are also served have pages of their own: South Orange roofing, West Orange roofing, Irvington roofing, Union roofing and Millburn roofing.
Numbers for this town
Maplewood by the numbers
- 9,051
Housing units, give or take 458
Census Reporter, ACS 2024 five-year - $720,700
Median value of owner-occupied homes, give or take $31,701
Census Reporter, ACS 2024 five-year - 4.7%
Share of the land, 116 acres, in the 1 percent annual-chance flood zone
NJ Department of Community Affairs, Essex County report - 8.39inches
Rain on 1 and 2 September 2021
NJ Weather and Climate Network
Three questions
Questions from Maplewood
Which Maplewood office handles roofing paperwork?
The township's Department of Community Development runs the Construction, Zoning and Property Maintenance divisions. Its permit page lists "Replacing a roof" among changes that need a building permit, with no fees, phone or hours shown. The state calls reroofing or repair on detached homes of one or two units ordinary maintenance, so ask the Construction Division which applies.
Was Ida a wind storm or a rain storm in Maplewood?
Mostly rain. The state weather network logged 8.39 inches at Maplewood on 1 and 2 September 2021, and 3.65 inches fell in one hour at Newark Airport. Its write-up reports no wind gusts for Essex or Union counties and no tornadoes there.
Who can call from Maplewood?
Owners and landlords of Maplewood houses can call (862) 358-4524 with the address, the room where water shows and the roof's age. A renter reports the leak to the landlord or property manager, who can then involve a roofer. Photos from the yard or the attic hatch are welcome.
Through the seasons
A Maplewood roof's year, by Newark's thermometer
Newark Airport is the nearest station with published normals, and its 1991-2020 monthly figures add up to about 46.6 inches of precipitation and 31.5 inches of snow a year. January averages 32.8 degrees, with a low of 25.5.
Those numbers come from Newark, so the weather on a given Maplewood street may differ. They still frame the year: a freezing January, a snowy February and precipitation in every month.