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As this is being written, a flash flood watch is in effect across Bergen County, with roads already closed in Hackensack and Paramus, according to the National Weather Service. It's the same pattern that flooded Route 4 and trapped vehicles on Temple Avenue in Hackensack on July 27, when a fast-moving storm dropped more than three inches of rain in a matter of hours.
This isn't a one-time event. In the past two weeks, the National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings naming Hackensack, Paramus, Rutherford, Lyndhurst, Westwood, Maywood, and Emerson among the places likely to flood, at rainfall rates of one to two inches an hour. Bergen County's drainage system was largely built for a different climate than the one we're living in now.
This article covers a six-hour test for power outages, what to register for before the next storm, and what to ask your home care agency about how care continues when roads and power don't cooperate.
Quick answer: The most useful thing a Bergen County family can do this week is ask what would happen if the power went out right now for six hours, then register for PSE&G's Critical Care program and NJ Register Ready if anyone at home depends on electricity or needs help evacuating. Hurricane season peaks mid-August through October, and NOAA's outlook measures ocean activity, not landfall, so being ready doesn't depend on this season being "bad."
What Happens If the Power Goes Out Right Now for Six Hours?
Most households haven't tested this, and it takes about an hour on a quiet Saturday to find the gaps. Is there a flashlight that works and someone can find in the dark? A charged power bank? Does anyone know how to release the garage door manually? Food that needs no stove, and insulin or another medication in the refrigerator? Most importantly, does anyone here depend on electricity for an oxygen concentrator, CPAP, hospital bed, stair lift, or powered wheelchair?
What Should Bergen County Families Register for Before the Next Storm?
Three registrations matter most: PSE&G's Critical Care program, NJ Register Ready, and your town's own emergency alert system. If someone runs medical equipment on electricity, a licensed prescriber can sign PSE&G onto Critical Care status, prompting a call ahead of severe weather and during outages; start at pseg.com/life or call 1-800-436-7734. NJ Register Ready is the state's confidential special-needs registry, telling emergency managers to check your address during an evacuation; sign up at registerready.nj.gov or call 211. Neither guarantees faster restoration, so a backup plan still matters. Also check your town's alert system, since Bergen municipalities each run their own, and that's what tells you your street is closed.
Why Do Bergen County Roads Flood Before It Looks Dangerous?
Route 4 and Route 17 flood well ahead of anything that looks dangerous, because it takes surprisingly little moving water to float a car. Route 17 floods at Century Road and Carlough Drive in Paramus and at the south end in Rutherford, a road most of us take without thinking twice. Ida's death toll across New Jersey, at least 27 people, makes the point better than any warning sign could: most who died weren't caught outdoors, they were in or near their cars, or in their own homes. Turn around, don't drown isn't a slogan. It's arithmetic.
What Happens to Home Care if a Client's House Becomes Unreachable?
Care follows the client, not the address, so when a home becomes unsafe or unreachable, service doesn't stop, it moves. During Irene, Sandy, and Ida, clients who relocated to a relative's house or a hotel kept their aides and kept their schedule. A significant part of what we did behind the scenes in each storm was transportation, getting clients who couldn't leave home unassisted to where they needed to be. We also learned to plan around fuel: after Sandy, gas rationing across northern New Jersey meant staff sometimes waited hours to fill up, so we route around that now and keep tanks full before a storm is even named.
What Should You Ask Your Home Care Agency Before a Storm?
Two questions, asked now rather than during an emergency, tell you what you need to know:
- What happens if an aide or nurse can't get through to the house?
- Who calls whom, and how quickly, if a visit is disrupted?
Any licensed home care agency should have a ready answer to both.
How BrightStar Care of Greater Hackensack Prepares for Storms
We meet you wherever you are, and during a storm that sometimes means literally that: a client relocated to Rutherford or a hotel near Route 4 still gets the same aide on the same schedule. We've been helping Bergen County families for more than 15 years, through Irene, Sandy, and Ida, and before a named storm arrives we confirm coverage, check on clients with power-dependent equipment, and verify emergency contacts. BrightStar Care of Greater Hackensack is Joint Commission Accredited, nurse-led with RN supervision on every case, and locally owned and operated.
If you have a parent or spouse at home in Hackensack, Paramus, Rutherford, or nearby and you're not confident they'd pass the six-hour test, call 201-483-8490 for a free in-home consultation.
Local Resources
PSE&G Critical Care Program,1-800-436-7734pseg.com/life NJ Register Ready Special Needs Registry, 211, registerready.nj.gov Bergen County Office of Emergency Management, (201) 785-5757, bcoem.org National Weather Service New York/Upton Office, weather.gov/okx Ready.gov Emergency Preparedness, ready.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PSE&G's Critical Care program and who qualifies?
It's for households with someone who depends on electric-powered medical equipment, like an oxygen concentrator or dialysis machine. A licensed prescriber signs a form annually, and PSE&G calls ahead of severe weather and during outages. It doesn't guarantee faster restoration, so a backup power plan still matters.
How is NJ Register Ready different from PSE&G's program?
It's a state registry telling county and municipal emergency managers someone at your address may need help evacuating. It's free, voluntary, and only visible to emergency management, separate from your utility.
Will this hurricane season be bad for New Jersey?
NOAA's 2026 outlook gives roughly a 55% chance of a below-normal Atlantic season, with eight to fourteen named storms. That measures ocean activity, not landfall risk for any specific place, and NOAA says directly it doesn't predict where or whether a storm will hit a particular area.
What happens to home care visits during a storm in Bergen County?
A licensed agency should have a clear answer for what happens if an aide can't reach the house and who contacts whom. BrightStar Care of Greater Hackensack moves care with the client rather than suspending it. Call 201-483-8490 to ask how that works for your family
Sources
National Weather Service, New York NY Forecast Office Flood Watches and Warnings, weather.gov NOAA, 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, noaa.gov CBS News New York, Bergen County Storm and Flooding Coverage, cbsnews.com FEMA and State of New Jersey, Hurricane Ida Major Disaster Declaration, nj.gov PSE&G, Critical Care Program for Life-Sustaining Equipment, pseg.com