November 7, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 5 Ridgewood Hurricane leaves village hall without flooding by John Koster Ridgewood Village Hall stayed dry through Hurricane Sandy (also known as Frankenstorm), but Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser was the first to admit that it was not due to Ridgewood’s advanced storm preparations. “We had no water problems because there was almost no rain,” Rutishauser said while fielding questions from emergency crews and residents. “It was all wind! We did great with water.” The day before the storm, Ridgewood police officers had parked the patrol cars and emergency vehicles in the Maple Avenue parking spots fronting the library and village hall. The portable flood baffles were also set up at the main entrance -- but the flooding in the parking lot never materialized. The morning after the storm included no power in public buildings, damaged houses, and roads blocked by fallen trees and large branches -- but no flooding. Ridgewood lost the use of the ground floor at Ridgewood Village Hall twice: during Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999 and again during Hurricane Irene in 2011. The Oct. 29, 2011 snowstorm knocked out power all over the village, but flooding was insubstantial during that event. Top: Storm baffles at the entrance to Village Hall. Bottom: Police cars parked on the street in front of the building.