reporter chris knolle is live in newburn new jersey to tell us about -- millburn,new jersey to tell us about the damage there. >> reporter: we are watching a whole lot of folks to come out and view the damage done to their home, stores, and businesses. cleanup is well under way here. where we were standing was under water yesterday. the waters of the branches of the river are beginning to recede. some won't recede for a day or two to come. we have some without power in this area. the deli next to us is throwing away thousands of dollars of food. fortunately this is one of communities on the east coast dealing with hurricane irene. irene's three-day run caused major damage all along the east coast in many north eastern cities streets turned into raging rivers. despite being bordered on all sides by land, fast moving flood waters swarmed towns in vermont. this building is dangerously close to falling after a nearby brook tripled its width. soaking rain and rising water forced many to leave their homes. >> they pounded on our door at 10:30 and said we needed to get out. as soon as we look

chris knolles is in new jersey with a look at the damage. how is everybody doing out there? >> reporter: good morning, pam. lots of activity in the community of milburn new jersey where the basements have been flooded. inland water ways majorly flooded from irene. with up to 10 inches of rain falling here an already super saturated ground. it has been a headache for many. basements still flooded. the pumping out is just beginning just today. this is just one of many communities in the northeast hard hit by irene. irene's three-day run caused major damage all along the east coast in many north eastern cities streets turned into raging rivers. despite being bordered on all sides by land fast moving flood waters swarmed towns in vermont. this building is dangerously close to falling after a nearby brook tripled its width. the soaking rain and rising water forced some to leave their homes with little warning. >> they came pounding on our door at 10:30 saying that we need to get out. saying the river was cresting. as soon as we looked out it was utter mayhem. >> reporter: others

cnn's chris knolls is with us from new jersey. what is happening there from where you are? the situation? are folks still trapped? >> reporter: many folks are just evacuated from their homes. we think, suzanne, all those who had been trapped in nearby patterson have now been taken safely away from their homes. as you mentioned, the storm hit a few days ago. the real flooding began here last night as the passaic river and several others in the area crested. they are cresting now double over their normal flood stage. just an absolutely amazing situation. the water shows no signs of receding anytime soon, and it will be measured in inches rather than feet. it will not be down, it looks like, until friday morning. and those out of their homes will not be back in them until this weekend. >> are there still folks who are actually trapped? >> reporter: say it again. i am sorry, suzanne. >> sure. are there still folks who are trapped? >> reporter: we're checking that out. i am sorry. the folks that have been evacuated -- i should have said the folks that were trapped were evacuated

chris knolls is in little falls, a name that no longer fits. the passaic river is at record levels. any sign at all it's on its way down? >> reporter: this thing has not moved an inch for nine hours or so. it is swollen with record rainfall in august and then hit with another ten inches of rain from the hurricane, and all the tributaries and branches of other rivers. nine others in new jersey now way above record flood stage, and just rolling at this hour. it will take days for this thing to move at all. i think perhaps by friday morning we could begin to see some relief, and some recession of the passaic, and the other rivers in this portion of new jersey. and that can't come too soon for the people who have been here out of their homes and right now have their homes surrounded by water. on their way here to this site, we passed many streets blocked by police and emergency crews and the houses and businesses and restaurants throwing away thousands of dollars of food every day, and still getting deliveries of food they can't use or have any thought of serving. and then there is the