PATERSON — During one of the last stops on his tour of flood-ravaged Passaic County, President Obama met with residents whose homes were racked by storm surges and volunteers who helped lead the recovery effort at the Lowe's store in Paterson. “He said he wanted to thank us for giving back to the community and he wanted to thank...
PATERSON — During one of the last stops on his tour of flood-ravaged Passaic County, President Obama met with residents whose homes were racked by storm surges and volunteers who helped lead the recovery effort at the Lowe's store in Paterson.
“He said he wanted to thank us for giving back to the community and he wanted to thank us for being open in a time of need,” said Michael Bergamo, the store's 48-year-old manager.
About 3,000 people were on hand for Obama's visit, Bergamo said. The president was at the store for nearly half an hour, and spent most of his time listening to people talk about flood waters damaging their homes and cars, according to Bergamo.
"He literally went down the line. He saw the volunteers, he saw all the people affected, he was listening to their stories … he was very personable," Bergamo said.
Despite rising tides around Paterson, the Lowe's branch on McLane Road has remained open since Hurricane Irene barreled through New Jersey. Bergamo said the store has already given away more than "three trucks" worth of merchandise to Irene victims in the area.
The store manager said he spoke with Obama for five minutes and the president was very gracious for the store's effort to help the water-logged community.
"The president said 'You guys re-opened up very quickly,'" Bergamo said. "I said, 'Sir, we never close.'"
Previous coverage:
• President Obama pledges support to help rebuild flooded N.J.
• President Obama arrives in New Jersey, visits Wayne and Paterson flood zones