Hurricane Sandy
The Delaware Township Office of Emergency Management and Hunterdon County Division of Emergency Management continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Sandy, as this unprecedented storm sets its sights on the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Sandy weakened somewhat overnight, now registering sustained winds of 80MPH. The category 1 hurricane was 780 miles south, southeast of Charleston, South Carolina as of the National Hurricane Center’s 5:00AM update. Hunterdon County Emergency Management Coordinator Brayden Fahey is letting residents and visitors in the area know, now is the time prepare. “Since yesterday the forecast models have reached a pretty consistent agreement that Sandy will impact the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, in fact last evening the National Hurricane Center’s forecast track took Sandy through our area. This has since changed, and will continue to fluctuate over the course of the next few days; however, we remain in what weather forecasters call, “the cone of uncertainty” and this important. The cone represents an area that the center of the storm could pass through, and despite it being somewhat wide, impacts here are somewhat unavoidable given the forecasted scenarios we are following. It is because of this that the time to prepare for Sandy is now. Residents should prepare their properties and homes, as well as their families. Everyone, every household should have a plan and an emergency kit. In our briefings from the weather service yesterday, sustained high winds, heavy rain and major flooding are all elements that were discussed. While Irene and last year’s Halloween snowstorm are good reasons to be ready and offered several lessons learned, everyone must understand Hurricane Sandy is a very large system and is going to be different in many ways. This is a slow moving storm, it is going to be over us for an extended period of time and the winds are anticipated to be much stronger than those in the storms we experienced in 2011. Whether Sandy approaches as Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Nor’easter, it is forecast to be strong and could pack quite a punch. Again, our intent is not to alarm anyone, but we are strongly urging everyone to begin preparing now.”
Fahey indicated Friday will be an intensive day in the planning cycle for county officials with meetings and conference calls scheduled several times through the day. “This morning we will be bringing in key county government decision makers to our Emergency Operations Center. Each function within our emergency operations plan will be represented and will provide a briefing on their specific role in the planning and response to this event. This is time when we discuss actions like sheltering, ensuring adequate staffing levels, etc. In the afternoon we have conference calls scheduled to discuss preparedness levels and current forecasts with the State Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service, as well as a call with the New Jersey EMS Task Force, State Health Department representatives and leaders of Emergency Medical Services from each county. All of these meetings whether face to face or via phone are beneficial to information sharing and understanding what actions other counties and state officials are taking to prepare as well. We then taken this information we receive and share it with our counterparts at the municipal level including, local emergency management and the first responder community. We will be working through the weekend to maintain our heightened level of readiness as Sandy approaches.”
Hunterdon County urges everyone to be aware of the situation, but not to panic. They recommend visiting these links often for updates regarding Hurricane Sandy and the impacts New Jersey may face.
“Hunterdon County Tracks Hurricane Sandy”
http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/911/oem/Sandy2012/index.html
Hunterdon County Department of Public Safety Facebook Page
www.facebook.com/hunterdoncountydop
Hunterdon County Website
www.co.hunterdon.nj.us
Hunterdon County Emergency Management Division Webpage
www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/911.html
Hunterdon County Community Alerts
www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/communityalerts.html
Have a Plan, Get Prepared
Residents should begin to preparations now. Develop a family disaster plan and discuss the types of hazards that could or have affected your family in the past. Consider the conditions you experienced during Irene and the Halloween storm in 2011 and understand that these conditions could occur again. Stock up on enough water and non-perishable food items that could last each person in the home up to five days. A good rule of thumb is one gallon of water daily per person. Post emergency contact information near each phone in your home, and confirm with children that they are familiar with the 9-1-1 system. Keep in mind banks, ATMs and gas stations are vulnerable to power outages as much as homes and so it might not be possible to withdraw money or refuel once the impacts of the storm have reached your area, plan for this ahead of time. Keep important documents such as insurance cards, medical records, bank account numbers, birth certificates or social security cards in a waterproof or watertight container or resealable plastic bag. Planning for pets is also important, ensure proper identification, immunization records, medications are all available; as well as adequate supply of food and water and a cage or carrier. A muzzle and leash are also important tools to consider. Everyone needs to be prepared, not only those who live in flood zones or other areas identified as hazardous.
Here are some items to help you prepare to shelter in place:
- Water – one gallon per person per day
- Food – ready to eat or requiring minimal water
- Manual can opener and other cooking supplies
- Plates, utensils and other feeding supplies
- First Aid kit & instructions
- Flashlight (use a flashlight over candles, many fires start during power outages)
- Radio – battery operated
- Batteries
- A copy of important documents & phone numbers
- Warm clothes and rain gear for each family member.
- Heavy work gloves
- Disposable camera (for documentation purposes)
- Unscented liquid household bleach and an eyedropper for water purification
- Personal hygiene items including toilet paper, feminine supplies, hand sanitizer and soap
- Plastic sheeting, duct tape and utility knife for covering broken windows
- Tools such as a crowbar, hammer & nails, staple gun, adjustable wrench and bungee cords.
- Blanket or sleeping bag
- Large heavy duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket for waste and sanitation
- Any special-needs items for children, seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget water and supplies for your pets.
A component of your disaster kit is your Go-bag. Put the following items together in a backpack or another easy to carry container in case you must evacuate quickly. Prepare one Go-bag for each family member and make sure each has an I.D. tag. You may not be at home when an emergency strikes so keep some additional supplies in your car and at work, considering what you would need for your immediate safety.
- Flashlight (use a flashlight over candles, many fires start during power outages)
- Radio – battery operated
- Batteries
- Whistle
- Dust mask
- Pocket knife
- Emergency cash in small denominations and quarters for phone calls
- Sturdy shoes, a change of clothes, and a warm hat
- Local map
- Some water and food
- Permanent marker, paper and tape
- Photos of family members and pets for re-identification purposes
- List of emergency point-of -contact phone numbers
- List of allergies to any drug (especially antibiotics) or food
- Copy of health insurance and identification cards
- Extra prescription eye glasses, hearing aid or other vital personal items
- Prescription medications and first aid supplies
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Extra keys to your house and vehicle
- Any special-needs items for children, seniors or people with disabilities. Don’t forget to make a Go-bag for your pets.
For more information visit: http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit or the NJ State OEM http://www.ready.nj.gov/ for more information in becoming better prepared.
The Hunterdon County Division of Emergency Management will continue to monitor this evolving situation and provide updated information as we receive it.
Address/Location
Delaware Township, NJ Office of Emergency Management
816 Sergeantsville Rd
Stockton, NJ 08559
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 609-397-8189