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Mandatory Evacuations of South Jersey Ordered

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 08/25/11 11:23 pm | updated: 08/25/11 11:23 pm

Hurricane Irene is expected to hit South Jersey sometime starting late Saturday Evening into Sunday. With this powerful storm likely to bring powerful winds, flooding rain, severe beach erosion, surging tides, and crippling power outages, NJ Gov. Christie has ordered all residents and visitors to evacuate Cape May County and costal areas of Atlantic and Ocean Counties.

In Cape May County, A mandatory evacuation is in effect immediately for the barrier islands, including Ocean City, Strathmere, Sea Isle City, Avalon, Stone Harbor, North Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and West Wildwood. The rest of Cape May County inland is under mandatory evacuation starting Friday at 8 a.m.

In Ocean County, Long Beach Island will go under evacuation order starting at 8 a.m. In Atlantic County, mandatory evacuation orders for barrier islands including Atlantic City and areas east of Route 9 start at 6 a.m.

It may take 36 hours to evacuate all people from the areas, so it is imperative to leave as soon as you can. There are approximately 1.2 million people to move to safety.

Those who do stay are doing so at their own risk as rescuers may not be able to respond to calls for help to those trapped during the storm. This area has not had a direct hit by a storm like this since 1882, so no one has the experience of riding out a hurricane like this and shouldn't try their luck now.

This event comes at a tough time for shore business as the Labor Day weekend is coming up and next week's shore rentals are due to change hands, usually on Saturdays. The advice is to wait until the storm passes and damage is assessed before heading down the shore. The emergency crews and maintenance crews will have clear the areas in the aftermath.

For Hurricane preparation tips, go to
http://www.iradiophilly.com/conversation.php?idConversation=455

Evacuation Advice

WHAT TO DO: Take Action When a Hurricane Threatens

Depending on your location, you could be told to evacuate before a warning or even a watch is issued by the National Hurricane Center. Notify someone unaffected by the storm about your whereabouts.

No later than when a watch is issued:

Fill vehicles with gas.
Get extra cash.
Fill prescriptions.
For mobile homes, secure tie-downs and prepare to evacuate when ordered.
Bring in loose objects from outside.
Prepare to secure all windows with shutters or plywood.

No later than when a warning is issued:

Secure all windows with shutters or plywood.
Place valuables and important papers in a waterproof container and store on highest floor
of home.

If you are told to evacuate:

Follow all instructions from local officials, and leave immediately when told to do so.
Bring emergency supplies listed above.
Bring copies of important papers such as insurance policies and list and photos of your homeâ€™s contents.
Bring blankets, sleeping bags, books, and games.
Unplug appliances, turn off electricity and main water valve.
Lock windows and doors of your home.
Go!

If you are not told to evacuate:

Stay at home! Leave the roads available for those who must evacuate.
Clean bathtub with bleach, fill with water for washing and flushing (not drinking).
Set fridge to maximum cold and keep closed.
Turn off utilities if told to do so by local officials.

During a Hurricane

Go to an interior room on the lowest level of the structure in which youâ€™re taking shelter.
Stay away from windows and doors, even though theyâ€™re covered with shutters or
plywood.
During extremely strong winds, lie under something sturdy such as a stairwell or large piece of furniture.
Do not go outside, not even during passage of the eye. If the eye passes directly over you, the winds could become very weak, but only for a very short period. It will not be long before hurricane-force wind resume, blowing from the opposite direction as before the eye arrived.

After a Hurricane

Help might not come for up to a few days, and power could be out for days or even weeks.
Avoid driving on roads covered by water and/or debris. It is often difficult to determine the depth of water covering a road. Turn around, donâ€™t drown.
Avoid downed power lines. Stay away from objects that are touching a downed power line, such as a fence or tree.
Do not touch anything electrical if you are wet. Stay out of water that could be touching anything electrical, such as in a basement with electrical appliances, or in flooded areas outside where there could be downed power lines.
Only use a generator in an outdoor, well-ventilated area, and closely follow manufacturerâ€™s instructions. Many people have died in the aftermath of a hurricane from inhalation of poorly ventilated carbon monoxide from a generator.
Use flashlights instead of candles for light. Candles pose a serious fire hazard