Governor Christie Directs Cabinet to Make All Necessary Preparations for Coordinated Response to Hurricane Sandy
Urges Residents to Take Commonsense Precautions as Movement
of Sandy Continues to be Tracked
Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie today directed cabinet officials to mobilize preparations for a coordinated response to the potential October storm that is trending towards an impact on the East Coast. The Governor also urged New Jersey residents to take the time now – ahead of the storm – to activate and supply their family preparedness plans and to closely monitor the track of Hurricane Sandy.
“While Sandy’s exact track is still uncertain, New Jersey has the potential to experience a major impact from high winds, heavy rain, flooding and power outages,” said Governor Christie. “That’s why it’s important from the State level on down to prepare in advance of this serious storm. The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management’s Hurricane Survival Guide is available to residents online with important information about emergency preparedness. Now, ahead of any potential impact of Sandy, is the time for families to ensure they are prepared and are tuned in for the latest path of the storm for our coast. I encourage all of our families to stay informed, get ready, and reach out to those you know who may be isolated, or in need of extra assistance during adverse conditions.”
The State Emergency Operations Center was activated at 8 a.m. today to coordinate preparations related to the storm.
New Jersey residents can maintain situation awareness in the following ways:
On the Web –Use credible websites to get information about natural hazards and emergency preparedness. The NJ Office of Emergency Management works closely with the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center regarding storm predictions and forecasts.
- National Weather Service – http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/phi/
- National Hurricane Center – http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- New Jersey Office of Emergency Management – www.ready.nj.gov
Social Media –Social media and other advanced communications technologies are used by the NJOEM and by emergency managers statewide.
- Find out if your community has a “reverse 9-1-1” system or if you can opt-in for email updates from municipal officials.
- “Like” the NJOEM on Facebook, follow it on Twitter, or subscribe to the NJ State Police (NJSP) on NixleConnect.
- NJOEM on FB: www.facebook.com/READYNEWJERSEY
- NJOEM on Twitter: @NJOEM2010
- NIXLE – New Jersey residents can register to receive messages by sending a text message with their zip code to 888777 (data rates may apply depending on your plan). Online registration is also available at www.nixle.com.
NJ Alert – NJ Alert is a free, voluntary and confidential emergency alerting system that allows NJ Office of Emergency Management officials to send E-mail or text messages to cell phones, and other email enabled devices during an emergency event. Sign up for NJ Alert by logging on to: www.njalert.gov.
NOAA Weather Radio – is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service Office. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. NOAA Weather Radios are typically inexpensive, easily available in stores and can often be programmed for your specific area. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/
Traditional Media – Continue to monitor traditional media sources – TV, newspapers and radio – to stay informed of breaking news and continued coverage of emergency events.