Christie Administration Encourages School Closings on Tuesday

Trenton, NJ – New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf released the following statement today, encouraging closure of schools to ensure student safety in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy:

“In light of the worsening conditions due to Hurricane Sandy, I am strongly encouraging all superintendents and charter schools across the state to cancel school tomorrow. While we respect that these decisions need to be made at the local level, all indications are that the worst of the storm will be hitting New Jersey this evening and tomorrow, and it is of the utmost importance that we consider the safety of our students, school staff and district personnel at this time. Again, the decision remains a local one, but I cannot be any clearer: the effects of the storm are only going to get worse and it is in everyone’s best interest for districts and charters to cancel school tomorrow.”

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Your generator won’t start. Now what?

By Mike Allen, The Saturday Mechanic

You put your generator away after Irene, carefully stored in your shed under a tarp, in fact. With the emergency, it’s time to haul it out and keep the lights on. Cool, still more than half a tank full. Fuel tap on, choke on, switch on. And yank.

And yank. Yank until you’re blue in the face. No go. Okay, how about a little ether sprayed into the intake? That makes it cough and run for a few seconds, but never longer. You’re too tired to pull the rope anymore, it’s getting dark, the news is saying that the power is going off pretty much at random. And it’s raining harder every minute. You’re screwed. And in the dark until further notice.

What’s wrong? More importantly, what can you do now, instead of hauling the thing off for repair next week after the emergency is over?

Read the rest of this entry »

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Governor Chris Christie Announces Tuesday Closure of State Offices as a Result of Hurricane Sandy’s Weather Conditions

Trenton, NJ –Governor Chris Christie today authorized the closure of all State Offices for Tuesday, October 30, 2012 as a result of the dangerous and deteriorating weather conditions across the state associated with the impact of Hurricane Sandy.

Non-essential employees should not report for their normal day shift tomorrow. Essential employees should report to work on schedule. All notifications are currently being made and coordinated by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management in an expeditious manner.

The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Board of Public Utilities as well as various State agencies will continue to monitor the storm and continue statewide cleanup efforts until the event concludes. New Jerseyans are encouraged to comply with orders and guidance from their local emergency management and government officials in preparing for the storm and to avoid any unnecessary risks when the storm makes landfall.

Drivers are advised to stay off of the roads whenever possible and otherwise drive with caution, follow the rules of the road, stay alert and respect the weather elements and the guidance and orders of emergency management and government officials.  Unnecessary travel is not recommended.

Motorists are encouraged to check for current road conditions and closures at the New Jersey Department of Transportation website: www.NJ511.info.

For more storm preparedness information please log on to: www.ready.nj.gov

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Highlands reverse 9-11: Get out of town or your life is in danger

The Borough of Highlands issued a “Catostrophic” storm warning urging all residents to leave down because of coming storm surge waves and winds over 85 mph.

“Failure to following these instructions puts your life in danger”

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Christie Administration Activates Volunteer Emergency Response Hotline

Volunteers Asked to Call 1-800-JERSEY-7

Trenton, NJ – New Jersey residents can help their neighbors recover from storm damage Hurricane Sandy may cause by volunteering in their communities. Depending on the severity of the approaching storm, volunteers may be needed to help with a variety of clean-up activities.

“During Hurricane Irene, I saw firsthand how individual New Jerseyans worked selflessly to help others during a crisis,” said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. “Based on what we learned, we established this volunteer emergency response hotline to enhance our responsiveness during emergencies and better organize volunteers.  Today we’re activating the hotline so that our state is prepared to direct volunteers where help may be needed.”

If you are interested in volunteering, call the state’s volunteer emergency response hotline at 1-800-JERSEY-7 (1-800-537-7397).  This hotline was established earlier this year to enhance the state’s emergency responsiveness by harnessing New Jerseyans’ strong spirit of service.

If storm conditions preclude the hotline from being answered by live operators, volunteers may call one of two backup hotline numbers: 609-775-5236 or 908-303-0471.  Volunteers may also send an email to [email protected].

If you are already a trained volunteer affiliated with an emergency response organization, please contact that agency to register your readiness to receive an assignment.

This hotline is managed by the New Jersey Business Action Center and the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism.  Both divisions are within the New Jersey Department of State.

Calls placed to the hotline will be received by the Business Action Center, which will work with the Office of Volunteerism and NJ AmeriCorps to match and direct volunteers where help is needed.  When live operators are not available, callers can leave a voicemail message that includes their place of residence, availability and skills.

Those who need help from volunteers and other services may call 211 or go online at www.nj211.org.

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View from the hill in Highlands

Click on photo for full view

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Water up to the seawall in Sea Bright

Photo by Charles Measley

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High Tide in Neptune

Photos by Jim Granelli

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Christie Briefing at 12:15

Governor Chris Christie has a press briefing regarding Hurriane Sandy scheduled for 12:15.

MMM will have Livestream coverage.

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Message from NOAA National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Sandy is centered this morning about 265 miles southeast of Atlantic city, New Jersey. It is now moving toward the north-northwest. A turn toward the northwest is expected later this morning, then west-northwest tonight. That will bring the center over the mid-Atlantic coast this evening or tonight. Do not focus on the exact center of landfall as impacts will be felt over a large area.

Hurricane Sandy strengthened a little this morning, and is forecast to bring life-threatening storm surge flooding to the mid-Atlantic coast, including Long Island Sound and New York Harbor, as well as coastal hurricane-force winds…and even heavy Appalachian snow.

Maximum sustained winds are 85 mph – a Category One hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Sandy is expected to transition into a frontal or wintertime low pressure area before landfall, but is not expected to weaken during that transition. In fact, it may strengthen during this process. It will not weaken until after moving inland.

Tropical-storm-force conditions or gale-force winds are already occurring along portions of the mid-Atlantic coastline, and will spread northward through this morning.

Hurricane-force winds are expected along the coast from Chincoteague, Virginia, to Chatham, Massachusetts. This includes the tidal Potomac from Cobb Island to Smith Point, the middle and upper Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, the coast of the northern Delmarva Peninsula, New Jersey, the New York City area, Long Island, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Winds affecting the upper-floors of high rise buildings will be significantly higher than those near ground level.

A dangerous storm surge is expected to occur in the mid-Atlantic states and southern New England. If the peak surge occurs at the time if high tide, the depths above ground level could reach 6 to 11 feet at Long Island Sound and Raritan Bay, and 4 to 8 feet from Ocean City, Md., to the Connecticut/Rhode Island state line, and 3 to 6 feet from there to the south shore of Cape Cod, including Buzzards Bay and Narragansett Bay.

A Tropical Storm Warning continues along the North Carolina coast from north of Surf City to Duck, including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, as well as Bermuda.

Other coastal and inland watches and warnings are in effect for much of the mid-Atlantic states and New England. See the statements being issued by local National Weather Service offices, www.weather.gov for the details.

Total rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, with isolated 8 inch amounts, are possible over far eastern North Carolina. Amounts of 4 to 8 inches, with isolated 12 inch amounts, are possible over portions of the mid-Atlantic States, including the Delmarva Peninsula. Amounts of 1 to 3 inches, with isolated 5 inch amounts, are possible across southern New York through New England.

Snow accumulations of 2 to 3 feet are expected in the mountains of West Virgina, with locally higher amounts, tonight through Tuesday Night. The southwestern Virginia mountains are forecast to see 1 to 2 feet of snow, with 12 to 18 inches near the North Carolina/Tennessee state line and in the mountains of western Maryland.

Get the latest on this tropical cyclone, including storm surge information and graphics, on the NOAA NHC website at www.hurricanes.gov

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