During a conference call with elected officials this morning, Governor Chris Christie and DEP Commissioner Bob Martin urge New Jersey residents to conserve drinking water during the clean up of Hurricane Sandy.
There are 10 water facitlities throughout the state that are suffering minor to major difficulties due to power outages and water surges. If clean drinking water falls below acceptable levels, the government will have to issue a boil water advisory.
“We don’t want people spaying the leaves off their patios,” said Chrisite
Trenton, NJ – The Christie Administration and Health Commissioner Mary O’Dowd urge all residents to throw away any food that may have come in contact with flood or storm waters and individuals that have suffered power outages should keeptheir refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
Commissioner O’Dowd urged all residents to dispose of any perishable food that may have been above 40 degrees for two hours or more. Food will stay cold in the refrigerator for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. However, food above 40 degrees for 2 hours or more must be discarded.
“Perishable food such as meat, poultry, seafood, milk, and eggs that are not kept adequately refrigerated or frozenmay cause illness if consumed, even when they are thoroughly cooked,” said Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd.
Thawed food that contains ice crystals or is 40 degrees or below can be refrozen or cooked. If you plan to eat refrigerated or frozen meat, poultry, fish or eggs while it is still at safe temperatures, it’s important that each item is thoroughly cooked to the proper temperature to assure that any foodborne bacteria that may be present is destroyed.
Below are some additional food safety tips to prevent illness during power outages, flooding and hurricane conditions:
Add block ice or dry ice to your refrigerator if the electricity is expected to be off for more than four hours. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep an 18-cubic foot fully-stocked freezer cold for two days.
Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Food containers that are not waterproof include those with screw-off caps, snap lids and pull tops.
Discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come in contact with flood water, because they cannot be effectively cleaned and sanitized.
Inspect canned foods and discard any food in damaged cans. Can damage is shown by swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or crushing/denting severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening with a manual, wheel-type can opener.
Check to ensure that the freezer temperature is at or below 0 °F and the refrigerator is at or below 40 degrees
Wash fruits and vegetables with water from a safe source before eating.
For infants, if using formula, try to use prepared, canned baby formula that requires no added water. When using concentrated or powdered formulas, prepare with bottled water if the local water source is potentially contaminated.
During power outages, the appliance thermometers will indicate the temperatures in the refrigerator and freezer to help you determine if the food is safe.
Once Power is Restored . . .
You’ll need to determine the safety of your food. Here’s how:
If an appliance thermometer was kept in the freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40 degrees or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen.
If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. You can’t rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40 degrees or below, it is safe to refreeze or cook.
Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out for no more than 4 hours and the refrigerator door was kept shut. Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40°F for two hours or more.
Trenton, NJ – The Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission are carefully monitoring the impacts Hurricane Sandy on operations at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey Township, which last night suffered power outages, declared an “alert’’ due to rising water levels, and lost a portion of its warning alarm system.
Exelon’s Oyster Creek reactor, which was off-line prior to Sandy for previously scheduled refueling and maintenance operations, lost off-site power last night due to the storm. The plant is temporarily being powered by backup diesel generators and a combustion turbine engine, which are providing energy for water pumps that cool the fuel stored in the reactor until normal power sources are restored.
Also last night, even though Oyster Creek is off-line Exelon was required under NRC regulations to report to the NRC and DEP an “alert’’ that occurred at 8:45 p.m. due to rising water levels in its canal that provides cooling water to the plant’s intake system. The rising levels were the result of high tides, wind direction and storm surge that were caused by the storm. The notification of an “alert’’ is the second lowest NRC action level.
The NRC in a statement noted that Oyster Creek remains in“safe condition,’’ with agency inspectors on site. “It also anticipates that water levels will abate within the next several hours,’’ returning to normal levels.
In addition, due to the power outages, Oyster Creek also reported a loss of operability of 21 of its warning sirens in its service area. It reported the situation, as required, to the NRC, as well as the DEP and state Office of Emergency Management. Efforts are being made to restore all sirens to operable status. Even though some sirens are out, there are other warning systems in place.
DEP nuclear engineers monitor daily operations at the state’s power plants on a regular basis and will continue to monitor their status throughout the storm and its aftermath. Under the New Jersey Radiation Accident Response Act, the DEP and State Police coordinate and implement comprehensive state, county, and municipal response to nuclear emergencies and establish requirements for protecting the public in the event of nuclear emergencies.
The state has highly trained staff ready to initiate, at a moment’s notice, an effective response to any nuclear power plant issue.
Most of Monmouth County will be without electricity for at least a few days, but water should not be an issue.
On a conference call lead by Governor Christie this evening, BPU President Robert Hanna said that New Jersey American Water Company reported that the temporary fix to the Swimming River Water Treatment Plant which failed last summer is holding up well. No problems in delivery water are anticipated.
Ongoing storm conditions will prevent JCP&L from getting to work on restoring power. Winds of over 85 mph are expected throughout tonight and into tomorrow morning, according to Jim Hayes of the National Weather Service-Mt. Holly, who was also on the call. While Sandy made landfall near Atlantic City, the worst winds are expect in Northeastern New Jersey down through Monmouth County. The 5000 out of state utility workers standing by will not be deployed until after the winds subside to around 25 mph, according to Hanna.
The high winds will cause storm surges 4.5-7.5 feet higher than expected. North Coastal Monmouth County from Sandy Hook south will experience record levels of surges and flooding.
DOT Commissioner James Simpson urged all New Jersey residents to stay off the roads tomorrow except for a genuine emergency. Treacherous road conditions from fallen trees and utility lines are reported throughout the state.
FREEHOLD, NJ – The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management urges residents to heed the warnings that have been issued in connection with Hurricane Sandy, currently a Category 1 storm.
Freeholder Director John P. Curley reviews plans with OEM Coordinator Mike Oppegaard
Meanwhile, county emergency personnel are continuing to monitor the effects of the storm and respond to the needs of communities. Mandatory evacuations are in effect in all or part of 15 municipalities. Nearly 1,000 residents have sought accommodation at the two county shelters.
“We are expecting Hurricane Sandy to impact the county for at least the next 24 hours,” Mike Oppegaard, Director of the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management said. “We are hoping that residents have heeded warnings and evacuations and are prepared for the possibility of high winds, power outages and flooding.”
Over the past few days, residents have been encouraged to plan, prepare and stay informed.
“Residents who have created a kit and evacuated to the homes of friends or families or are sheltering in place should be ready to make it through the storm,” Freeholder Director John P. Curley said. “Everyone should continue to monitor local radio and television for the latest information on Hurricane Sandy.”
Oppegaard also reminds residents to be safe with these reminders:
Do not go outside. Flying debris from high winds is a danger. As the eye of the storm passes, there will be a short period of calm followed by rapid wind speed increases to hurricane force that will come from the opposite direction.
Avoid using candles for lighting. Use a battery-powered flashlight.
Try to stay in an interior room away from windows.
If flooding occurs, turn off electricity at the main breaker.
If your power goes out, turn off your major appliances. This will minimize losing power again through a power surge and protect the equipment when power returns.
Stay calm and do not call 9-1-1 unless it is an emergency.
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden echoed the 9-1-1 reminder.
“Calling 9-1-1 for the wrong reason or calling the number inadvertently may keep someone else from getting the help they need,” Golden said. “If you do call by mistake, please stay on the line until the call taker can confirm that you do not require emergency assistance.”
Do not call 9-1-1 to ask for directions, to check on power, telephone or cable outages, to inquire about road or weather conditions, to get information about public services or to report situations that are not emergencies.
“During severe weather and all other times, residents are reminded to call 9-1-1 only in emergencies that threaten life or property,” Golden said. “These include a fire or serious medical condition, when there is fear for personal safety or the safety of others, or during a crime in progress.”
For more information about emergency preparedness, go to the County website, www.visitmonmouth.nj.us, check the Monmouth County’s Facebook page, or sign up to receive County tweets from Twitter,MonmouthCountyGov.
