Residents urged to stay indoors tonight
By Jen Samuel, Managing Editor
Hightstown and East Windsor residents have been urged to stay indoors during Hurricane Irene’s impact slated to begin Saturday evening.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a tropical storm warning, flood watch and hazardous weather outlook for the area.
Both East Windsor and Hightstown issued reserve 911 calls to residents on Saturday. Residents should only leave their homes during the storm if they ordered to evacuate or if it is a life threatening emergency.
Sustained winds up to 50 MPH are anticipated.
"Sleep on the first floor, especially tonight,” said Chief Larry VanKirk, of Hightstown Fire Engine No. 1, during a telephone interview Saturday afternoon.
"If you can, stay toward the core of your house,” he said. The chief warned of potential downed trees falling onto houses. For instance, pine trees are very prone to tipping over from water weight.
Chief VanKirk is the office of emergency management coordinator for Hightstown Borough.
The chief said all the government agencies are in the process of completing storm preparations for the town, which began on Thursday. This includes sand-bagging areas prone to flooding and making sure all the backup generators are working for emergencies services.
The Hightstown firehouse, 140 N. Main St., will serve as an evacuation center if people need a place to stay, he said. The schools will also be available if additional evacuation centers are needed.
Chief VanKirk asked residents not to call the firehouse to report non-emergencies incidents during the storm such as down trees on roadways or power outages, but rather to call if there were life threatening emergencies.
Prior to the storm’s arrival, the chief urged residents to remove outdoor furniture, recycle containers and even trash cans.
"If you can’t bring it in doors, secure it as best you can,” Chief VanKirk said in light of the anticipated high winds resulting from the tropical storm.
In addition to having flashlights and extra batteries at hand, the chief suggested residents have containers of water.
"Water is vital to survival,” he said.
Chief VanKirk suggested putting half of one’s bottled water supply in the freezer, adding that food stays fresh for about four hours after a power outage. Frozen water will increase that timeframe a little while longer.
While the hurricane has been reduced to a tropical storm for Hightstown and East Windsor, major flooding is expected.
Between10 to 14 inches of rainfall is anticipated within an approximate 24-hour time period, the chief said.
Downtown Hightstown is a low-lying area, Chief VanKirk said. The ground is already saturated from previous rainfall this summer.
He urged residents to call their place of work to determine if there is a delay on Monday. The chief explained that in addition to Hightstown being a ‘low spot,’ areas of Route 1 are also very low. Additionally, the chief warned of potential flooding locally on the New Jersey Turnpike where there is construction, which may cause “big areas of sitting water.”
"High pressure will likely influence our region from Monday through Wednesday, with dry weather and mainly visual flight rules conditions. However, some late night and early morning visibility restrictions are possible," according to a release from the NOAA at 1:10 p.m. Saturday.
"The National Weather Service is forecasting the arrival of a storm in East Windsor Township during the evening hours of Saturday, August 27,” states the homepage of East Windsor Township’s Website.
"The East Windsor Township Office of Emergency Management urges resident to shelter in place, meaning stay indoors unless you are directed to leave your home. Power outages, phone interruptions and flooding can be expected.”
Additionally, the East Windsor Township Emergency Operations Center will continue to monitor the storm, the news alert states.
"For all police, fire and medical emergencies dial 911. For all other non-emergency police matters, please call 609-448-5678,” East Windsor’s Website states.
In Hightstown, call 609-448-1245 in case of an emergency. The line will be manned 24-hours though the storm.