By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
Township officials are starting to prepare for what could be another severe October storm.
Almost exactly one year after a freak fall snowstorm downed tree limbs and cut power to thousands of residents, another potential meteorological threat is threatening, according to the National Weather Service.
The Mount Holly office of the service put out an advisory Tuesday that put New Jersey in the cone of potential landing places for the storm which is currently off the coast of Florida.
While several models have the storm moving out to sea, others show the hurricane moving north and then veering west into the northeast, according to the latest maps on the National Weather Service website.
If the storm does come our way, it should be off the coast of New Jersey by Tuesday morning and could bring as much as 20 inches of rain and winds in the neighborhood of 70 m.p.h., just below hurricane strength, according to the agency.
South Brunswick officials announced Thursday that they are preparing for the storm in two alerts sent out to residents through Nixle.
”We have shifted from and advisory stage to a planning stage and we encourage all residents to do the same,” Township Manager Bernard Hovzdovic said in a statement.
According to the alert, the latest advisory received by the township indicates the storm as a “direct threat.”
In addition to the sustained 70 m.p.h. winds, flash flooding could also be a major hazard as the storm is expected to move slowly over the region around Halloween.
Mr. Hovzdovic said the town is currently cleaning storm drains of leaves and other debris in case the storm hits, and is asking residents to do the same.
”If you have a storm drain by your home that you can clear this will a help in minimizing flooding”, he said.
The township’s Office of Emergency Management is advising residents that this storm could be very similar to what the township experienced with Hurricane Irene last August.
That storm slammed into the region in late August as a tropical storm and also downed hundreds of trees, flooded roads and created power outages that lasted for several days in some areas of town.
”Many parts of the Township were without power for days and flooding made many roads impassable,” Chief of Police and OEM Director Raymond Hayducka said. “This is the time to prepare.”
The OEM is asking residents with special needs, such as using oxygen, ventilators and other life support equipment to let the agency know ahead of the storm.
The office is also issuing guidelines to help out in case the storm hits the community.
According to the OEM guidelines, residents should be prepared to evacuate if instructed to by officials, be prepared for long periods without power, keep leaves out of drains to allow the water to escape, have enough food and water on hand for each person in the home for five days in case you lose power, stock up on non-perishable foods that do not need refrigeration like canned meats, fruits, vegetables, boxed juices, milk and soup.
Residents should also have first aid supplies available, clothing and bedding supplies, tools and medications.
These items should be placed in airtight containers or plastic bags that are easy to carry, according to the alert.
If the power goes out, make sure to turn off major appliances during the outage so that the surge does not overload electric lines when service returns, according to the statement.
Residents are also urged to use flashlights and battery operated lamps instead of candles to reduce the danger of fire, according to the alert.
Residents are also being asked to check in on neighbors and relatives during the emergency to make sure they are okay.

