Community Corner

Madison Citizens Urged to Begin Preparing for Hurricane Irene

Storm expected to hit New Jersey early Sunday.

Borough officials are urging residents and businesses to begin make emergency preparations ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irene.

The storm, which forecasters say could be one of the worst to hit the state in decades, is expected to move into the area early Sunday.

In a Nixle message, the borough, Office of Emergency Management, Police Department, Fire Department and Department of Public Works said that they have begun to prepare for the eventual arrival of the storm.

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"Meteorologists are calling this hurricane one of the most significant weather events to hit the East Coast of the United States in decades," the message stated. "They are recommending that people begin taking action immediately to prepare for significant damage caused by high wind and flooding rain.

"The Borough of Madison encourages residents to begin taking steps immediately to prepare for a significant weather event. Flooding has the potential to have aggravated effects if residents lose power for a length of time and/or have to leave their homes. The loss of power may prevent residents from operating pumps and other electrical items in their home."

Officials provided a list of items residents should ensure that they have "at a minimum":

1. Battery operated flashlights
2. Battery operated radio
3. Extra batteries
4. Fresh drinking water (water bottles)
5. Cell phones charged
6. A “Go Bag” prepared with necessary items (clean clothes, medicine, water, etc) in the event you have to quickly leave your residence.
7. Vehicle filled with gasoline
8. If you have a generator or pump, make sure it is in working order.
Additionally, residents should begin taking in outdoor furniture, umbrellas and any other items that may be damaged by the storm.
9. Make provisions so you will not have to walk your pets during the storm.
10. Gas powered stoves and generators produce potentially deadly gas carbon Monoxide, and must be used only in a well ventilated area.
11. Fill your refrigerator with water, and your freezer with ice. This will help keep food longer during a blackout.

The Police Department and Office of Emergency Management stated they will closely monitor the situation and update residents as necessary. Residents are encouraged to sign up to receive Nixle messages by visiting the borough website at http://gov.rosenet.org/. Nixle is a web-based notification system that allows us to immediately send emergency information via text messages and email to cell phones, computers and smart phones.

The borough said it will also utilize the Reverse 911 telephone system for emergencies, but warned that the system may become overloaded if the entire county suffers damage. There is no need to subscribe to Reverse 911 as home telephone numbers are automatically added to the database. It does not include cellphone data and will not make notification to residents on cellphone numbers.

Residents may also want to click on the following link to the State of New Jersey’s Office of Emergency Management website for additional information on emergency preparedness. The website address is: http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/plan/kit-plan.html

In the event of an emergency during the storm, residents should call 911. For all other inquiries or to report property damage, contact the Police Desk at 973-593-3000.

Find out what's happening in Madisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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