Governor Mikie Sherrill has declared a State of Emergency across eight counties, including Ocean and Monmouth, ahead of a powerful nor’easter expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain and significant coastal flooding over the first days of Yom Tov.
The State of Emergency takes effect at 5:00 p.m. Friday and includes Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties.
The storm is expected to bring its most severe impacts beginning tonight and continuing through Sunday, with coastal areas facing the greatest risk of flooding, beach erosion and strong winds.
The declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Center and allows state agencies to coordinate with county emergency management officials and deploy resources as needed.
Residents are urged to prepare by charging phones, securing loose outdoor items, stocking up on food and water, and avoiding unnecessary travel.
“If you need to travel, please plan ahead and stay up to date on alerts, as conditions can change quickly, and never drive through flooded roads,” Sherrill said.
This is one of those times when people really should use some common sense. A “State of Emergency” does not necessarily mean that everyone needs to panic and empty ShopRite, but heavy rain, strong winds and flooding are certainly nothing to play around with.
Especially with Yom Tov, when many people will not be checking weather reports or their phones, it would probably be wise to prepare BEFOREHAND — charge whatever needs charging, secure anything outdoors that can blow away, and make sure elderly neighbors or anyone who may need assistance is taken care of.
And PLEASE: if a road is flooded, don’t decide that because you have an SUV you can magically determine how deep the water is. Turn around.
Prepare sensibly, don’t panic, and hopefully the “powerful nor’easter” will turn out to be considerably less exciting than the headlines.