UPDATE: Some Monmouth And Ocean Residents Will Be Evacuated As Hurricane Irene Looms

Current track has major storm in area late Saturday, early Sunday
By Daniel Nee and Keith Brown

More storm coverage throughout the day and through Sunday. Please check back often.
Monmouth and Ocean County residents face both voluntary and mandatory evacuations as Hurricane Irene appears ready to strike the Jersey Shore by Sunday.
Long Beach Island residents will be forced to leave by Friday morning, and officials from Belmar, Berkeley and Toms River are asking residents who live near the shoreline to leave voluntarily.
Governor Christie has declared a state of emergency that will mobilize the National Guard to address the hurricane preparedness, and he also strongly encouraged everyone to stay away from the Jersey Shore this weekend.
An air mass coming across North America will not be enough to steer Irene clear from the eastern seaboard, and the storm will still be packing hurricane-force winds when it is in the vicinity of New Jersey.
"I'd rather be wrong here," said meteorologist Steve DiMartino of NYNJPAweather.com, who said he agrees with the forecast track put out by the hurricane center.
"Saturday night into Sunday is not going to be very pretty in New Jersey," DiMartino said, predicting the storm would cause a 3 to 5 foot storm in Ocean and Monmouth counties, and pack potential wind speeds of 75 to 100 m.p.h. on the coast. Inland counties will see winds between 50 and 70 m.p.h., he said.
But the reality is that forecasters will have to "now-cast" the storm surge and wind speeds, DiMartino said, explaining that much of that specific information will vary depending on how much the storm will weaken once it initially hits North Carolina, its first point of impact. The storm could weaken rapidly, he said, or actually gain some strength when it re-emerges into the Atlantic Ocean and begins to travel up the coast.
One thing is for sure, DiMartino said: this storm may be one for the record books.
"I have not seen this type of situation developing, except in the record books when I was in college," he said.
Residents are urged not to enter flooded roadways.
The county's keys for readiness are as follows:

• Prepare –  Assemble a Kit of Emergency Supplies – Batteries, flashlight, radio, first-aid kit,  medications, food and water to last three or more days, can opener, cooking tools, toiletries.
• Create an Emergency Plan – Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan a way to contact one another, such as enlisting the help of a third party in another state as a contact, and review what you will do in different situations.
• Stay Informed – Listen to local radio and television for the latest information on storms and other emergencies.  Review what warning sirens are used in your community to alert residents of major emergencies.

“Preparing for the worst makes dealing with it that much easier,” Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said. “The likelihood that you and your family will survive a nor’easter, hurricane or other emergency depends on the preparations that you make now.”
Arnone has also stressed financial readiness.
“To bring your readiness to the next level you should prepare your finances and consider making yourself available to help your neighbors in an emergency,” Arnone said.
The county advises: "Consider your insurance and financial needs in the event of a disaster. Also, take time to prepare a household inventory. If an evacuation is necessary, be sure to have cash or credit cards at your disposal."
Emergency personnel also provided a number of recommendations for emergency supply kits. The list of items to include is as follows:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers

Additional items to consider adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Cash or traveler's checks and change
• Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Fire Extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

links to media and info
http://manasquan.patch.com/
http://app.com 

For Immediate Release:

August 25, 2011

County to issue state of emergency tonight

Evacuations along shoreline urged in advance of Hurricane Irene

FREEHOLD, NJ – Following Gov. Chris Christie’s declaration of a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Irene, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders is expected to issue its own  state of emergency for Monmouth County when the Board meets in Farmingdale tonight.
Right now, residents living in coastal and low-lying areas are urged to evacuate voluntarily, especially those who have experienced flooding before.
“Last weekend we had 4 inches of rain and some of our evacuation routes were impassable because of flooding,” Freeholder Director Robert D. Clifton said. “This weekend we expect even more rain and wind, so it is important to make the decision to leave early before it becomes too late.”
The county has established shelters in Holmdel High School, 36 Crawford’s Corner Rd., Holmdel, and Wall High School, 1630 18th Avenue, Wall. The shelters will open at 5 p.m. tomorrow.
Gov. Christie today warned potential visitors not to come to the shore this weekend, and he urged residents and visitors along the shore to leave tonight or tomorrow. By tomorrow night, Christie said he would like to see everyone out of the shore area, especially those on the barrier islands.
A state of emergency will allow the Office of Emergency Management to mobilize all county resources and direct them where they are needed to protect life and property. These actions include ordering mandatory evacuations and controlling traffic on all roadways.
Irene is expected to arrive Saturday night and continue with high winds and rain throughout the day on  Sunday. The governor said he is considering ordering a mandatory evacuation, and the county will follow suit if and when that decision is made.

For everyone else, it is important to prepare for the storm before it hits.
Sheriff Shaun Golden strongly suggests that residents assemble a kit of emergency supplies, creating an emergency plan and tuning into local radio and television for current information.
“The most important thing that residents can do in advance of the approaching storm is prepare, plan and stay informed,” Sheriff Shaun Golden said. “While our county crews are preparing for this storm, residents should do their part as well.”
Recommended items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers

 Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Cash or traveler's checks and change
• Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Fire Extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Plan – create an emergency plan – Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan a way to contact one another, such as enlisting the help of a third party in another state as a contact, and review what you will do in different situations.
Stay informed – Listen to local radio and television for information on storms and other emergencies.  Residents can also check out the county Web site for currently released new and updated information. They can also “like” “Monmouth County Government” on Facebook and follow the “MonmouthGovNJ” on Twitter.