Full Notification

This is an emergent message from the Hunterdon County Division of Emergency Management.

All residents and visitors of Hunterdon County should be prepared for the arrival of severe weather from Hurricane Sandy, which will begin to impact the area later tonight through Wednesday. Severe, damaging winds and heavy, flooding rain are forecast. Widespread power outages are anticipated, comparable to, if not worse than Tropical Storm Irene and the Halloween storm of 2011.

Everyone must be prepared for this event and the time to act is now. We are posting information to our website at www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/oem.html and to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hunterdoncountydop . We are forwarding press releases to news outlets including The Democrat via nj.com and 101.5FM radio.

In the event power is out for an extended period of time we will provide information to municipal buildings and government buildings for posting. You can also call our public information line at 908-806-5851. Municipal questions should be directed to the Office of Emergency Management in your municipality. Please refer to our website for those contacts.

Preparations must be completed this afternoon before the arrival of the storm. After dusk tonight travel will be hazardous through Tuesday. We ask everyone to please stay off of the roads during this period of time unless travel is absolutely necessary.

Residents and business owners must prepare their properties by securing all furniture and other loose items that are outdoors. DO NOT rake leaves into the street, this will add to the flooding issues we anticipate. If you have done so, remove them. Be sure you have adequate resources on hand including enough water and non-perishable food, as well as a supply of necessary medications. All of these items should sustain each person in the household for at least 72 hours.

At the height of the storm there may be an interruption in critical services, including police, fire and emergency medical services response. This is necessary for the safety of our first responders. No one, including them, should be outdoors during periods of sustained tropical storm or hurricane force winds. If you live in an area prone to flooding, you should evacuate before the storm or be prepared to stay where you are until conditions improve. Do not use the 9-1-1 system for anything but true emergencies. Power outages and utility disruptions are to be reported to your service provider.

We have received several inquiries regarding sheltering. A shelter should be used as a last line of defense. Those seeking a place to stay should make every effort to shelter in place; stay with family or friends or in a hotel before turning to a shelter. A shelter will open at 6:00PM on Sunday, October 28, 2012 at the Hunterdon County facility in Raritan Township, located at 314 Route 12, Building #1. This location will also provide facilities to offer a pet shelter. Anyone who does report to the shelter should bring basic comfort items for them and their pets if necessary, including all medications. If pets are on a special diet, you must bring food for them as well.

We reiterate that there is an increasing chance that your power will be out and possibly for a long time, comparable to Irene or the Halloween storm of 2011. Have a cellular charger for your vehicle so you can still charge phones and other portable devices even if the power in your home goes out. If you are going to use a generator, it must be outside. There are specific dangers, including carbon monoxide poisoning, if a generator is used incorrectly. Refer to our website or the user guide you received with the generator for recommended safety tips.

The time to prepare is quickly dwindling. Again, we recommend attempting to shelter in place, with friends or family, or in a hotel before using a shelter. For more information, please visit our website. Thank you for your cooperation and please stay safe.