Evacuations Possible if Hurricane Sandy Hits Bergen County
Shelters could be opened around Bergen County, officials say.
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From preparing to open shelters to warning against storm-related price gougers, Bergen County officials said Friday they are ready if Hurricane Sandy pummels the region with high winds and heavy rains.
“Our planning assumptions now have been that we are going to be receiving a minimum of 4-5 inches of rain with 30-40 mile per hour winds,” Bergen County Emergency Management Director Lt. Dwane Razzetti said in an afternoon briefing. “It's definitely going to be uncomfortable and most likely going to be enough damage for a disaster declaration.”
Still, officials are preparing for a far worse scenario with 10 inches of rain and stronger winds, leading to major power outages, he added.
“We’re not going to know until much closer to the storm,” Razzetti told officials and reporters in a conference call. “There’s a great deal of potential variability in this storm.”
The county added radio communications equipment, heavy duty vehicles, fueling trucks and generators to assist local officials, he said. Extra county staffers will also be called in and floodgates have been checked.
“Worst case it’s going to be like Irene and the pre-Halloween storm,” he said.
Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan asked that United Water lower reservoir levels, but the company declined unless ordered by Gov. Chris Christie, she said.
Christie was reviewing the request, according to County Administrator Ed Trawinski.
United Water agreed to lower levels at the Lake Deforest reservoir, which feeds into the area, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said. A company spokesman said New Jersey reservoirs would remain at current levels.
State officials activated the emergency operations center early Friday.
“We believe the governor will be declaring a state of emergency tomorrow,” Donovan said. “We are told that the entire state will be impacted not only from the state of emergency, but from the storm.”
Donovan cautioned that residents living in flood-prone areas should be prepared to evacuate, and officials were ready to open three shelters. Bergen Community College, Northern Valley Demarest High School and the Lyndhurst Senior Citizens Center would be used, if needed.
“We’re encouraging the special needs residents to get out of any low-lying areas ahead of time,” Donovan said.
Storm price gouging would not be tolerated, said County Police Chief and Public Safety Director Brian Higgins. Storm-related products cannot surpass a 10 percent price increase.
Social media will be a key way to keep towns and residents informed over the coming days, said Donovan's chief of staff Jeanne Baratta. The county has Facebook and Twitter pages.
“We found with the last storm using social media was a terrific way to get word out to the residents, to get word out to the municipalities,” Baratta said. “We're going to use it even more with this storm.”
Barry Black
6:22 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
Here we go again----are there any nice places to live in the USA that don't get bad weather, snow, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, high humidity, excessive rain, freezing temperatures, etc?
Michael Marcus
9:05 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
San Diego
Susan
6:41 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
Why is Christie reviewing Kathleen Donovans request? There is nothing to review put out the order to the water company NOW to lower it.
Chuck Levy
6:51 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
Christie isn't even in NJ. He's campaigning for Romney in the Midwest! As usual not here when needed
Wayne Silverman
7:41 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
I am confident that he will deliver.
DMAB6395
9:38 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
Chuck, Christie has been here through all the other weather related and other state emergency issues. This is the 1st time he is out of state & I heard that he is on his way back home. Just because you don't like Christie doesn't mean you should say things that are just not true.
Leaving
11:07 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
One year ago, Mr. Christie was basking in the Disney World sunshine while we suffered through the Halloween "snowstorm". Remember? I do; I didn't have any power/heat for 10 days! Bergen County was a huge mess!
Bob Rama
9:54 am on Saturday, October 27, 2012
I am all for bashing Christie, but his vacation was 2 years ago during the Christmas week storm
westwood kid
8:27 am on Saturday, October 27, 2012
mr christie is not working for the people of nj, he is off doing his own thing on our tax dollars. we need to get him out of office and find someone who will work for the people of new jersey.
NiCaam
9:56 am on Saturday, October 27, 2012
We could move to San Diego.
B@B
11:43 am on Saturday, October 27, 2012
I think we would all be well-served to set politics aside for at least the next four to five days and be prepared to help each other out. Can we please just assume for now that our governance, whether at the national,state, and local level, is acting from a place of goodwill and public service and will do the best they can? Can we please help out our neighbors even if the sign on their lawn is not for the candidate you like? Either we help get each other through this or we all suffer alone.
Elmo
2:11 pm on Saturday, October 27, 2012
2 B@B : We need more people who think the way you do!
Diane Schwarz
12:14 pm on Saturday, October 27, 2012
Yay, B@B! "Can't we all get along?"
Lynn
7:25 pm on Saturday, October 27, 2012
Christie is in NJ...if he could have predicted the storm last Halloween, he would have to be a witch...and if he could control the weather he would be god. Relax, weather isn't political
carl
9:44 am on Sunday, October 28, 2012
As always, people mix their own personal/political agendas instead of getting on with solving the issues " burn the witch".... amazing how neanderthal we continue to be despite our supposed modern education and awareness
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