Hurricane Sandy is expected to bring its heavy impact late this afternoon and Burlington County residents have been cautioned to stay at home and stay off the roads if at all possible; the county has declared a State of Emergency; and, it was announced that county offices would remain closed through Tuesday.
“Our message to residents is still, even at this stage, be prepared,” said Burlington County Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio during a morning press briefing at the County’s Emergency Operations Center in Westampton.
“Stay home, stay off the roads, stay safe,” he said. “Make sure you have a plan in place as to where you can go if you have to leave your home. Keep in contact with other family members, particularly older relatives.”
Burlington County’s Emergency Operations Center in Westampton was activated at 8 AM today.
State of Emergency
This declaration, issued this morning by County Emergency Management Coordinator, Kevin Tuno, gives the emergency management the ability/authority to use all resources possible to protect people and property during the storm.
Roads and bridges
Centerton Bridge, which spans the Rancocas Creek and runs between Mount Laurel and Willingboro, was closed because of high waters. In Lower Bank (Washington Township), a portion of County Route 562, also known as River Road, has been closed because of flooding. In Bass River, the Marigold Bridge on County Route 542 was closed because of flooding.
Sheltering
Eleven women were evacuated from the Home for Aged Women in Burlington City as a precautionary measure, and concerns about potential flooding later on. Nine were taken to the county shelter at the Fountain of Life in Florence. Two went to other non-shelter locations.
Two other residents were reported at the shelter set up at the Chairville Elementary School in Medford.
Residents in low-lying areas along the Rancocas Creek in Lumberton were advised it was in their best interest to evacuate.
During this morning’s press briefing, Freeholder Mary Ann O’Brien noted that all three county shelters also can provide medical support and accept pets. However, she said that the shelter at the Fountain of Life was best prepared to deal with these issues, and could provide more serious medical assistance.
The other shelter has been established at the Palmyra Community Center. The county also has a shelter set up at the Pemberton Campus of Burlington County College to serve as a back-up and an overflow facility.
Some municipalities are likely to open temporary shelters as well; residents should check with local emergency management coordinators and municipal offices.
Utilities and power outages
Public service, as of 1:30 p.m., has reported an estimated 500 to 2,000 outages on the towns in the western portion of the county, and approximately 100 in Medford. Atlantic Electric reports as many as 1,000 outages in Tabernacle.
“We’re asking people to use commonsense,” said Tuno. “If you live near water and you’ve flooded before, you have to consider you’re going to flood again. Make a decision now about leaving, because you may not be able to travel on the roads later.”
The weather outlook
The storm-damaging winds and heavy rain are expected to hit between 5 and 7 p.m. today, and grow stronger into the evening.
Heavy winds and heavy rain are expected well into tomorrow morning. Based on most current weather briefings, the county is looking at winds as high as 70 MPH with higher wind gusts, and 4 to 6 inches of rain.
