Crime & Safety

UPDATE: South Brunswick Declares State of Emergency

South Brunswick schools closed Monday and Tuesday, township expects massive flooding, downed trees and power outages.

UPDATE: South Brunswick Township declared a state of emergency that went into effect at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Township schools will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. The senior center and library will also be closed on Monday.  The township Municipal Building is closed for all non-essential staff on Monday. 

The South Brunswick Public Works has announced that there will be no garbage or recycling pickup on Monday or Tuesday. Alternate pickup days will be announced at a later date. 

Residents are asked to secure all garbage and recycling cans along with any loose items in yards. Residents are also asked to refrain from non-essential travel starting at 12:01 a.m. Monday morning.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“As the conditions continue to deteriorate it is important to keep the roadways clear for emergency personnel,” said Police Chief Raymond Hayducka. 

There have been no evacuations or emergency shelters announced in South Brunswick at this time. If evacuations become, necessary the first option is to have an evacuee stay with friends or family prior to establishing any shelter.

“We have facilities in the township that can accommodate people but past experience indicates most evacuees prefer to be with friends or family, even if we have to assist with transportation," Hayducka said.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

South Brunswick officials are prepared to open shelters should it become necessary.

***

An early morning forecast from the National Hurricane Center in Miami on Sunday showed forecast models agreeing that New Jersey is the likely victim of a direct hit by the storm currently known as Hurricane Sandy.

"There is no change in the track forecast philosophy," an update from the hurricane center said.

Sandy is expected, forecasters said, to move northeasterly for the next 18 hours, or so, then make a northwesterly turn toward the Jersey Shore. The exact point of landfall is still up in the air, but the massive physical size of the storm means the entire New Jersey coast – as well as inland areas – are in for a serious weather event.

South Brunswick officials are anticipating the township to have areas of serious flooding, fallen trees, and power outages. 

The storm is expected to remain at hurricane strength through late Monday night, packing winds of 80 m.p.h. when it comes onshore.

"Options for the storm to miss our area are rapidly dwindling," a summary from the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly said in a late-night update. "Confidence on the storm having a major impact on our region continues to increase. The focus of efforts should be on when Sandy hits our region, not if Sandy hits our region."

As it mentioned in a previous advisory, the hurricane center said it would not lengthen the watch or warning area northward toward the mid-Atlantic region since Sandy may no longer be considered a tropical system once it reaches the area.

Instead, official advisories for the storm would come in the form of high wind warnings and various marine warnings issued by local National Weather Service offices.

The latest official tracking map shows Sandy will make landfall somewhere in the southern Ocean County area, near Long Beach Island or Brigantine, in Atlantic County.

South Brunswick officials advise residents to follow these tips for their safety:

  • Limit travel during the height of the storm. Many roads will have obstructions and non-essential travel should be minimized.
  • Know where the shut off valves are for your utilities. Fire officials advise if your home starts to become flooded and you need to shut off your gas and electric know the locations before the storm.
  • There is no emergency shelters open in South Brunswick in advance of the storm. If the need arises, officials have prearranged locations and information will be relayed to the public.
  • To report storm related information such as downed trees or power lines or other non-life threatening situations call 732-329-4646 

--

Be the first to know. Follow Patch on Facebook for up to the minute South Brunswick news. 

Visit www.facebook.com/SouthBrunswickPatch and like us. You can also find us on Twitter at twitter.com/SBrunswickPatch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.