Jersey City prepares for hurricane; esteemed professor gives his prediction
Although weather forecasters on Friday predicted that Hurricane Joaquin would veer away from the New York area, Mayor Steven M. Fulop and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), in coordination with all city departments, still went ahead with preparations in case of a possible last minute change. They also said that wind and rain could come in advance of the storm.
Also, an ocean engineer and professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, who was widely known for predicting the massive extent of Hurricane Sandy’s flooding before many others, gave his own forecast for Hurricane Joaquin.
Alan Blumberg, the director of the Davidson Laboratory at Stevens, which studies environmental and ocean engineering, agreed with Friday’s toned-down forecast, but expressed concerns.
“Joaquin is not going to impact [the area] as of now,” he said. “It’ll likely have an impact on the Jersey shore because it’ll generate big waves there.”
He noted that it’s better to be safe than sorry. He said, “It’s in the Bahamas and hasn’t stated to move. I don’t want to panic anyone, but let’s say it starts to move and go somewhere. It’s best to be prepared. If Joaquin were to come it would be much worse than Sandy.”
Blumberg said Hurricane Joaquin, which was an intense Category 4 on Friday, would subside to a Category 2 if it were to make landfall in Hoboken. The National Weather service places Category 2 storm winds between 96 and 110 miles per hour.
“We have to be ready for storms of the future. This was harbinger of things to come,” added Blumberg.
Residents can check for storm updates and other breaking news on hudsonreporter.com, which has been posting about the storm since Monday morning.
Jersey City officials said residents should also take precautions because the area will feel the effects of heavy rain and wind. Significant rainfall, flooding, high winds and power outages are possible for the area. Motorists should avoid flooded roadways and not attempt to drive through standing water.
“Our OEM team and city directors are putting the necessary steps into place while closely monitoring the direction of Hurricane Joaquin, which has the potential of significantly impacting our area,” said Mayor Fulop. “Residents should sign up for emergency notifications and take the necessary home preparedness steps now in advance of the storm, as we will be continually providing updates to keep our residents safe and informed.”
OEM is asking residents to sign up for emergency notifications on city social media channels. During the weekend the city will frequently update its communication channels, including the municipal website (www.jerseycitynj.gov), the official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/JerseyCityNJ), the Twitter feed (@JC_Gov) and the emergency alert system.
Residents who are not already signed up to receive emergency alerts can do so by logging on to http://www.jerseycitynj.gov/alerts.
Any residents who park in low-lying areas are encouraged to move their vehicles to higher ground in advance of the storm.
Both the Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health and CarePoint Health-Christ Hospital networks have activated their emergency preparedness plans and are in close communication with the city’s OEM.
Here are some recommended steps residents can take in advance of a severe rain and wind event.
• All residents should have a family disaster plan ready. Know where you will evacuate to, and plan ahead to stay with family and friends or lodging outside the area. Be sure to provide shelter for your pets and notify friends and family of your plans.
• Bring all outdoor items such as garbage cans, lawn furniture and other items inside prior to the storm.
• Remove debris and keep trees trimmed.
• Inspect outside drains to make sure they are free of clogging.
• Secure and board up windows in your home.
• Cars and boats should be moved to higher ground before exiting your home.
• Store valuables and important documents in a waterproof safety deposit box in the highest level of your home.
• Make sure generators are in working condition.
• Before evacuating, check with your utility company in advance to find out what should be turned off.
• Make sure your car has a full tank of gas, cell phones are fully charged, prescription medications are filled, and have enough money, clothes, blankets, diapers, formula, and personal items to get you through several days.
• If evacuation is required, unplug appliances, lock your home and do not return until the area is deemed safe.
Residents may also call the Resident Response Center at (201) 547-4900, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. In the event the OEM Command Center is activated, extended hours and phone numbers will be made available for residents.
State inspects jitneys
In August, New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs investigators, working with the New Jersey State Police, the North Bergen Police Department, and the Hudson County Office of Consumer Affairs, conducted unannounced inspections of commercial autobuses to check for public notices required to be displayed by “Angelie’s Law.”
The law named as after a North Bergen infant that was killed as a result of a jitney accident in West New York in 2013.
The agencies inspected 22 commercial autobuses along Bergenline Avenue near James J. Braddock/Hudson County Park. Fifteen of the vehicles were in compliance with Angelie’s Law. Summonses for the seven non-compliant vehicles were issued to bus companies from Jersey City, North Bergen, Union City, Fairview, and New York.
Freeholders change meeting date
The Hudson County Board of Freeholders have changed the scheduled meeting of Thursday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. to Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 6 p.m.
Real estate agents put the ‘give’ back into Thanksgiving
As part of its ongoing “Caring for the Community” program, the realtors and staff members of RE/MAX Gold Coast Realty are collecting food and funds for its upcoming seventh Annual Thanksgiving Dinner Drive with the goal of feeding 70-75 families this year. Last year, the office put together 73 meals for area families in need with all the fixings from the turkey to trimmings, spices to stuffing and potatoes to pie with help from friends, family, local business owners and clients.
To ensure each family receives the same complete Thanksgiving Dinner, an easy-to-follow grocery list was created to make it easy for people who want to do the shopping themselves. For people who can’t do the shopping, financial donations are welcomed and will be used to purchase as many additional Thanksgiving Dinners as the money will buy.
Non-perishable food and/or donations can be dropped off at RE/MAX Gold Coast Realty at 306 Washington St. in Hoboken between the hours of 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Monday through Friday, or 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Donated turkeys (whole, frozen only, please) labeled “RE/MAX Turkey Drive” can be dropped off on Monday, Nov. 23 at Pilsener Haus Biergarten, 1422 Grand St., Hoboken, 9 a.m. to 11a.m.
For more information on how you can get involved please contact Karen De Jesus, director of operations at RMGC, at (201) 795-5200 x316, or Karen@hobokenproperties.com.