Be Safe, Ocean County

Irene may be on a collision course with the southern barrier islands, Save Jerseyans, but our friends in Ocean County definitely aren’t immune. This is an equal opportunity storm that will affect all of us!

The local Patch site for Point Pleasant reports that municipal officials have ordered an evacuation of residents within its flood plane. Ocean County itself is ordering anyone on LBI and the populous Toms River barrier islands to get moving. This affects thousands of people and so I felt duty-bound to republish the relevant directives:

Mandatory evacuations on Long Beach Island began Friday morning at 8 a.m. and along the Toms River Township barrier islands starting at 4 p.m. today, Friday. Other towns along the Route 35 barrier island are also under mandatory evacuations beginning Friday.

Governor Chris Christie this morning announced additional measures being taken to prepare for Hurricane Irene and aid New Jerseyans in shore evacuations. Beginning at 6:00 p.m. this evening, contraflow will be in effect on Route 72, running for 28 miles to Route 70, closing all lanes to eastbound travel and utilizing all lanes of traffic for use in moving traffic westward. The measure was taken to aid residents in evacuating Long Beach Island in Ocean County. In addition acccess from the Garden State Parkway to southern counties including Ocean County will be unavailable beginning Friday evening.

Evacuation shelters opened at 8 a.m., Friday, Aug. 26 at Southern Regional High School, Manahawkin and Toms River High School North, Toms River. Both shelters are pet friendly. Shelters are also open at the Brackman School in Barnegat and Pinelands Regional High School in Little Egg Harbor Township.

If you’re still in the danger zone for whatever reason, you can contact your local municipal office of emergency management or reach out to the county’s OEM at (732) 341-3451.

Brian McGovern
About Brian McGovern 748 Articles
Brian McGovern wears many hats these days including Voorhees Township GOP Municipal Chairman, South Jersey attorney, and co-owner of the Republican campaign consulting firm Exit 3 Strategies, Inc.

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