Jersey City Will Decide Whether or Not to Call for Evacuation by Mid-Day Saturday
By Jon Whiten • Aug 25th, 2011 • Category: Blog, News
Earlier coverage: As Hurricane Irene Heads Towards Jersey City, Local Governments Urge Residents to Be Prepared
Jersey City officials say they may call for an evacuation of residents this weekend as a result of Hurricane Irene, but they don’t expect to make that determination until about noon on Saturday, August 27.
The city will also be setting up four emergency shelters at public schools; it will announce on Saturday if it intends to activate them.
The four initial emergency shelters that would be opened are PS 4 (107 Bright Street), PS 7 (222 Laidlaw Avenue), PS 17 (600 Bergen Avenue) and PS 38 (339 Stegman Parkway). Any disabled or elderly residents who need transportation to one of the emergency shelters is asked to contact 201-547- 5684.
Residents who park their vehicles underground or in low-lying areas are also being advised to move their vehicles to higher ground in anticipation of the storm. City emergency and public works vehicles will be staged at key locations throughout the city on Friday in advance of the storm.
The city’s Municipal Utilities Authority and the Jersey City Incinerator Authority are also currently clearing catch basins and sewer to allow for better drainage.
“We are closely monitoring this storm and are working with representatives from all critical agencies, including area hospitals, to open lines of communication and are putting in place all of the necessary emergency preparedness plans,” Mayor Healy says in a statement. “We will keep our residents apprised of any and all necessary steps should an evacuation be necessary.”
The city has also updated its evacuation routes and has evacuation plans in place should evacuation become necessary. It advises residents, however, to not wait until Saturday to pack their belongings, but to put together an emergency bag that can be taken with them should they need to relocate.
Here are the updated evacuation routes:
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Jon Whiten is the founding editor of the Jersey City Independent; he now works for a public-policy nonprofit in Trenton.
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