Party-like Atmosphere Prevails as Hurricane Looms

NORTH WILDWOOD – Onerous weather was in the offing, Oct. 27 as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie flew to Five Mile Beach to warn residents near and far to prepare for the worst and hope for the best as Hurricane Sandy threatened.
At the conference, Christie, clad in a blue jacket bearing his name, warned that power would likely be lost at some point, so residents should be prepared to live without it for an extended period. He also warned that residents on barrier islands would have to evacuate their homes by 4 p.m. Oct. 28. Tolls on Atlantic City Expressway would be suspended effective 6 a.m. Oct. 28. If traffic is heavy northbound on Garden State Parkway, the governor said he authorized toll suspensions northbound on that evacuation route.
Addressing a body of elected and appointed officials, including U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd), Sen. Jeff VanDrew and Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam (all D-1st), Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton, County Emergency Manager Martin Pagliughi, Sheriff Gary Schaffer, County Clerk Rita Fulginiti, and Freeholders Leonard Desiderio, Will Morey and Vice Director M. Susan Sheppard.
Most local mayors attended the event, some shaking the governor’s hand and chatting briefly with him.
Outside of the bay of Anglesea Firehouse, a crowd of about 150, kept out by yellow police line tape, clustered close to hear Christie. Some applauded him. Others snapped photos of the chief executive, still others hoped for a quick photo opportunity with Christie.
A circus-like atmosphere prevailed, joking about the last time (Hurricane Irene) and what preparations they were making to weather the present threat that was lumbering up the coast, gaining water that would be pushed landward or dropped from the sky.
Four Philadelphia television news vans, microwave antennae extended, were parked directly in front of the firehouse. At the height of the news event, eight television cameras were capturing every world Christie and his emergency team uttered about the storm.
One member of the public tried to ask Christie a question, but he refused, noting only members of the press were to ask questions. He joked that it was not a town hall meeting, and he didn’t have banners or his video crew there.
“It is a beautiful day. But tomorrow night it will be a different story,” Col. Rick Fuentes, New Jersey State Police said. He had consulted with the National Weather Service and was assured, “This is a very dangerous storm.” As it gets closer, he said, more accurate predictions will be possible.
Making the storm more problematic than Hurricane Irene, when mandatory evacuation of the county was made, is that there is a full moon, which brings higher than normal tides, a northeast wind, that won’t easily allow tides to flow seaward, and the addition of an unknown quantity of rain, some predictions call for eight to 10 inches.
Tropical storm force winds, 40-70 mph, will linger. That, added to the fact that leaves are still on trees and that added weight will cause utility wires to possibly break.
Fuentes cited the June storm that struck Atlantic County with high winds for about 10 minutes and caused countless trees to fall, tore roofs off dwellings, downed power lines and caused other forms of damage. Imagine that force wind sustained over a day or two, he added, and that is what is expected from Hurricane Sandy.
He urged all residents to have a shelter plan, if they must evacuate. First seek shelter with family or friends, if that is not possible, then at a municipal or county or, at last, a state-run shelter. Christie reminded that no one would have to be without a shelter, since the state facilities had room for about 12,000.
Those who need assistance getting a list together of storm preparations were directed by Christie to www.ready.gov.
Christie pledged that municipal and county leaders would be empowered to take whatever actions are needed, and if paperwork from a state agency is required, it would be dealt with at a later date.