Evacuation Ordered, Shelters Readied

With projected models showing Hurricane Sandy making landfall in central New Jersey or Ocean County, residents of the county’s barrier islands have been ordered to evacuate their homes beginning 8 a.m. Sun., Oct. 28. The evacuation will continue until 4 p.m., said Lenora Bonifonte, Cape May County Communication Director. After that point, access will be limited and will be directed by local authorities.
Residents living in the county’s bayside communities are also being asked to evacuate, said Bonifonte, noting local municipalities will make the determination of which communities need to be evacuated.
With so many residents moving inland under the mandatory evacuation, tolls on the westbound Atlantic City Expressway will be suspended effective 8 a.m. Sun., Oct. 28. Northbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway will be monitored throughout the evacuation. If traffic becomes heavy, tolls will also be discontinued on that roadway to allow drivers easier access out of the county.
According to Bonifonte, residents who have been ordered to evacuate are being asked to contact family and friends in order to find safe lodging. For those who cannot make appropriate accommodations, at least four emergency shelters will be set up on the mainland of the county.
“There will be at least four shelters, perhaps six,” said Bonifonte. Residents needing to be moved to a shelter should call their local municipality. “They will drive them to a shelter designated for the county,” she said.
The Cape May County Office of Emergency Management announced that shelters will be open starting Sunday, October 28th for residents evacuating from the Barrier Islands and Bayside communities in Cape May County. However, before going to a shelter residents are to call their local Office of Emergency Management for instructions.
Ocean City, Sea Isle City and Strathmere residents will be directed to the Upper Township Middle School located at 525 Perry Rd. in the Petersburg section of Upper Township and to the Upper Township Elementary School, 50 Old Tuckahoe Rd. in Marmora, New Jersey.
Residents in Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, North Wildwood, West Wildwood, Cape May, West Cape May and Cape May Point will be sheltered at the Woodbine Developmental Center located at 1175 DeHirsch Rd., Woodbine, New Jersey.
Also, an animal shelter will open in Lower Township at Noon on Sunday, October 28th. The shelter for animals is at 409 Breakwater Road, Tomwar Building in the Cape May County Airport Complex. Please call 609-886-1619 ex 201 for directions. Additionally, animal sheltering trailers will be set up at two other locations in the county.
Residents who are planning evacuation to a shelter and need to place their pet need to indicate they are pet owners when they contact their local Office of Emergency Management, said Bonifonte.
Residents in need of shelter should call their local Office of Emergency Management for assistance, Bonifonte reiterated.