ERMA – Lower Township Police Chief Edward P. Donohue reported the police department activated
its Emergency Operations Room early Friday morning Oct. 16 and and again Saturday morning Oct. 17 for
several hours, during the peak of the high tide cycles.
Donohue said that the Operation’s Center is manned by Police Command Personnel and
Township Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Personnel who track storm related information such as flooding, downed wires and trees, power outages, etc. That information is then relayed to Township Department of
Public Works crews who must clear storm drains or remove fallen trees and barricade roads due to flooding.
The Operation’s Center also keeps in touch with County OEM Officials in Court House, who in turn are in contact with the State Office of Emergency Management.
Donohue said the township received minor to moderate flooding during the three day storm, with the worst of the flooding occurring at high tide on Saturday morning at which time the Lobster House Restaurant received some water damage inside the restaurant.
Patrol Officers had to advise the State Department of Transportation to shut down the George Redding Bridge several times during the storm at the time of high tides, due to flooding on the Wildwood side of the bridge.
Officers also had to close several side streets in the Schellenger’s Landing area of the township as substantial flooding occurred in that area at the time of high tide on Saturday morning.
Patrol officers had to advise several home owners to move their vehicles to higher ground in
the landing area and in the Shawcrest Section of Lower Township at the time of high tide on Saturday morning.
National Guard trucks were sent to several municipalities in the county including Lower Township, to assist with evacuations if needed.
Lower Township reported several wires were down during the storm, along with numerous
tree branches. However, no large trees were reported down and no prolonged power outages were reported.
“We were fortunate that the very high winds that were first forecast for the
storm, did not materialize as the damage and flooding would have been substantially worse,” said Donohue.
Del Haven – To the Middle Twp. Police administrator who said he was on the outside looking in at the police dept.. You are correct. You have no idea what you are doing and how you make your officers feel. You…
