Despite Quiet Hurricane Season So Far, Experts Say Always Be Prepared

For the Jersey Shore, Hurricane Sandy remains the definitive “superstorm” in the last 60 years.

The October 2012 hurricane pummeled the shore with record-breaking storm surge that swamped entire communities and caused widespread destruction. In New Jersey, the storm was blamed for 12 deaths among a total of 182 people killed by Sandy in the United States.

Fortunately, no Sandy-like storms – or severe weather of any kind – have threatened the Jersey Shore this year during what has so far been an unusually quiet hurricane season.

But storm experts in Cape May County emphasized during a hurricane preparedness forum Friday in Ocean City that no one should become complacent. There is no guarantee of mild-only weather throughout the rest of the Atlantic hurricane season ending on Nov. 30, they pointed out.

Christopher Leusner, who heads Cape May County’s Office of Emergency Management, expressed confidence that Cape May County residents have not let down their guard 12 years after Sandy.

“I believe people in Cape May County know what can happen here,” said Leusner, who also serves as mayor of Middle Township.

    Cape May County Emergency Management Director Christopher Leusner remains confident that local residents have not become complacent since Sandy 12 years ago.
  

Frank Donato, emergency management coordinator for Ocean City and Upper Township, said Sandy now serves as the measuring stick for hurricane preparedness.

Despite Sandy’s widespread destruction along the Jersey Shore, Donato noted that Ocean City was well-prepared for the storm, including evacuations to empty the island of residents before the weather turned dangerous.

“It was almost eerie,” Donato said of how the city had become a virtual ghost town. “There were so few people on the island.”

Donato and other emergency management experts said during the forum, which was sponsored by Ocean City AARP Chapter 1062, that everyone should have a hurricane preparedness plan to protect themselves during dangerous weather.

Representatives of the Cape May County Health Department handed out literature and gave presentations to let families know what steps they should take to develop a storm plan. They also outlined what resources are available during emergencies, including evacuation shelters and medical services. During Sandy, some people were stuck in emergency shelters for days.

“As we all know, when we watched Sandy unfold, you might not be able to get back to your house,” Mary Tighe, director of nursing at the Cape May County Health Department, said of the storm’s destructive aftermath.

    Cape May County Health Department representative Kim Tracy hands out emergency preparedness literature to the audience during the forum at the Ocean City Free Public Library.
  

Ronnie Town, external affairs manager for Atlantic City Electric, described how the utility company responds to storms, including the measures it takes to restore power throughout its 2,700-square-mile service territory in South Jersey.

Town urged Atlantic City Electric customers to “just be patient” while the utility repairs fallen power lines and restores electricity after a storm. Above all, she said no one should ever try to move fallen power lines, a potentially deadly mistake.

“Please don’t try to be a hero,” Town said.

During the forum, the speakers also stressed the importance of having residents at the shore, as well as second homeowners and visitors, to sign up for the storm alerts provided by the county and local communities through web notifications, social media, email blasts, texts and reverse 911 calls.

Signups for county alerts are available at capemaycountynj.gov by clicking the “Emergency Management” tab. In Ocean City, go to ocnj.us and click on the “Alert Me” link. In Sea Isle City, visit seaislecitynj.us and go to “Register for Emergency Alerts” under the Police Department tab.

The county and local municipalities have been sending out weather alerts this week to warn of the threat of minor to moderate flooding throughout the weekend caused by high tides and an offshore low-pressure system.

    Frank Donato, emergency management coordinator for Ocean City and Upper Township, says Hurricane Sandy is the benchmark for storm preparedness.