Maplewood To Close Buildings At Noon, Gives Isaias Update

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — With Tropical Storm Isaias expected to bring wind and rain this afternoon and evening, the town of Maplewood is closing most municipal buildings at noon and gave storm precaution advice.

The state is under a tornado watch until 4 p.m., and a confirmed tornado was spotted in Ocean City in South Jersey earlier today.

(Use this link to the National Hurricane Center to track the storm.)

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The town noted:

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Library

The Maplewood Library and Township Buildings will close at 12 p.m. due to Tropical Storm Isaias. Staff working remotely will be able to complete your requests online: Guide To Doing Business Online

Safety notes & resources

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, do not run any gasoline-powered generators in a garage or any other enclosed space.
If you are on life-sustaining medical equipment, ensure that you have alerted PSE&G in advance and notify your local police and fire departments. For more information, visit pseg.com/life.
Residents should secure, or move indoors any lose items near their homes, such as: Trash receptacles, Lawn furniture, and Lawn equipment
If you see any downed trees please contact the Department of Public Works at 973-762-1175.

Emergency Personnel/Departments (Police & Fire) will remain open

The National Weather service has issued a tropcial storm warning through Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2020.
Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to have sustained winds of 35-45 mph and wind gusts up to 65 mph. More Info can be found here: National Weather Service
Prepare to shelter in place, and that planning may be different this year due to COVID-19.
Give yourself more time than usual to prepare your emergency food, water, and medicine supplies.
If you need to evacuate, prepare a “go kit” with personal items you cannot do without during an emergency. Include items that can help protect you and others from COVID-19, such as hand sanitizer, or bar or liquid soap if not available, and two cloth face coverings for each person. Face covers should not be used by children under the age of 2. They also should not be used by people having trouble breathing, or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or unable to remove the mask without assistance.
When you check on neighbors and friends, be sure to follow social distancing recommendations (staying at least 6 feet, about 2 arms’ length, from others) and other CDC recommendations to protect yourself and others.
If you need shelter, please call the Maplewood police department at 973-762-1234. The Township also operates an emergency shelter at the Office of Emergency Management Building located at 129 Boyden Ave.
What you can do now:
Review storm preparation tips; visit https://nj.pseg.com/safetyandreliability/stormsafety.

Stay connected with PSE&G

Compile a list of emergency phone numbers; include PSE&G Customer Service 1-800-436-PSEG.
You can report an outage by texting “OUT” to 4PSEG (47734).

For JCP&L Customers

Report your outage by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), clicking the “Report Outage” link on www.firstenergycorp.com, or by texting out to 544487.
Stay away from downed wires

Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Stay at least 30 feet away from downed wires. Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything it might be in contact with. If a wire falls on or near your car, stay inside the car, call 911, and do not get out until PSE&G de-energizes the line. If you MUST get out of the vehicle because it is on fire, jump as far as possible away from the vehicle, with both feet landing on the ground at the same time, and hop or shuffle away.

Helpful Links:

https://www.essexsheriff.com/oem/
http://www.ready.nj.gov/

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