How to Prepare for Hurricane Sandy

From Haddonfield borough government:

Haddonfield volunteers and employees continue to prepare for the anticipated extreme weather conditions.

Haddon Fire Company No. 1 and EMS members will be on duty throughout the storm and its aftermath, as will extra shifts of police officers. Public works crews will be available to address downed trees.

DOS AND DON’TS

• Shelter in place. If the forecast heavy rains and high winds occur, the safest place will be an interior room or walk-in closet in your home. DO NOT GO OUT during the extreme conditions. If you believe you must leave, call 911 and receive instructions.

•  If you see a downed wire, ASSUME IT IS LIVE and do not go near it. Call 911 or PSEG. Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything that it might be in contact with.  Parents are urged to check for downed wires in areas where their children might play and to remind the children to stay far away from any wires.  If a wire falls on a vehicle, passengers should stay in the vehicle until help arrives. To report a downed wire, call 800-436-PSEG and tell PSE&G the nearest cross street.

• Stock up on water and non-perishable foods. Even filling containers with tap water is a useful precaution. It is possible that there will be an extended period when safe drinking water is not available.

• Have cash available. If power is out, banks will be closed, ATM’s won’t operate and credit card transactions will not process.

• If you have a propane barbecue, make sure you have a full tank. You may need it for cooking. Disconnect bottle from grille and store the barbecue and tank in a garage or other detached enclosure.

• Portable and cell phones may not be operational, but a simple corded phone may still work even if there is an electrical power outage.

• Move patio furniture and planters indoors.

• Have flashlights and extra batteries available

• Fill your bathtubs with water. Not for drinking, but you may need water for washing and to flush toilets

• If you are in a low-lying area, please consider moving any vehicles to higher ground. All Borough parking lots, including behind Borough Hall, are available for this purpose however could become flooded also.

• Remove valuables and irreplaceable from basements to upper floor closets.   Backup computers and store them on upper shelving inside closets (consider covering in plastic)

IN CASE YOU LOSE POWER

First, check your neighborhood.  If you are the only one without power, check your fuse box for tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses.  If that’s not the problem, look outside at the wire between your house and the utility pole or in the area of the street. If the electric wire is down, report it immediately to 911 and PSE&G at 800-436-PSEG. Never touch a downed wire.

BASEMENT FLOODING

If you have flooding in your home which endangers or damages electrical fixtures, wiring, outlets or panels, or gas appliances (such as your furnace or water heater), if able, shut off the utilities until your contractor can inspect the damage. If unable to shut off your utilities safely, contact our Fire department via 911. Only a professional should turn gas back on, to avoid the possibility of a leak leading to an explosion.  Also be advised that the Borough does not have the ability to provide basement pump-outs. You will need to retain a private contractor for this service.

USEFUL LINKS:

Borough Website: http://www.haddonfieldnj.org/

NJ Office of Emergency Management “Three Steps to Safety”: http://ready.nj.gov/plan/kit-plan.html

American Red Cross Hurricane Preparedness Guide: http://preparehr.org/documents/RedCrossReadyHurricaneGuide2pg.pdf

Red Cross Hurricane Safety Checklist: http://www.weather.gov/om/hurricane/resources/Hurricane%20ENG.PDF

NOAA Local Forecast: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/phi/