Hurricane Irene is heading north along the Atlantic Coast, forecasts show the storm going straight up the shore to New York. Above is the National Hurricane Center's flooding map for a category two hurricane. Currently Irene is a category three storm. According to the map for a category three storm, my neighborhood would be under more than ten feet of water.
Category 3 flooding
I'm not expecting the worst, but that's a lot of water. A mandatory evacuation order is intended to empty all of Cape May County and Long Beach Island beginning at 8 a.m. today. (Storm surge maps are available here.)
All of Cape May County's beach towns, including Wildwood and my beloved Cape May township, could be under 18 feet of water if Irene hits the peninsular county at its present strength.
Here's the latest track:
From the Star-Ledger:
The rest of the barrier islands in Ocean County are under voluntary evacuation for now, Flynn said.
Residents and tourists who have special needs are urged to contact their local emergency management offices and to pay attention to police or emergency management activities within their communities.
Emergency shelter for tourists and residents in that region will be available at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin beginning Friday, Flynn said.
From Sandy Hook to Cape May, workers along the coast spent today boarding up oceanfront buildings and moving beach lockers, boats, lifeguard stands and any other items that could become deadly projectiles from the storm’s furious winds. ...
The last time a powerful storm destroyed Atlantic City’s famed boardwalk was the 1944 hurricane that also wiped out the boardwalks in Cape May, Ventnor and Margate. Ventnor and Margate never rebuilt theirs.
Morey’s Piers in Wildwood has arranged to evacuate its 500 international student-employees on 10 buses that will be ready to roll by Friday afternoon, Morey’s executive vice president Jack Morey. Workers will start dismantling rides and attractions today, Morey said, and he said he’s not sure if they’ll go up again before the end of the season. The company’s three amusement piers and two waterparks are closed through Sunday.
In other evacuation news:
Atlantic County is preparing evacuation orders for voluntary evacuation beginning at 8 p.m. tonight and a mandatory evacuation at 6 a.m. Friday for the barrier islands and the mainland communities east of Route 9.
Despite the sunny weather predicted for Friday, officials say they want to move people out of those low-lying areas as soon as possible.
"This is the time to prepare for the storm. People need to take this seriously," said Donna Flynn, Ocean County's public information officer. The rest of the barrier islands in Ocean County are under voluntary evacuation for now, she said.
Residents and tourists who have special needs are urged to contact their local emergency management offices and to pay attention to police or emergency management activities within their communities.
New York City is preparing to evacuate coastal parts of Staten Island, Broad Channel on Jamaica Bay, as well as Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, and the Rockaways. Both N.Y.C. airports could be under water.
We'll see what happens. I'll be here to write about it.
D.C.
Posted by: |