Borough of Spotswood

Special Needs Registry for Disasters

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In preparation for Hurricane Season, as well as any potential emergency event, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management has created New Jersey's Special Needs Registry for Disasters - a free, voluntary and confidential program  designed to assist people with special needs who may find it difficult to get to safety in the event of an emergency.

 

'The time to get ready is now,' said Colonel Fuentes, Superintendent, NJ State Police and State Director of Emergency Management. 'Make an evacuation plan for yourself, your family, and your pets. Prepare a readiness kit of things you'll need to have with you if you must evacuate or shelter in place for an extended period of time. Talk now to friends and family who can help you get to safety when a crisis hits.'

 

People with special needs (or caregivers on their behalf) are encouraged to register electronically, if possible, by accessing: https://www13.state.nj.us/SpecialNeeds/.

 

Alternately, they can call NJ's toll free 2-1-1 telephone service. This service will register people, offer free translation, and provide TTY services for the hearing impaired. Paper registration forms are also available at all 21 county offices of emergency management via:

http://www.ready.nj.gov/about/association.html.

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Family Preparedness for Floods and Flash Floods

 

In New Jersey and across America, floods are among the most frequent natural hazards, and among the most devastating in terms of human hardship and economic loss.

 

The greatest risk occurs in known flood plains when prolonged rainfall over several days, intense rainfall over a short period of time, or an ice or debris jam causes a river or stream to overflow.

 

Melting snow can combine with rain in the winter and early spring; severe thunderstorms can bring heavy rain in the spring and summer; or tropical storms can bring intense rainfall in the summer and fall.

 

That's why the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management has put together a webpage with information flood safety, flash floods, weather conditions that may lead to floods, and what residents should do if their home is damaged in a flood.

 

You can find their webpage, with several helpful links at:

www. ready.nj.gov/plan/flood.html

 

If you have any questions, please contact the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management at 609-963-6900.

 

F.E.M.A. 2014 Updated Flood Maps

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Under its Risk MAP Program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing quality flood hazard information to help communities plan for and reduce the risk from flooding.

 

As part of that effort, the FEMA Region II office has initiated a coastal flood study to update the information shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for 14 coastal New Jersey counties and New York City. The FIRM shows each community's flood hazards and is a requirement for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The FIRM is used to determine who must buy flood insurance and where floodplain development regulations apply. FEMA's website, which will be updated as progress on the coastal flood study continues, will include links to the online preliminary FIRM panels (once completed), and details on public meetings to review those preliminary results.

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We encourage you to explore FEMA's website to learn more - be sure to check back regularly for updates, or sign up for their Twitter feed. In the meantime, there are steps that you can take now to keep your family safe from flood risk:

 

Know your risk – Understand the risk of flooding in your area.

View your community’s current flood hazard maps

and check back here for updates on the project underway.

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Hurricane Preparedness

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New Jersey residents have preparation to do to get ready for hurricanes, no matter what its impact will be here in Spotswood.  Now is the time to think and prepare. It is unbelievable to think of the destruction and the aftermath, but preparing yourself and your family will indeed make a difference. No matter what the final path of this storm, your preparation will not be a "waste of time" or a "waste of money". Think about being without electricity for several days or weeks and what you will need to live without electricity. If there is no electricity in this area, there will be no shopping, no ATM, no gas, etc.

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So, let's get ready by:

 

•      fill every vehicle you have with gas/ and every gas tank

•      get several hundred dollars from the bank or ATM

•      stock up on food which will keep without refrigeration (bread, peanut butter, nuts, fruit, and canned goods)

•      remember you need a can opener that is not electric

•      have at least enough pet food and baby food [and diapers] for a week or so

•      batteries for flashlights

•      a portable radio with batteries

•      candles/lighter/matches - it gets really dark and eerie after the storm

•      fill your propane tanks if you have a gas grill - as it may be the only way to cook, unless you have gas in your house

•      water bottles and any container filled with drinking water

•      use pool or rain barrel water to flush the toilets

•      gather any prescriptions needed and necessary medical equipment

•      bring EVERYTHING into your house/garage (lounges, toys, potted plants, garbage cans) - anything that could become a         projectile in the winds

•      charge everything (computers, phones, cameras, etc) as much as you can on Saturday

 

Customers with Life-Sustaining Equipment

    

Individuals who rely on electricity to operate life-sustaining electronic equipment, such as a respirator or dialysis machine, should pre-register with JCP&L to receive priority attention in the event of an outage.  To request the service, call JCP&L at 1-800-662-3115.  They should also inform their rescue squads and fire departments of their needs, in case of emergency.  Even though customers with life-sustaining equipment who have registered with JCP&L will receive priority attention during outages, they should also have emergency back-up equipment on hand, since immediate restoration cannot be guaranteed.

 

Preparedness for Pets

   

(recommends food, can-opener and water for up to 5 days)

http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/article/pet-preparedness_2011-08-24

 

Another good idea is to update your cell phone numbers with friends and families. Contacting others after the storm to let everybody know that you are okay or what help you need is important. Cell phone reception may not be possible after the storm if the cell towers are damaged. 

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Other Helpful Sites

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#IRENE

http://www.weather.gov/os/hurricane/index.shtml

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