Storm Update from Maplewood Township

The Township's Local Emergency Management Committee met this morning to review plans in the event Maplewood is impacted by Hurricane Joaquin. All municipal departments are prepared for the storm and we will implement emergency plans if the weather conditions worsen. Our Local Emergency Management Committee will be available all weekend to monitor the situation.

I have been on calls this morning with Governor Chirsitie and his administration and with Public Service Electric and Gas. The Governor's office is well prepared and expects any significant storm impact to be in southern New Jersey and along the shore. PSE&G did not think there would be any problems unless we are hit with high winds.

As needed, I will update this post. You can also go to the Township's website.

Information below is from the Maplewood Health Department and from Public Service Electric & Gas:

In preparation for the hurricane, the New Jersey Department of Health and NJ Office of Emergency Management have created a ‘Medical and Health Needs’ checklist of some essential items that residents should have on hand as you shelter-in-place at home. This list also covers what you may need to bring with you if you are moved to a shelter (in the event that conditions for your home are unsafe):

Personal identification, medical cards, health & prescription insurance cards (including Medicare & Medicaid).

Any/All prescription medications you are currently taking in the original bottles with prescription labels; these include insulin and all your over-the-counter medications.

A list of personal contacts and phone numbers for your emergency contact(s), family members, doctors, pharmacy, and medical equipment supply company.

All parents/caretakers of infants and children with specialized medical care needs should bring formulas as well as disposable diapers and wipes.

Any blood glucose monitoring devices.

Eyeglasses, dentures/denture cleaner and hearing aids.

Any portable medical equipment including wheelchairs, walkers or canes.

Your oxygen cylinder and an oxygen concentrator.

Your cell phone and charger.

Your medical appointment calendar.

Clothing and footwear for several days, including night garments and undergarments.

Toiletries (soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste).

Incontinence supplies (liners, briefs and pads) and personal hygiene supplies (toothbrush, razor, comb).

Any non-perishable food or snacks that support a special diet (liquid-nutrition, gluten-free, casein-free, etc.).

In addition, READY.gov provides a BASIC DISASTER SUPPLIES LIST (see below) that all residents should have:

Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food

Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both

Flashlight and extra batteries

First aid kit

Whistle to signal for help

Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place

Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation

Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

Manual can opener for food

Local maps

Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

Please sign up for township updates under “CODE RED” on the Maplewood Township website.

Save PSE&G’s Customer Service number, 1-800-436-7734, in your phone

Confirm that all of your contact information is correct in the customer system by logging into My Account or calling 1-800-436-7734

Bookmark the mobile friendly website, www.pseg.com, for outage reporting and updates

Register your phone for outage reporting and updates by texting REG to 4PSEG (47734)
o Once registered, report power outages by texting “OUT” to 4PSEG (47734)

Sign-up for MyAccount at www.pseg.comto report your outage and track restoration progress.

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Gas generators should be used with caution, following all safety and operations guidelines in order to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, electric shock and fire.

It is also important to have an emergency kit ready in the event an emergency occurs. An emergency kit should include:

A battery powered radio

A corded telephone (Cordless phones will not work if the power is out)

Flashlights and extra fresh batteries

A first-aid kit

Bottled water and an adequate supply of non-perishable food

A non-electric can opener

Extra blankets and sleeping bags

General outage activity throughout our service territory is available online at pseg.com/outagecenterand updates are posted on pseg.comduring severe weather.

Register for PSE&G's MyAlerts service to receive text and email notifications about power restoration through My Account at pseg.com.