Urgent Message From Police Cheif Rob Lawson On Pending Hurricane Irene

I'm Chief Lawson, the Lakewood Police Department and I'm also the emergency management coordinator for Lakewood. And the purpose of today's message is to inform residents about the hurricane Irene that is coming our way. I'm sure you already have heard about it. Um, this is a large dangerous hurricane. Uh, we have not seen anything like this, at least in my lifetime, to uh to hit New Jersey. Uh currently, Hurricane Irene is a class uh three hurricane. It's projected to do go up to a class 4 and potentially hit our area as a class 2 hurricane, meaning we're going to have very possibly 100 mph winds and six or more inches of rain. Uh the main damage from this type of hurricane is wind damage and also from falling trees. because the ground will be so saturated um trees with weak roots will go down fairly easily. So, it's important that we take certain precautions um to be prepared for this hurricane. Number one, secure your home um your and your vehicles. If you have storm shutters, uh close them. Uh put away any loose objects outside, whether it be lawn furniture, lawn ornaments, uh children's toys. These all could become projectiles in the high winds and do uh further damage to structures. Uh provisioning uh be sure that you have at least a 3-day a 7-day would be even better, but at least a 3-day supply of food, especially non-p perishable, high energy food because if we have a lot of damage in our area, the stores may be closed. You may not be able to get out. Make sure you have plenty of water, at least a gallon per person per day, and figure for at least three days. Um, you can fill your bathtub with water. You can fill um large receptacles with water. It's extremely important, especially this time of year where it's warm, that you have enough water um for people to drink and also for um um sanitary reasons. Um, also in regard to provisioning, make sure you have supplies such as flashlights, uh, batteries that work. Uh, medications, make sure you have at least a week supply of medications. You may not be able to get out. This the drugstores may not be open. So, you don't want to get short on that. Um, a radio, extremely important, uh, if we lose power, and that's very possible because of all the trees that are going to be down uh, taking wires down. If you have a radio, you can stay informed uh what's going on. And it should be a battery operated uh radio or a radio with a crank handle. Uh and you should expect to lose power. It it's very possible in this type of storm. Um keep your car have it filled with gas prior to the start start of the storm. Um it's unlikely that we're going to have to do any evacuations. However, there's always that potential. So, you should have a plan. Um, if you need to evacuate, the car should be serviced. It should be full of gas and you should have somewhere to go. Let somebody let a family member or a friend know what your plans are. Uh, and if you need to evacuate, have someplace to go so you're you're not just uh wandering around. Also, have a supply of cash on hand. You know, you don't need thousands of dollars, but you should have some cash, especially small bills if you need to evacuate so you can pay for expenses. When the hurricane hits, stay inside. Stay away from windows. Flying objects from the high winds could potentially break windows and residents could be injured by shattered glass. Also, after the storm, do not go out. Um, there could be wires down from trees. Um, and there could be other hazards caused by the hurricane. So, please take some common sense precautions. Uh, be prepared and be safe. Thank you.