Emergency Officials: Stay Off The Roads, It Is Too Dangerous

HOLMDEL

With tree limbs flying, live wires falling and forceful winds, Holmdel OEM Coordinator Mike Simpson urges residents to stay put tonight, especially as it gets dark. 

"Stay off the road, unless its an extreme emergency, until daylight tomorrow," said Simpson.

On a ride through the township earlier, Simpson said he saw more traffic than he expected to see during this treacherous weather event.  

"We saw trees bending over, branches flying, branches lying around, quite a few trees down, and that’s going to continue as the storm intensifies," he said. Earlier in the day, a tree fell on a house on Grandview Drive, rendering the house inhabitable.

As of 5 p.m., flooding is not a concern. Parts of Telegraph Hill Road, Bethany and Crawfords Corner Road were barricaded for fallen trees and other conditions. 

HAZLET

Hazlet OEM Coordinator Thomas Horner said that the afternoon evacuation of the low-lying West Keansburg section has been completed. Most residents left to stay with family and friends; about a dozen took the shuttle to the county shelters.  

He too advises everyone to stay put at home. "We want them off the road, for their safety, and the safety of emergency responders." 

As of 5 p.m., flooding is not very bad but the OEM office is anticipating it to worsen with the high tide around 8 p.m.

A ride around Hazlet revealed "a lot of branches down, trees down, wires down, and a couple of trees down on a car -- no injuries as far as we know," he said.

The office has been getting calls from residents concerned that trees are going to fall on their houses.

"There's nothing we can do about that now," he said.