Township Making Final Preparations Before Storm Arrives

As the first rain drops started to fall on Saturday morning a group of dedicated volunteers arrived at the Department of Public Works building on Old Tavern Rd. to assist in preparing sand bags for the township before Hurricane Irene arrives.

The volunteers came from all over town including Boy Scouts, members of the Howell Township First Aid Squad and the Police Athletic League among other organizations. George Gravatt, the director of the Department of Public Works said the township has close to 300 tons of sand in storage but he only expected to use one third of that for this storm.

Most of the sand and sand bags were being sent to low lying areas and areas known to flood in the township. That includes Moors Landing which experienced heavy during last weekend's storm. Some of the sand bags will also be put in reserve as the need arises during the duration of the storm. 

Also at the DPW facility on Saturday morning was Deputy Mayor William Gotto who said the administration has gotten regular updates on the track of the storm as it approaches the area. Gotto said they have been told to anticipate sustained winds of 50 to 80 MPH when the full impact is felt tonight. 

Storm surges of three to five feet are also expected on top of wave heights approaching 12 feet. While Howell is not directly on the ocean, Gotto said the impact could be felt by the township with water rushing from the ocean, into the bay and back into the rivers including the Manasquan river. 

Gotto also said the plans that have been laid out for the township go beyond just the storm itself. He said they are anticipating the possibility that the post storm efforts could last for several days beyond the storm. "When you have a 14 hour storm, the duration of what happens afterwards is a lot longer so this could be weeks (of work,) he said. Those post storm efforts include handling power outages, flood remediation and other clean up jobs throughout the town including downed trees and blocked roads. 

There are several outlets for people to get the latest information including Cablevision Channel 77, the township's website and right here at Howell Patch including our constantly updated . Gotto also suggested residents in need, but not in an emergency situation call the Emergency Operations Center at 732-414-3245. The call center will be active as of 5 p.m. Saturday night. 

With the storm not expected until late tonight, some local businesses are already making the decision to close for Sunday at least. Peter Cafaro, owner of at the intersection of Route 9 and Casino Rd. said the safety of his employees and customers was his motivation to close on what would normally be a busy day. "We'll take the day as a hit," he said. "It sets you back big, but it's mother nature and there's really nothing you can do about it. 

If your company will be having an unexpected closing due to the storm send an email to adam.hochron@patch.com and we'll put together a listing for residents and employees as the cleanup efforts continue.