The Alternative Press

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ - Hurricane Sandy is currently approximately 200 miles off the coast of North Carolina and has recently begun turning left and north towards the Northeast United States, with its current path projecting a direct hit by the eye of the storm in Central and Southern New Jersey. 

All public schools in our coverage area are closed today.  All State offices are closed, as well.  Here are the latest updates and closures courtesy of the Suburban Chamber of Commerce:

The American Red Cross has some great information on its website on storm preparation - www.redcross.org . Also, if you have a smart phone, download the Hurricane App from either Google Play or the Apple Store. It will keep you up to date.

The state website is also a good source for information -  http://ready.nj.gov/

Some local Closings and Event cancellations:

The City of Summit, the Borough of New Providence offices are closed on Monday.

Schools in Summit Berkeley Heights and New Providence are closed Monday and Tuesday. Berkeley Heights further reports .... That to prevent any damage due to power outages, PowerSchool and FirstClass will be turned off gracefully at midnight.

The Summit Area YMCA - all branches - will be closed on Monday.

Union County reports that Para-transit services are cancelled for Monday and Tuesday. Union County Superior Court and Vicinage are closed on Monday. Watchung Stables and the Trailside Nature and Science Center will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. Watch Stable boarders are encouraged to stay at home. Staff will take care of all school and boarder horses.

All county Golf facilities are closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Congregate meal delivery has been suspended for Monday. A decision on home deliveries will not be made until Monday morning. Check the county website it this effects you or a family member.

Union County College is closed on Monday.

From Jersey Central Power and Light .... JCP&L continues our preparation plans for Hurricane Sandy, Key points in preparation are: -Individuals should prepare for the possibility of outages lasting 7 to 10 days -High winds could prolong restoration efforts - Critical care and well water customers should review their individual and local emergency plans for this event - JCP&L will coordinate priorities through the County Offices of Emergency Management - Your Area Manager is always available to you. Additional communications support will aid the local Area Managers throughout this event. -Customers must report outages for JCP&L to know they are out of power Reporting a power outage: (888) 544-4877 (888-LIGHTSS) Customer Service: (800) 662-3115 Follow us on: Twitter: @JCP_L Facebook: www.facebook.com/JCPandL 24/7 Power Center outages: www.jcp-l.com Web Site: www.firstenergycorp.com

From Berkeley Heights Mayor Joe Bruno ..... I just got off of a conference call with the Governor's office. Here is the latest information and advice:

1. The storm is heading our way and it is estimated that it will make landfall Monday night in Ocean or Atlantic County, but we will feel the impact.
2. The entire State is under a flood watch with 5"-10" of rain expected.
3. There is a High Wind Warning in effect for all of Monday into Tuesday morning. With sustained winds of 34-45 miles per hour and gusts of 55-65 miles per hour.
4. With the rain and the wind, power outages are expected as trees and limbs fall.
5. Local flooding may occur.
6. During the height of the storm please stay in your home and off the street so emergency vehicles and utility trucks may pass through uninhibited.
7. If you are in a area that is prone to flooding, I ask that you make your contingency plans now to evacuate and stay with family and or friends.
8. If needed, our local shelter will be at Columbia Middle School on Plainfield Ave.
9. If you are without power and need to charge your phone and or laptop you may do so at Town Hall, providing we have power.
10. For current information here are a few websites that should have handy: NJ State Site www.ready.nj.gov , County Site and to sign up for alert updates from both the County and Township www.ucfirstalert.org and of course we will post updates on the Township website at www.berkeleyheightstwp.com
11. If you lose power call JCP&L at 1-888-544-4877 and report it. Don't assume that they know, by calling it will be registered.
12. The Regular Police Number is 908 464-1111. PLEASE ONLY USE 911 FOR AN EMERGENCY.

If you should lose power contact JCP&L by calling 888-544-4877 (1-888-LIGHTSS) or at the 24/7 Power Center at outages at www.jcp-l.com. The 24/7 Power Center features a dynamic on-line map that delivers fast and accurate outage information to desktops, smart phones and mobile devices. If you should need to power up your phone or computer Please feel free to come to Town Hall where we and charge up. Please review the alerts on UC First Alert or monitor the NOAA website at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov or the National Weather Service at http://www.weather.gov/nyc.

SUMMIT EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS:   Summit has established a Code Red System. This is available to business people as well. Here are the details. The City of Summit has the ability to notify its citizens about emergencies in Summit for severe storms, power outages, water main breaks, etc. In order to receive these important messages, you must sign up at CodeRED ™ offered by Emergency Communications Network. You may choose how to receive your messages via voicemail, text or email. Sign-up is easy and simple. Don't hesitate, sign-up today. Stay informed at home or on-the-go. The link is the bottom right of the City's homepage at www.cityofsummit.org.

NEW PROVIDENCE CODE RED: New Providence also has Code Red available for businesses. If you are not signed up, please do so on their website ... www.newprov.org

Update as of 9:25 a.m.:

From Summit Medical Group:

All Summit Medical Group locations will close at 10:00 AM on Monday, October 29. Any patient on site at 10:00 AM will be seen.

All Summit Medical Group locations will be closed on Tuesday, October 30.

Our next update regarding our hours of operation for Wednesday, October 31 will between 5:00 PM - 7:00PM on Tuesday.

Please continue checking our website, www.summitmedicalgroup.com or call our main number at 908-273-4300, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
 

Editor's Note:  Please send your hurricane updates and photos to Editor@TheAlternativePress.com