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City decision makers are urging residents to stay inside and off the roads as the the city prepares to bare the brunt of a blizzard overnight.

Representatives from the city’s Office of Emergency Management [OEM] team, including members of the Asbury Park Housing Authority, Asbury Park Board of Education representatives, city staff and the public work’s department, met Monday morning to discuss storm preparations and how best to stay in communication with residents.

Storm preparations are “well underway” in the city, according to OEM Co-ordinator and Asbury Park Fire Marshal Garrett M. Giberson, and city staff are expected to issue Code Red and Nixle messages throughout the day with updates and storm details, he said.

Click here to receive immediate alerts as they are posted through Nixle. 

Roads conditions are slushy at the moment, and as time progresses into the late evening hours conditions will be shift to extreme, Giberson said.

“Now is the time to get provisions, pick up any medications from the pharmacy and get home,” he said. “Don’t wait until it gets dark because as the day goes on conditions will deteriorate and as the night comes, conditions will worsen.”

Residents are being asked to move cars into their driveways if they have one, and if not, to park on the north or east sides of the street so that plows can more easily clear snow as it accumulates on city roads, he said.

“It’s easy to remember because it is a nor’easter — north and east,” Giberson said.

Those who live near the city’s coastal lakes are advised to move their cars inland, if they have not done so already, due to a threat of coastal flooding around midnight’s high tide, said Giberson.

Accumulations of over 24 inches are expected after 8 p.m. this evening with wind gusts of up to 60 mph, said Giberson. Between 10 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. Tuesday, outside conditions may be life-threatening.

With the impending severe weather, New Jersey Natural Gas has crews on standby to ensure safe, reliable service to its customers and respond to any natural gas-related emergencies, should one occur, according to a news release issued late Monday morning.

“While we do not anticipate service interruptions, our crews are ready to handle any situation that may arise as a result of the storm,” said Kathleen T. Ellis, chief operating officer of NJNG. For up to date information from NJNG, visit njresources.com. 

American Red Cross Jersey Coast Chapter has also provided Red Cross resources for winter storm safety.  Click here to see their list of what to do before, during, and after the storm. For tips on what to do with pets, click here.

See tabs at link that will provide what to do before the storm, during and after  http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/winter-storm

The City of Asbury Park is expected to post more detailed storm guidelines at cityofasburypark.com. The Sun will post these updates as they become available.

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