Hackettstown 'Prepared As Can Be,' Mayor Says

Hackettstown is as prepared as can be for Hurricane Sandy’s impact, according to the town’s chief official.

Shelters have been lined up, fire departments are prepared to pump water from basements, and the first aid squad is available to transport those in need of medical attention Mayor Maria DiGiovanni said.

“We’re not expecting as much rain as originally expected,” DiGiovanni said, “but the wind will be severe. We just can’t tell what’s going to be the outcome at this point.”

The town has prohibited overnight street parking for Monday into Tuesday, and has cancelled trick-or-treating hours on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The town has designated Saturday, Nov. 3 from 4 to 9 p.m. as the new trick-or-treating period.

Flooding is a constant issue on Mountain Avenue in Hackettstown as it sits along the Musconetcong River, and the river isn’t in the best shape, according to Hackettstown Sgt. Darren Tynan.

“I know the river is probably a little higher than what they’d like,” Tynan said. “So we’re assuming there will be flooding (on Mountain Avenue). The wind is not good, either, and I think we’ll be seeing a lot of outages.

As of noon Monday, Hackettstown was only experiencing eight residential outages, while nearby Mansfield Township was reporting 110 and Independence Township had 493, according to JCP&L’s power outage map.

In the event shelters are needed, the first stop will be Hackettstown High School, Tynan said. If no power is available there, Trinity Church on Main Street will be next, followed by the Miller Street Firehouse, with the Hackettstown Municipal Building on Stiger Street being fourth on the shelter list, if needed.

For a full page of ongoing Hurricane Sandy coverage, go here.