Hazlet's Mayor Tinker Urges Residents to Prepare If Power Goes Out

Hazlet Mayor David Tinker said that the township is doing everything it can to prepare for Hurricane Sandy's impact on Monday, and asks Hazlet's 23,000 residents to do the same. 

Township DPW workers have been working to clear stormwater culverts, streams and creeks from trash, tree limbs and other obstructions so that when the rain falls it will flow down from the hills of Holmdel to transverse through the flat lands of Hazlet to eventually empty into the Raritan Bay. 

They are monitoring areas such as Craig Street, off Bethany Road, Sycamore Drive, Line Road and several areas in Hazlet's West Keansburg section. 

"People who live on streets that are flood prone are calling saying, 'Are you looking at our streets?' We're all over them. The DPW is out there. We have crews staged starting on Sunday," said the mayor on Friday night. 

The township is responsible for the inspection and maintenance of the creeks and drainage system on its property -- as well the portions of the drainage systems and streams which are located on easements dedicated to the township. 

"We're using every lesson we learned from Irene," said Tinker. 

Tinker is especially concerned about how power outages could affect residents with special needs, such as those on dialysis or oxygen, who depend on electricity. "If we have sustained winds over 75 mph the state won’t let First Aid rigs out on the road because they will tip over," he said. Residents need to have a back-up plan if they lose power, he said. 

The Hazlet Office of Emergency Management, led by Thomas Horner, is actively involved in the town's response to the coming storm. There are four deputy coordinators, each with specific duties. They are John Beslanovitz, Police Officer Will Marvel, Police Officer Ken Marr and Township Administrator Brian Valentino.

The OEM encourages residents who need assistance in evacuating during an emergency, when a loved one or caregiver is not able to help, to register at the NJ Register Ready website. 

All residents are urged to sign up for the township CODE RED service, which is used to alert citizens in emergency situations.