Hurricane Irene and New Jersey — NOT Perfect Together

Here she comes and here we go.

Hurricane Irene is on the way and that means we need to be ready. Governor Chris Christie is telling residents not to take this one lightly. As a matter of fact, he’s already made the decision to end his beach week vacation, choosing instead to get his family out of harm’s way. That’s leading by example, and I hope my fellow citizens take his advice.

Now, non-mandatory evacuations are turning into mandatory evacuations along the beaches, as Irene looks to turn into the once in a century event that forecasters warn it could very well be. But even off the shorelines, Irene could prove disastrous. Trees are expected to topple and that means we have to stay off the roads.   

All of us need to immediately check our supplies as well. Flashlights, batteries, and a week of non-perishable food are the most obvious. Make sure your car also has a full tank of gas. These are all simple tips but let’s be honest, how often have we heard them in the past, and how often have we actually followed through?  Not me, I’ve taken major storms for granted but this one, I think I’m going to err on the side of caution.

The New Jersey National Guard says they’re ready to deploy up to 5000 soldiers if necessary and it’s hard to imagine a situation where that would be required but nevertheless, that’s how the military is looking at Irene. The cynic in me scoffs at such a notion but truth be told, hurricanes have made landfall just twice in the Garden State since records were kept. In other words, we have no track record to speak of in handling such a disaster.

So, please, let’s all take this one seriously because Irene looks like she means business.