Verona Police Issue Storm Warning Tips

With Hurricane Irene quickly approaching, the Verona Police Department has asked us to forward the following information to help residents prepare for the storm.

The Verona Police Department also suggests that you sign up for their email alerts by logging on to veronapolice.org and entering your email address in the “sign up for email alerts” section on the home page.

In anticipation of Hurricane Irene all residents are reminded to:

• Secure all outdoor furniture, toys and trash cans to prevent them from blowing around.

• Have a battery operated flashlight and radio available in the event of a power failure.

• Make sure all cell phones are fully charged

• Remember that 9-1-1 is for emergencies only.

• If you see wires down in the roadway or see wires that are on fire contact the police department for assistance. Do NOT go near the wires. Remember – just because the wire is not jumping around does NOT mean that it isn’t live.

• If your power, telephone or cable service goes out you should contact the provider of these services for assistance. The Police Department will not be able to get your services restored. Remember to be patient when calling these service providers – during a big storm they are dealing with many outages and there may be a delay in having your service restored.

Phone numbers for local utilities:

PSE&G: 800-436-7734

Comcast Cable: 800-266-2278

Verizon: 800-837-4966

• If you have a medical condition and you use medical equipment that is powered by electricity, have non electrical back up equipment available. Also you should register with the Verona Police Department so that we are aware of your medical situation before the power goes out.  Please call 973-857-4817 during regular business hours to register.

• Residents are advised to remain at home and stay off the roadways during severe weather. If you must travel do not try and drive through flooding on roadways.

• Have a “go bag” packed in the event that you will have to evacuate your home. “Go Bag” should include your medications, a change of clothing and personal hygiene items.

• If you are using a portable generator, please make sure that it is properly vented and it is located a safe distance from your home or business.

Relevant Websites:

Township of Verona - veronanj.org

NJ Dept. of Health and Senior Services -  state.nj.us/health

NJ Office of Emergency Management - state.nj.us/njoem

NJ State Police OEM Hurricane Preparedness – nj.gov/njoem/guide_to_hurricane_prep.html

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - fema.gov

American Red Cross – redcross.org

National Weather Service - nws.noaa.gov