"It's the Wind You Have to Watch Out For With Irene," MCOEM Official Warns

Look for Irene early Sunday morning.

That's the latest word from John Ferguson, acting coordinator for the Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management (MCOEM) about the impending hurricane predicted to hit the East Coast.

"Expect really heavy rain early Sunday morning, around 6 am," said Ferguson, who is privy to the latest storm information from the National Weather Service's Mt. Holly radar tracking.

The four possible tracks Hurricane Irene could take have been reduced to two, Ferguson said. One has the storm treking westward and more inland, the other has it moving more out to sea.

Watch out for the east side of the storm, he said. "The intensity is much worse on the east side."

And then there's the full moon. "This storm will hit when we're having a full moon, and that means that the tides and more flooding will be involved," Ferguson said.

The county is in full emergency mode in making way for Irene's arrival. "I've reached out to all the county agencies who respond to this. We're anticipating a major event," he said.

That means that "the county will flood in its usual spots. The wind, though, is the big thing. The ground is already soft from all the rain we've had. Hurricane-force winds can do a lot of harm," Ferguson said.

The county OEM has been in contact with all Middlesex municipalities, including Woodbridge, about their preparations for the storm. That includes setting up shelters in case of storm flooding and evacuations.

"We'll be using our reverse 911 system," said John Hagerty, Woodbridge town spokesman, to call residents in the event of a hurricane emergency.

Officials are loathe to say exactly where the emergency centers are located unless an actual emergency comes to pass. That's because they need time to set them up, Ferguson said.

"Each municipality sets up their own shelters," he said, adding that the county will also have emergency shelters in place should the worst happen.

The Woodbridge shelters will be at the Woodbridge Community Center on Main St., Hagerty said, as well as "schools and churches."

The areas of the township most likely to experience flooding are Crampton Ave., Watson Ave., Heidelberg Ave., Vesper Ave., Pearl Ave. and Von Vetchen Ave. in Woodbridge Proper.

Flood-prone areas in Avenel include East Coddington St., St. Mary Way, Jay St., Freddie Alison Dr., Joey Lane, Jessie Lane, Christina Dr., Helen Ave., and Coke Ave. This includes the Ideal Mobile Home Park off Rahway Ave.