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Community Corner

HURRICANE SANDY: More Than 1,000 Expected At Monmouth University Shelter

More than 16,000 are without power in Long Branch, Eatontown, West Long Branch and Tinton Falls

Monmouth University may be closed to students, but it's doors are open to those in need.

As many as 1,500 people will be sleeping on cots and sharing bathroom facilities at Monmouth University's MAC Center, Lisa Rodgers of Long Branch, told The Star-Ledger.

"If someone gets hurt we can handle all their needs. We could even deliver a baby," Rodgers, an EMT, told the paper. Ambulances were readily available to take anyone in serious need of medical care to a nearby hospital, she said.

Find out what's happening in Long Branch-Eatontownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Even before people walked inside the sports complex, they had been interviewed about their medical needs at one of three Monmouth County public buildings, according to the paper.

Volunteers assisted the National Guard, the Red Cross, the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office and other police, medical and emergency responders in setting up the temporary accommodations, according to the paper. There was a game and recreation area for kids in the dining area to help fight off the inevitable boredom, it said.

Find out what's happening in Long Branch-Eatontownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

More than 10,000 are without power in Tinton Falls and Monmouth Mall has closed as the Long Branch-Eatontown area contends with the first hurricane to directly hit the Jersey Shore.

Schools are closed in all thee towns on Monday and Tuesday. Here is a town-by-town breakdown on emergency notifications:

LONG BRANCH:

HURRICANE SANDY IS A CREDIBLE THREAT

Updated Sunday, October 28, 2012, 08:30 PM  At this time, Hurricane Sandy is expected to travel along the eastern seaboard reaching our area starting
on Sunday Night and continuing through Wednesday.

ALL RESIDENTS NORTH OF ATLANTIC AVENUE ARE IN A MANDATORY EVACUATION ZONE.

ALL RESIDENTS FROM OCEAN BLVD. TO THE BEACH, FROM DEAL BORDER TO NORTH LONG BRANCH BORDER ARE IN A MANDATORY EVACUATION ZONE*
YOU MUST VACATE YOUR HOME IMMEDIATELY.

DO NOT RETURN FOR THE DURATION OF THE STORM.

*ALL RESIDENTS OF WASHINGTON MANOR AND OCEAN POINT TOWERS SHOULD REMAIN IN THEIR HOME

It is considered to be too dangerous to stay in coastal/low lying areas at this time. Secure and lock up everything. The Police Department will have patrols in the areas being evacuated. Please attempt to find a safe location with family/friends for the duration of the storm. If you cannot find a safe location to stay, please go to the Long Branch Middle School, which will open at 1:00 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012, located at: Long Branch Middle School 350 Indiana Avenue Long Branch, NJ 07740 If you have absolutely no way to get there, call City of Long Branch Office of Emergency Management at 732-571-6575, 732-222-5804 or 732-222-5807 .

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: INTERNET: Log on to www.visitlongbranch.com and click on the Code Red link on the home page. Fill out a quick form and you will then be registered to receive alerts and messages from the city. TELEVISION: Tune to channel 20 (Comcast Only) RADIO: Tune to 1620 AM. DO NOT CALL 911 or Police Headquarters UNLESS IT IS A TRUE EMERGENCY!!!!

THANK YOU AND STAY SAFE!

EATONTOWN:

Governor Christie has declared a state of emergency. Everyone should shelter inside their home and stay off the roads until the state of emergency has been lifted. Should power go out, report it to your power providers. Remember that utility providers will not be able to go out into the storm to fix any problems until it is safe to do so. 10/27 11:51AM

Eatontown Public Schools are closed on BOTH Monday and Tuesday. The decision to close schools on Wednesday will be made on Tuesday. Governor Christie has closed all state offices on Monday for non-essential personnel. The Borough of Eatontown will be closed on Monday and Tuesday for all non-essential personnel. Police and DPW workers are expected to report to work. All Borough sponsored Recreation, Community Center, Preschool and Library programs are cancelled. 10/28 3:37PM

If anyone is in need of emergency assistance or needs to be evacuated, the Borough's emergency services will be ready to assist. There will be a temporary shelter at Memorial School and transportation available to long-term shelters throughout the County. Do not call the Eatontown Police to report power outages unless it includes emergency situations such as down trees across live wires or other electrocution hazards.  10/28 7:15PM

Eatontown OEM is opening a reception center (Memorial School-7 Grant Ave) from 12pm-5pm for any resident who want to evacuate to the emergency shelters. The buses will run every 2 hrs or until the winds are too powerful. Residents cannot drive to the shelters. They must go through the town's reception centers. No exceptions. The emergency shelters are at Monmouth University in West Long Branch and Arther Brisbane in Wall Township.10/29 12:19PM

The FMERA staff will be hosting a Community Bus Tour on Thursday, November 1, 2012. The Bus Tour will allow members of the public to tour the former Post and speak to members of the FMERA staff about the redevelopment effort. The tour will leave from the Visitor Center on Oceanport Avenue at 10:00am on November 1. Due to the capacity of the buses the tour will be limited to 60 members of the public. Please express your interest in participating in the tour by e-mailing FMERAINFO@njeda.com. Members of the public will be able to reserve a seat on the bus on a first come, first serve basis and will receive an e-mail from the FMERA Office confirming their attendance.

The Monmouth County Sheriff's Office would like your assistance with an online survey about natural hazards. For more information, click here.
 New information about the Eatontown Farmers' Market can be found here.
The Eatontown Fire Department and First Aid Squad are currently fundraising. If you would like to make a donation, email info@eatontownfd.com or mail a check to Engine Truck & Hose Co. No. 1/ Eatontown First Aid Squad- P.O. Box 943, Eatontown, NJ 07724. Thank you for your support!

TINTON FALLS:

Monmouth County will be providing shelters at various locations. Residents seeking emergency shelter must report to the Tinton Falls Borough Hall located at 556 Tinton Avenue and bring all essential items. If you intend to relocate on your own, please do so as soon as possible. However, we strongly urge that all residents remain indoors. Additionally, please reduce wind-born hazards by bringing objects indoors such as furniture, planters, and decorations.

Due to high winds, the Tinton Falls Office of Emergency Management anticipates downed trees, limbs, and wires leading to power outages and safety hazards. If you encounter any wire, immediately contact the Tinton Falls Police Department at 732 542 4422. Never go near any downed wire, even if you believe it is no longer carrying electricity. Stay at least 30 feet away from downed wires and be careful to avoid anything touching those wires. If a wire falls on a vehicle, stay inside until help arrives.

The Tinton Falls Office of Emergency Management will continue to monitor the storm’s progress and updated information will be provided through the Tinton Falls Code Red system.

As Hurricane Sandy approaches, please finalize your preparations and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Michael Skudera

Mayor of Tinton Falls

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