Mercer County Now Under 'Limited' State of Emergency

Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes today (Friday, Aug. 26) declared a “limited state of emergency” for the New Jersey’s capital county and also announced that the Sun National Bank Center arena in Trenton will be used as an emergency shelter to house people displaced from other areas of the state.

The Red Cross, meanwhile, will open up an emergency shelter at a firehouse in Ewing Township for Mercer County residents who become displaced from their homes, he announced.

With Hurricane Irene storming up the Atlantic coast straight toward New Jersey, Hughes again urged all Mercer County residents and business owners to act now to get ready.

“I want our residents to take this storm seriously and be as prepared as possible,” Hughes said. “The time to prepare is now. The storm is coming, and even if it is reduced to tropical storm status, it will bring heavy winds and rain. You can be of most help to our emergency teams and road crews if you prepare now and travel only if absolutely necessary.”

Hughes said resident should “shelter in place, which means to stay in your residence unless it is an emergency.”

County residents who are forced out because of flooding or damage to their homes, or who are ordered to evacuate by law enforcement officials, can go to the West Trenton Volunteer Fire Co. firehouse at 40 W. Upper Ferry Rd. in Ewing Township, where the American Red Cross of Central New Jersey will open up its shelter at 3 p.m. Saturday.

As reported earlier, that goes into effect 6 p.m. today and remains in effect for the duration of the storm. As part of its emergency operations planning, Lawrence Township is prepared to uses several facilities in town – such as the three firehouses – as shelters if they become needed.

On Thursday, .

Hughes said the state has accepted Mercer County’s offer to use the Sun National Bank Center as a shelter. He said the state will provide food and water, the Red Cross will administer the shelter, and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office will provide law enforcement.

“We are pleased to be able to offer a place of refuge for our neighbors from other parts of the state. Mercer’s Office of Emergency Management was able to coordinate this effort with our partners at the arena, and it is a testament to the teamwork here in Mercer County,” he said.

Hughes said most recent forecast models show that Irene will bring significant rainfall to the region which could lead to flooding of streets and streams, flooding of basements and, depending on the location of the storm, a rise in the level of the Delaware River.

He also noted that recent heavy rains have already saturated the ground and weakened some tree roots. With more rain and strong winds on the way, many trees are likely to be toppled.

Mercer County Office of Emergency Management is working with local municipal emergency management officials and the New Jersey State Police to prepare for the storm, Hughes said. Other county offices – including the park commission, transportation department, emergency communications center, improvement authority, sheriff’s office and prosecutor’s office – are preparing as well.

At Trenton-Mercer Airport, administrators are monitoring the weather and sending advisories to airport tenants asking they ensure that all materials and objects are secured, including aircraft.

“Although we hope to keep the airport operational, if sustained winds reach 58 mph, we will be required to close the control tower,” Hughes said. In case of closure, aircraft would be diverted to other regional airports.

People who are expecting to arrive at or depart from Trenton-Mercer Airport should check with their airline before venturing out, he said.

Mercer County Park Commission has suspended all play at its four golf courses on Sunday, Aug. 28. The commission also has secured all watercraft at the marina and the cocks on the Delaware River, behind Waterfront Park, in Trenton, he said.

If power should go out at the county’s two fuel stations, Hughes said the county has a tanker truck that can supply county work trucks and generators with an additional 1,000 gallons of fuel.

Hughes noted that local emergency management volunteer groups such as Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) have been notified to be ready to respond. He said CERT members “give critical support to first responders in emergencies, provide immediate assistance to victims, organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.”

He said anyone who has not already done so should prepare an emergency kit as outlined on the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management’s website.