For Immediate Release:

October 30, 2012

 

Countywide curfew begins at 7 p.m. tonight

Massive power outage puts most of county in the dark

FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth County has set a curfew for tonight to keep residents off the road and safe.

“A countywide curfew is in effect from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. and will continue until further notice,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden. “In the interest of safety and security for all of our residents, this 12 hour curfew has been put in place.”

 

Only essential personnel may be outside and on the roads during this time. This includes emergency service personnel and those who are responsible for critical services within the county.

 

“The county has the authority to institute the curfew as part of Saturday’s state of emergency declaration for Hurricane Sandy,” Acting County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said. This supersedes any earlier municipal declarations.”

 

The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management continues to remind residents that dangers still exist in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Officials recommend that you follow these tips:

• Stay informed and listen to updates about storm recovery.
• Do not touch fallen or low-hanging wires under any circumstances. Stay away from puddles with wires in/near them. Do not touch trees or other objects in contact with power lines.
• Use 9-1-1 for emergencies only.
• Call utility companies immediately to report hazards such as downed power lines, broken gas or water mains, overturned gas tanks, etc.
• Watch for weakened roads, tree limbs or porches that could collapse unexpectedly.
• After power is restored, check refrigerated food for spoilage. Spoiled food can cause sickness two days to a week after the storm.
• When reinstalling a CB, TV or satellite antenna, check in all directions to be sure no power lines are nearby. The same goes for climbing trees to clear debris.
• Do not operate charcoal grills, propane camping stoves or generators indoors.

 

For more information about emergency preparedness, go to the County website, www.visitmonmouth.nj.us, check the Monmouth County’sFacebookpage, or sign up to receive County tweets from Twitter,MonmouthCountyGov.

 

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