Temporary shelters on Long Beach Island open to residents experiencing power outages

Photo by Ryan Morrill
A portion of Long Beach Boulevard is
closed in Long Beach Township due to floods.

Out of the 6,700 residences in Ocean County currently without power due to blizzard conditions, about 390 of them are in Long Beach Township, according to Frank Tedesco, Atlantic City Electric Co. media contact.

“A lot of the issues along the eastern portion of our service territory have been the extremely high winds and flooding on the islands,” he said. “Our crews cannot safely perform aerial restorations on the wires, in a bucket truck, with sustained winds of 40 mph or more. However, we are able to restore where we are safely and quickly as possible.”

The number of outages will fluctuate throughout the day based on the winds, Tedesco added, noting crew members are working around the high tides.

A majority of people in the High Bar Harbor section of the township were some of the first in the municipality to experience power loss.

Temporary shelters, including the Barnegat Light Volunteer Fire Co., Long Beach Island Grade School and Beach Haven First Aid Squad buildings, have opened on the Island for residents who are in need of lighting, refrigeration or warmth, said Long Beach Township Police Chief Michael Bradley. He noted an overnight shelter could open up if needed, though no decision has been made. Those seeking assistance should contact the Long Beach Township Police Department to make arrangements before heading to any of the locations.

Flooding has created other obstacles for local residents in different parts of the township as well. Long Beach Boulevard has been shut down from North Beach Haven through Brant Beach. There is also sporadic flooding on some bayside streets at the south end of the jurisdiction.

Bradley estimates the area had up to 8 inches of snow before conditions changed to sleet and rain around 4 a.m. He said the township Public Works Department and Ocean County Road Department did “a very good job” cleaning snow from the township’s streets.

“Now we’re concerned about flooding and ice, so our strong recommendation is do not travel,” he stated.

The police chief is encouraging people to stay informed of the weather forecast. Periodic updates are being sent out via the department’s emergency notification system, including its website and Facebook page as well as Nixle.

Township officials are working with the Ocean County Sheriff's Department Office of Emergency Management.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.