rap # 204-A 10/31/11

NOR’EASTERS AND WINTER STORMS CAN BRING UNEXPECTED PROBLEMS

AS THE SEASON’S first nor’easter brought high winds and floods to many parts of Ocean County this week, the threat of power outages led to another unexpected problem.

"Many families, especially seniors, use automatic garage doors to enter their homes," said Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari. "Should the power fail while they are out, they may have no way to get back inside."

Vicari, who is Chairman of Senior Services, recommended that everyone carry a house key to use incase the power goes out.

"We all enjoy the convenience of simply pressing a button in the warm car and pulling into the garage, avoiding the rain, snow and wind," he said. "This week’s storm should be a warning sign for residents to always carry a spare key."

More than a foot of snow fell in some parts of northern and western New Jersey over the weekend. The once-in-a-hundred-years storm knocked out power to thousands of residences.

"We’re entering nor’easter season, when historically some of the severest coastal storms have struck the county, Vicari said. "Now is a good time to check that spare key and make sure your door locks are operating properly."

The recent storm also knocked down some tree limbs and filled yards with the first fallen leaves of the season.

Vicari asked all residents to rake up their leaves and follow the instructions of their local towns on how to dispose of them.

"Please do not rake or blow leaves into the street," he said. "Leaves can clog storm drains and lead to flooding."

Wet leaves can also pose a threat to motorists, he added.

"It may seem that once the leaves are in the street, they simply blow away, but in reality they can cause major problems with our roads and storm drains," Vicari said. "Nobody likes to rake leaves, but a little effort on everyone’s part can make our county cleaner and safer."

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