State Preparing for Upcoming Storm

Gov. Chris Christie has ordered the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center Wednesday morning in anticipation of a mid-Atlantic coastal storm expected to bring heavy rain and snow, high winds and coastal flooding to New Jersey.

The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management is currently monitoring the storm, which should arrive tonight and last through Friday morning. Col. Rick Fuentes, State Police Superintendent and Director of the state's OEM is asking residents to be careful on the road during the storm as there exist the potential for slippery conditions.

Residents of coastal communities, many of them still recovering after Hurricane Sandy, face the thread of potential high winds and flooding, he said, and should heed emergency instructions provided by local officials.

The current storm forecast calls for clouds and temperatures of around 34 degrees tonight followed by rain beginning at around 10 a.m. Wednesday. Winds are expected to be between 20 and 25 miles per hour with gusts as high as 41 mph, according to a recent report.

Snow is expected to arrive Wednesday night and could bring between three and five inches of accumulation.

New Jersey OEM is asking residents to stay alert by following the resources available to them, including:

• National Weather Service - http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/phi/ 
• New Jersey Office of Emergency Management - www.ready.nj.gov

Other outlets provide up to date information regarding the storm:

• Social Media – Social media and other advanced communications technologies are used by frequently by emergency managers statewide. Find out if your community has a “reverse 9-1-1” system or if you can opt-in for email updates from municipal officials. “Like” the NJOEM on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@NJOEM2010), or subscribe to the NJ State Police (NJSP) on Nixle Connect. 
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/READYNEWJERSEY
• Twitter: @NJOEM2010
• NIXLE - New Jersey residents can register to receive messages by sending a text message with their zip code to 888777 (data rates may apply depending on your plan). Online registration is also available atwww.nixle.com.
• NJ Alert - NJ Alert is a free, voluntary and confidential emergency alerting system that allows NJ Office of Emergency Management officials to send E-mail or text messages to cell phones, and other email enabled devices during an emergency event. Sign up for NJ Alert by logging on to: www.njalert.gov.
• NOAA Weather Radio - is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service Office. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. NOAA Weather Radios are typically inexpensive, easily available in stores and can often be programmed for your specific area.

Residents can also stay up to date on current storm-related information by following Patch.