Manalapan Residents in Flood Prone Areas are Urged to Seek Higher Ground

Manalapan Township is not in a mandatory evacuation, although residents who live in a low-lying ares that are vulnerable to flooding should leave their homes, according to the Office of Emergency Management. 

The will be open as a shelter if any township residents need a safe place to go during the storm. If your home floods, or an emergency situation happens during the hurricane and you no longer feel safe in your home, the senior center will be a close haven to escape to.  

“Right now, the information that I am getting from our OEM coordinator, Rick Hogan, is that if people live in the flood plain or low-lying areas the best thing that they can do right now, that would help the township, is to go to family or friends who might be in a higher area,” Elaine McNamara, the head of the Senior Center, said. 

The township would rather have people living in flood-prone homes to take the precautionary measure of finding a higher elevated place to stay, rather than having to send people out to rescue and stress the emergency services, according to McNamara. 

“Those who remain in their homes should shelter in place and should be prepared to remain in their homes through Monday to allow for the debris to be cleaned and for any floodwaters to recede,” Capt. Louis Moreto of the Manalapan Police Department said. 

Moreto urges residents to not call 9-1-1 for non-emergency issues.  Flooded roads and downed trees should be reported to either the Department of Public Works at 732-446-8403 or to the main township number at 732-446-3200 and all power outages should be directly reported to JCP&L at 1-888-544-4877, Moreto said. 

All life-threatening emergencies and issues of downed powerlines should be reported to 9-1-1 or the Manalapan Police Department at 732-446-4300, and any other police related problems should be called in on the departments number, according to Moreto. 

The township has posted information on their Web site, and will have local information about the hurricane on Manalapan Township’s local Cable TV channel, Channel 77.

The main number for the , 732-446-3200, “is going to have emergency information for people in the township who want to get the latest updated information regarding the storm, evacuations, sheltering and where to go for help,” McNamara said. 

For additional information on the storm, please visit www.read.gov/hurricane or www.ready.nj.gov. 

The Manalapan Senior Center is located at 211 Rt. 522 in Manalapan and the phone number is 732-446-8401.