Jersey Shore Officials Ready To Respond To Severe Storms During Hurricane Season
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Forecasters are predicting an above-average year when it comes to tropical storms and hurricane activity. Emergency managers at the Jersey Shore met Wednesday to talk about how ready they are.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects 11 to 17 named storms during the hurricane season that starts June 1. But no one knows where they will go. In Cape May County, Emergency Management Director Martin Pagliughi says in addition to replacing wooden power poles with steel ones, the County is also testing drones that can be used not only to assess storm damage, but to provide cell service to first responders when towers are out.
"The biggest thing is communications where we can basically put a cell tower up there at 2,000 feet and let it stay up there for 12 hours," Pagliughi said.
Residents are advised to be ready by packing a go-bag for themselves and their pets for a possible evacuation, and by downloading their electric utility's smartphone app. Pagliughi advises residents to heed any evacuation warnings -- and to rely on official information during a storm, not what someone may post on social media.
"Social media kind of killed us after Hurricane Sandy," he said.
That's because he says many towns had gas leaks and downed wires...
"But the sun came out the next day," Pagliughi said, "so people were on their Facebook pages telling their friends in Pennsylvania 'oh, it's beautiful down here. Come on down.'"
