HOW TO STAY SAFE WHEN A WINTER STORM THREATENS:

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• Know your area’s risk for winter storms. Extreme winter weather can leave communities without utilities or other services for long periods of time.

• Prepare your home to keep out the cold with insulation, caulking, and weather stripping. Learn how to keep pipes from freezing. Install and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backups.

• Know your winter weather terms.

• Pay attention to weather reports and warnings of freezing weather and winter storms.

• Sign up for your community’s warning system. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio also provide emergency alerts.

• Gather supplies in case you need to stay home for several days without power. Keep in mind each person’s specific needs, including medication. Remember the needs of your pets. Have extra batteries for radios and flashlights.

• Create an emergency supply kit for your car. Include jumper cables, sand, a flashlight, warm clothes, blankets, bottled water and non-perishable snacks. Keep a full tank of gas.

• Learn the signs of, and basic treatments for, frostbite and hypothermia.

•  Frostbite causes loss of feeling and color around the face, fingers and toes.

  • Signs: Numbness, white or grayish-yellow skin, firm or waxy skin.

  • Actions: Go to a warm room. Soak in warm water. Use body heat to warm. Do not massage or use a heating pad.

• Hypothermia is an unusually low body temperature. A temperature below 95 degrees is an emergency.

  • Signs: Shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech or drowsiness.

  • Actions: Go to a warm room. Warm the center of the body first—chest, neck, head and groin. Keep dry and wrapped up in warm blankets, including the head and neck.

Can you Pump Out my House/Business?

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We do have the capability of doing this however if it is a major storm we may have other emergencies to attend to.

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For more information on if we are able to attend to your request, contact the non-emergency line at (908) 782-2255, or call the Raritan Township Police Headquarters at (908) 782-8889, and your call will be directed to the proper service.

Who To Contact In Power Outages

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• If you come across a down power line ALWAYS assume it is live, do not approach it and call 911

• JCP&L Customers should immediately report downed wires to1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877)

• Motorists are cautioned to treat intersections with inoperable traffic signals as four-way stops.

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Visit www.firstenergycorp.com/connect to enroll for email and
text message alert notifications and weather updates. To report an outage click here or text 544487.

 

Follow JCP&L on Twitter @JCP_L, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL or online at www.jcp-l.com. PSE&G customers can report an outage by calling 1-800-436-7734.

IF YOU ARE UNDER A WINTER STORM WARNING, FIND SHELTER RIGHT AWAY

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• Stay off roads.

• Stay indoors and dress warmly.

• Prepare for power outages.

• Use generators outside only and away from windows.

• Listen for emergency information and alerts.

• Look for signs of hypothermia and frostbite.

• Check on neighbors.

Survive DURING a Winter Storm

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• Stay off roads if at all possible. If trapped in your car, then stay inside.

• Limit your time outside. If you need to go outside, then wear layers of warm clothing. Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia.

• Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Only use generators and grills outdoors and away from windows. Never heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven.

• Reduce the risk of a heart attack by avoiding overexertion when shoveling snow and walking in the snow.

• Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia and begin treatment right away.

• If it is safe to do so, check on neighbors.

Heed Warnings/DO NOT Drive Through Flooded Roads

 

When water rushes over a street it can hide dips, debris,and roads that have been washed away entirely. It’s not the road you know no matter how many times you’ve driven it. Six inches of water is enough to hit the bottom of most passenger cars, flooding the exhaust and leaving you immobile. If you cannot walk through water (especially moving water), do not attempt to drive across it. It doesn’t take much for most cars to float. And even the deepest tire tread can’t give you a gecko-like grip that will keep you grounded. Extra caution has to be taken while driving in the rain or wet weather. Wet roads can cause compromised drivability that increases the risk of deadly accidents. Hydroplaning is a real possibility during and after a good rain. In a flood situation, anything from downed power lines to debris can easily be hidden under the water and harm you without warning.