Borough Prepares for Hurricane Irene

Phew! An earthquake and a hurricane in the same week.

In the event of any emergency or natural disaster, it's very important for a town and its residents to be prepared well in advance. With Hurricane Irene expected to reach our area by late Saturday or early Sunday, New Providence Chief of Police Anthony Buccelli says "we're prepared."

"I held a meeting with all employees of the borough [Friday] afternoon, including the key first responders: , , ," Buccelli said Friday in a phone interview. "Obviously, our supplies are stocked. Our resources are in place. We have heavy duty trucks; we have a couple boats available to us."

If the need arises, Buccelli said, a shelter will be opened at the New Providence , located at 360 Elkwood Ave. Or, residents can contact the Red Cross for shelter.

"We won't open it unless there is a need to because generally speaking, if people lose power, we don’t automatically open a shelter," he said. "It depends. If it's flooding, that’s a different story. If it’s long term, then we would open a shelter."

Buccelli said flood prone areas in the borough are along the Passaic River, along the brook and at the bridge on Central Avenue, where New Providence and Chatham meet.

"When there is an event like that, we continually monitor the river, just to keep an eye on it, and the brooks," he said. "So when we get near worry point, we’re ready. That tends to happen faster than one thinks."

To stay up-to-date on what's happening in New Providence during Hurricane Irene, and any emergency, residents can sign up for Code Red Alerts on the borough's website, newprov.org. To access the enrollment page, scroll over the "Subscribe" tab on the top right hand corner of the screen and click on "Code Red."

"We’ve had a Code Red message sent to our residents, asking them to do certain things for preparedness," Buccelli said. "Generally speaking, they should sign up for that. We use it for emergencies [to contact] residents by phone and text."

In case you missed it, here is the Code Red Alert sent to residents through a recorded telephone message on Friday:

"To minimize water damage from Hurricane Irene, we ask that you check that your sump pumps are working. If possible, clear debris from around the street storm drains near your home. During the storm, please remember that 9-1-1 is for emergencies only. The non-emergency number is 665-1111. If you need shelter from the storm, call 665-1111."

Here is a list of useful numbers and websites to keep on hand during Hurricane Irene:

• In any emergency, dial 9-1-1
• New Providence Police, non-emergency: 908-665-1111
• Borough of New Providence website: newprov.org
• Union County: Union County Office of Emergency Managment
• Department of Homeland Security: FEMA
• Red Cross: Prepare Your Home and Family, Preparedness Fast Facts, Central New Jersey Red Cross Web Site

Residents can also tune into TV-35 for any public service announcement in New Providence.

In our photos and documents above, check out a Hurricane Safety Checklist from the Red Cross and an announcement from PSE&G about their preparations for Irene.

As always, continue to for the most up-to-date information in the borough.

Just in case your power goes out, you can still access Patch by downloading on your phone. We also set up our , where you'll find all your Hurricane Irene updates in a live blogging format and how it affects Union County.