While the New Jersey Garden State Parkway is jammed packed with shore vacationers heeding Governor Chris Christie’s warning to move away from the coast, some of us locals are quick to turn our noses up at the advice to leave our homes. But these state issued orders are nothing to sneer at. According to a National Weather Service Advisory, Hurricane Irene could be one of the eastern seaboard’s most extraordinary threats in recent history and one that few in our region have ever experienced. With a span of 460 miles and wind speeds topping out around 140 mph, this has the potential to be one of the most catastrophic storms this area has ever seen.
On August 26th at 2PM mandatory evacuations were ordered for most barrier island towns in New Jersey, along with all of Cape May County. And for good reason. Along with catastrophic wind gusts and torrential downpours, this storm could bring water surges to coastal areas as high as 6-8 feet, setting new high water records for Atlantic County coastal regions. Hurricane Irene will likely hit New Jersey at a tropical storm level, which could leave our coast with significant damage and flooding.
It all became a little more real to Atlantic County citizens when the casinos, the 24-hour non-stop entertainment industry, made the decision last night that they too will be closing their doors this weekend. This is only the second time in history that the casino industry has closed to the public – in 1985 Hurricane Gloria forced the casinos to shut their doors as the hurricane veered dangerously close to the coast. The urge to stay in your coastal homes may be a hard one to fight despite the warning, but my question to you is if one of the largest casino industries in the country is not willing to take the gamble with the storm, why should you?
Evacuation information for Atlantic County can be found online at:
http://www.aclink.org/oep/mainpages/alert.asp?alertID=483
Andrew J. D’Arcy is a trial lawyer and partner with the law firm D’Arcy Johnson Day. D’Arcy Johnson Day is a premier New Jersey litigation law firm, specializing in all areas of injury-based claims. For more information on this article or other topics, please call us toll free at 1-866-327-2952.
As a partner with D'Arcy Johnson Day, Andrew D'Arcy has been involved in some of the nation’s most high-profile cases and investigations. His practice includes serious automobile accidents, medical malpractice, wrongful death and product defect cases. Andrew has been personally responsible for numerous multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts on behalf of his clients. He has been recognized by his peers as an "AV" rated attorney, the highest possible rating given by Martindale-Hubbell publication. Andrew has been named a "Super Lawyer" by New Jersey Monthly magazine each year consistently since 2013.
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