Mayor, Police Chief Order Mandatory Evacuations Of Waterfront Communities

Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. and Police Chief Karin T. DiMichele have extended the mandatory evacuation order to include waterfront homes east of Bayview Avenue or within 1,000 feet of the Barnegat Bay and the Toms River.

"If they choose to stay and not adhere to the warnings...emergency services will have to hold back," DiMichele said.

Residents in those areas have until noon on Monday to leave.

Berkeley police will be going door to door to have residents who don't want to leave sign a statement that they understand emergency services may not be able to reach them, the chief said.

"There are no guarantees," Amato said.

Residents not staying with family or friends can go to three regional shelters in Ocean County - the Pine Belt Arena at Toms River High School North, 1245 Old Freehold Road; Pinelands Regional Middle School and Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin. Toms River North and Pinelands are animal friendly, Southern Regional is not.

DiMichele urged residents who can stay with family and friends to do so, rather than heading to the shelters.

"We need to use the shelters for people who have no place else to go," the chief said.

The worst of the storm is expected to hit Monday night into Tuesday. As a precaution, DiMichele is urging residents who evacuate to pack enough supplies for a few days.

The water level in the Bayview Avenue area in Bayville has already started to rise, the chief said.

"You can really see a significant difference in the water levels over a few hours," she said.

Residents in lowlying areas who need a place for their cars may park them at the Central Regional Middle School off Forest Hills Parkway in Bayville, Amato said.

Come back to Berkeley Patch soon for more information on this developing story.