The National Weather Service's revised forecast calls for 7-14 inches of snow to fall within the central New Jersey region beginning later this evening into Sunday morning. With this amount of snow and potentially strong wind gusts the Somerville Office of Emergency Management reminds all residents and business owners of the following;
Power Loss:
If you lose power, DO NOT call the police department or 9-1-1. Contact P.S.E. & G. directly to report your outage.
In the unfortunate circumstance that you lose power as a result of the upcoming storm (or for any reason), Somerville OEM reminds you to please use your generator safely. Do NOT use the generator indoors or in the garage. Exhaust fumes are toxic and in case the generator catches fire you don't want it inside your structure. Generators should be placed outside and at least 10 feet from your residence. Do NOT fill the generator while it is running. The heat or spark from the motor can ignite the gasoline.
Parking:
Please remove your motor vehicles from the streets. Our DPW crews will be working hard to clear the snow from the streets and any vehicle left on the street thwarts this effort and ultimately delays them from doing their job efficiently. All municipal lots are available for off-street parking at no cost. Please move your cars off the street ahead of the storm.
Snow Plowing:
Our DPW professionals are committed to getting all streets cleared of snow as soon as possible. This process does take time so be patient and your street will get plowed. Please do not call the police department or 9-1-1 to ask about plowing. The only way to plow snow is towards the side of the street, inevitably this will mean snow will be pushed up onto the end of your driveway. Yes it is inconvenient but it is a reality of snow removal.
Fire Hydrants:
Give our volunteer Firefighters a hand. If you have a fire hydrant near your house, please clear the snow away from it.
Sidewalk Shoveling:
Residents and business owners with sidewalks on their property are responsible for the maintenance of that sidewalk, including snow removal. Borough ordinance require that snow be removed within 12 day-light hours of the end of a storm. This is important for everyone has a safe place to walk.
MOST IMPORTANTLY....BE SAFE...Do not over exert yourself while shoveling the snow. For all emergencies dial 9-1-1. Our professionals within the Police Department, Fire Department, and Rescue Squad will responds as quickly as possible to meet your emergent needs.
Somerville Office of Emergency Management