We will keep this post updated as more information comes in. Also join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lovecapemay and on Twitter @lovecapemay.
Mandatory County Evacuation
Cape May County has signed an Emergency Proclamation at 2 p.m. today, August 25, 2011. The Proclamation calls for all barrier islands to evacuate today and all of Cape May County to evacuate starting at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Any residents that may need assistance, contact your local Office of Emergency Management or local police.
In the event of an evacuation, follow these signs.
“The Cape May County Bridge Commission will lift the tolls on all Ocean Drive bridges as of 8 a.m. Friday, August 26th. There will be no tolls collected.” – CMC Government via Facebook
The major evacuation routes for Cape May County are: The Garden State Parkway, U.S. 9, Routes 47,49, 50 and 83. There are also posted Coastal Evacuation Route signs in our area.
Cape May County Evacuation Routes
Updates
8/25/11 @ 4:03 p.m. – Cape May County Emergency Management Director Frank McCall has ordered a MANDATORY EVACUATION of barrier islands effective today (Thursday Aug.25) and all residents from the county Friday at 8 a.m. He encouraged residents to take their pets with them to shelters that will be established at St. Augustine Prep in Atlantic County, Cumberland Community College and Rowan University in Gloucester County. Pets will also be accepted at the County Airport Friday afternoon. [CMC Herald]
8/25/11 – Cape May County will issue a statement at 3:00 p.m. The Cape May County Office of Emergency Management is calling for voluntary evacuation of all of Cape May County starting today (Thursday).
8/25/11 @ 12:55p.m. – Governor Christie has declared a state of emergency for New Jersey. This allows for the state to use resources such as the National Guard. At present, there are no mandatory evacuations. However, the governor has asked visitors not to come to the state this weekend. [ABC Action News]
8/25/11 @ 12:30 p.m. – Avalon has asked residents and visitors to voluntarily evacuate Thursday and Friday. [Press of AC]
Preparing
FEMA provides information on how to prepare for a hurricane. Visit Ready.gov
Storm effects and path
Hurricane Irene is projected to hit the Cape May area late Saturday night through Sunday morning as a Category 2 hurricane. Wind and rain will be extensive. Power outages and flooding are possible.
Sandy Hook to Cape May, N.J.
The eyewall of Irene will pass close by Sunday morning, with full hurricane effects expected. Weather conditions will deteriorate Saturday into Saturday evening with wind and rain increasing. Periods of heavy rain, damaging hurricane-force winds (80-95 mph) and serious coastal and back bay flooding will occur Saturday night and Sunday. Expect significant beach erosion with a storm surge averaging 2 to 4 feet, but locally it can be higher. Waves will top seawalls late Saturday night into Sunday morning.
[Source: Accuweather.com]
Irene’s current status from Weather.com
Image from Weather.com
Cancellations
Due to the mandatory evacuation for Cape May County beginning August 25 for barrier islands and August 26th at 8:00 a.m. for the remainder of the county, please assume that everything is cancelled until further notice. Visitors with weekend reservations will not be able to reach the island and are advised to stay home.
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry cancelled ALL departures Friday, Saturday & Sunday.
Morey’s Piers and Beachfront Waterparks will be closed on Friday August 26th, Saturday August 27 and Sunday August 28th due to the impending threat of Hurricane Irene.
Historic Cold Spring Village has cancelled Seafarers’ Weekend event this coming Saturday and Sunday
Cape May Carriage Company has cancelled all carriage rides until the storm passes
The Wild Half Marathon is cancelled in Wildwood
Here is the web site for New Jersey’s Office of Emergency Management
http://www.ready.nj.gov/
My prayers to my favorite victorian seaside place in the world, and it’s wonderful people, to be safe and protected!
Get your supplies and always prepare for the worst case scenario. Remember Hurricane Katrina? Better to over react and be safe….than sorry.
Cape May, may God spare you any horrors and keep you and everyone safe!!! My favorite home in the world…I will pray for you all. Be strong as only Cape May can be strong.
Prayers and thoughts are with you beautiful Cape May. One of my favorite places. We have plans to visit again the week of Sept 12— I hope Cape May dodges this hurricane, with only minor scapes and bruises—stay safe everyone!
Cape May and all you are all in our prayers! Irene you be gentle to my second home, she is a great lady and has had more than her share of hurricanes. Stay Safe Susan, from one old coal cracker to another.
LIGHTEN UP IT IS JUST A SMALL WIND STORM,I SEE PEOPLE PUTTING PLYWOOD ON THE WINDOWS LIKE THEY ARE ON THE ISLANDS.
ENJOY IT yOU WILL MOST LIKELY NOT SEE THIS AGAIN UP HERE IN YOUR LIFE TIME.
I certainly hope your comment is “tongue in cheek”. This is a serious storm, and people need to heed the warnings. I feel bad for the National Guardsmen who have to risk their lives to save people who do not evacuate during a mandatory evacuation. May Irene spare Cape May the brunt of her furor.
well dan, it may be easy for you to say lighten up for you are not the one experiancing it. Peoples lives are in danger and it could be very dangerous! I will on the other hand “LIGHTEN UP” when i know i have a home to come back to. My best wishes and prayers are with the land of Cape May and the people who decided to stay back with it.
I have to believe that you are one of these people who post such comments just to provoke a reaction. Get a hobby.
Hang in there Cape May! See you after Irene leaves.
Our favourite vacation place, which we have visited so many times. Love the sites, the people, restaurants, beaches and best of all our special family. We send all our love and hope that you all will be safe. Susann Sven and children
Screw this. I can not get to my house to get my two dogs since yesterday. NJ state troopers refuse to let me get them and they wont drive by to pick them up. How heartless NJ troopers are. I am trying to figure out a way to get across..
Scott, have you been able to retrieve your dogs? If not, please email me ASAP at WhisperingWoods00@yahoo.com
Scott — I really feel for you and your poor dogs. I think I read that the Cape May airport is a shelter and will take animals. Maybe someone from there can go get your dogs. Have you tried the Red Cross?
Go to the Cape May County Emergency Management Agency’s website and see if they have an animal rescue team. Several of those teams were set up specifically to deal with animals in disasters.
I tried Red Cross.. could not get through. The person answering the call would just take a message and pass it along. I will get a call back later… been over six hours now.
I tried the county’s emergency and they said they are “too busy” and can not deal with animal rescues.
This sucks and I am about to go off the deep and and someone is going to get hurt! I am at one of the checkpoints which is about 5 minutes from my house. I could have got my dogs and be out of the area in 15 minutes. NJ state troopers have told me that if I approach them again at the checkpoint that I will be arrested for interference. There is no winds, no rain, nothing yet.
Scott,
I am praying now that your dogs will be safe. Often they are. Please hang in there and reply and let us all know when this mess is over.
God bless you, your dogs and all the animals.
My dogs are missing. Right now, I am too upset to even talk about this. I will give more details later.
This is so sad. I have no doubt that If your had a Trooper as a relative, you could get your dogs. Just say you have to get your children. If they ever figure it out, you’ll have your dogs already. Good Luck.
Well, Scott tell us. What happened to your dogs?
You should be able to get in to get your animals – they have no food or water and probably will be
so frightened.
They should have people to escort people as yourself to get your dogs and then escort you out
to be sure that you leave – I agree with the safety of a mandatory evacuation but in this case – this
is not fair if you did not know or where trying to get in after work or something. Keep trying – try
animal rescue.
Sometimes it can get a little too militant!
As a little girl, I am over 60 now, my grandmother lived on Columbia Avenue. We happened to be there for what was call a noreasterner. The ocean came up two blocks down Gurney to the monument in the middle of Columbia Avenue and to the top step of the porch (six steps). Pieces of the boardwalk, at that time it was made
wood, came floting by on Columbia Avenue. My father didn’t move his car, which was parked in front of the
house, it was completely under water except for a small spot of the roof. There were small boats going down
Columbia Avenue looking to help folks in need.
See it can happen. Much better safe than sorry. I now live in Florida in Palm Beach Gardens and have been
through three hurricanes. Please get prepared. After the storm, dealing with the power outage, trees down, no
gas, store shelfs empty and it will sometimes go on for days. We were without power for two and a half weeks with one storm. I hope I never have to take a cold shower again. Good Luck!!!!
You are so right about getting prepared, it means the difference between survival and being miserable. It is no longer a matter of if but when. I have been to Florida, Winter Haven, Daytona Beach as well as Biloxi, MS helping to rebuild homes damaged by hurricanes, it is not a pretty picture by any means. Flooding and loss of electric power will be the biggest problems, in addition to very possibly losing your home to severe damage. This type of storm also does in the things in the infra structure that you depend on. Such as, water, sewer, garbage collection. How are you going to wash your clothes, cook your meals, take a shower? If you check Ready.gov there is a link to Citizens Corps all over, it is good training and your chance of survival will increase with this. Also read some of the things that FEMA puts up to help each one of us. Yes there are rules, but rules for a reason. The better informed we are the better off we will be. Stay safe all.
My family and I were in Cape May just 4 weeks ago for the most wonderful beach wedding of our nephew Oliver Spence and Claire Hollenbeck. We are from the UK and we loved the town and found everyone very friendly. Our memories are of idyllic sunsets, cold beers and laughter.
We all wish you well as Hurricane Irene passes through.
I want to reassure everyone that the Beloved Carriage Horses of Cape May were all evacuated on Thursday to other parts of the state. They will remain there until it is clear to return to Cape May. They are enjoying their visits on five different farms and I told them they were going to “summer camp”. it was a monumental task that began at 9:AM on Thursday and ended with the last trailer of horses, hay and feed departing the farm at 9:30PM. A big THANK YOU to all who helped relocate them and the many families who took them in. Please all be safe.
So good to hear that.
I hope someone was able to help the man with the 2 dogs.
Beverly -so glad to hear you have found refuge for those beautiful horses, hope you and your family are also safe and sound. I also hope you don’t experience any major damage to your home and facilty. Thinking and praying for everyone in Irene’s wake.
The carriage horses are comming home from Cape. They enjoyed the hospitality of many throughout the state. Starlight and Shadow returned home last night and today the rest will return. They will be back to work tomorrow and ready for a big weekend at the shore. Thanks to all for their prayers and concern for their safety. They were the first to leave Cape May ahead of the mass exodus! We all LOVE CAPE MAY!!
TYPO.. they are comming home from CAMP!
I love the carriage horses and everything about Cape May. A beautiful town with a beautiful spirit.
Stay strong Cape May, and we will see you soon!
came to townbank on friday, have a house there, staying thru the storm. wish me luck.
Let’s us know how you do! Good Luck!
cindy, just hope you are ok this sun morning and yourhouse is ingood shape. i hope the worst is over.
Cape May is a very special place to our family! Our thoughts are with with you all. Please be safe! Cape May, we’ll see you next July!!!
PLEASE could someone help Scott rescue his 2 dogs!!!!!!
I hope Scott figured out how to get his dogs!
If anyone is on here who lives in Cape May, how are things now? We’re supposed to be going down tonight for vacation and I don’t know how to find out when they’ll be letting people back in. If we can’t, we can’t, but I’m just wondering how things look down there to have some idea of what kind of hope (or lack of it) to give the kids.
Trying to find out the condition of Cape May at this time. Going for vaca this week. I am praying for all those affected and know that is more important than our vaca just want to know if we should stay away.
Cape May is our most favorite place to vacation, kind of like a second home. My husband and I are anxious to know how everyone is fairing. How is the Point?
Have you heard if you can get on the island ? we were planning on heading there tomorrow . not sure if we can ?
let me know if you hear any news. much appreciated.
We are supposed to head down tomorrow too. I would appreciate it if anyone hears anything, too. Thanks!
Our thoughts & prayers to all at Cape May..found it about 20 years ago…my most favorite place on earth! Planning to visit mid-September…..we love you! Scott….hope you/your dogs are safe I have 3 of my own…please update us all as we wait to hear……
Does anyone know the status,or have a damage report. I have a home on Broadway, near Mt. Vernon.
Thanks,
So how did Cape May/Wildwood Crest faired after the Hurricane Irene. Are the Boardwalk, beaches and the Houses OK or they have got affected.Please let me know
Hope everyone is safe. We’re also planning to head to Cape May this weekend. Any updates of the situation will be very helpful.
So glad you are able to get back home with your family and the animal family as well. Now the tough time will begin cleaning up the littered debris that Irene left behind. Have patience, that is all that you can do. You will be in our prayers that all is well for you and the rest of beautiful Cape May! I so love the point, but it is so vulnerable with Lake Lily and the ocean and bay. I know how high the water gets on Sunset Blvd near CVS when we have a deluge, I can’t imagine what it was like during Irene. God Bless You all.