Hurricane Irene

Preparing for Hurricane Irene

Residents are encouraged to secure their properties as officials plan for the storm

With Hurricane Irene expected to bring heavy wind and rain to the area this weekend, local officials are preparing for the worst and encouraging residents to make their own preparations. Westwood Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Darren Blankenbush said he met with other officials Wednesday afternoon, including representatives from the governing body, fire department, police department and DPW, to discuss what was being done in advance of the storm. He said DPW personnel are cleaning out the storm drains throughout the borough in anticipation of heavy rain and fire department members are making sure they have enough fuel and the boats are ready in case they are needed for evacuations. Blankenbush said the preparations are no …

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Heavy Rains Caused Minor Flooding, No Evacuations

A portion of Broadway in Westwood was shut down overnight

The heavy rain that came through the area Sunday into Monday caused some flooding in Westwood but residents were not evacuated, according to officials. Westwood Police Chief Frank Regino said a section of Broadway was closed down for a period overnight because of water in the roadway and there was some flooding in the area of Steuben and Harding avenues, but there was no situation like the flooding that occurred in June. Regino said residents in the apartment complexes where parking lots are prone to flooding were notified and moved their cars out of the area in advance. OEM Coordinator Darren Blankenbush said the borough was lucky. "We really dodged a bullet last night," he said Monday morning. "Basically everything was in place for some …

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