Area Prepares for Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene is moving closer to the Mid-Atlantic region, and as it does, local government officials are making preparations.

Hellertown Borough Manager Cathy Kichline said in an email Thursday that the borough "has taken the usual precautions, including inspection of inlets and outfalls along the creeks."

Records kept in the basement storage area of Borough Hall have been moved upstairs, and if necessary, the borough will initiate its Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) under the direction of Chris Sherer, Kichline said.

"Everyone is on standby," she added.

In Lower Saucon, Township Manager Jack Cahalan said the public works department plans to stage equipment and materials in strategic areas, in preparation for the storm.

"We anticipate that there will be flooding and road closures in the usual flood prone areas along the Saucon Creek (e.g. Reading, Meadows Roads) and the East Branch of the Saucon Creek (Easton Road) and crews will respond there to close those roads when necessary," he said in an email.

In addition, the township's emergency management coordinator will maintain communication with Northampton County Emergency Management, police, public works and emergency services, and will declare an emergency if conditions warrant doing so.

"At that time our EOP will spell out what steps will be taken, which may include sheltering, etc., if necessary," Cahalan said.

Buildings that could serve as shelters if the need would arise include buildings, , , St. Paul's Lutheran Church, and Assumption BVM Church.

Cahalan said the township also recommends that local residents monitor weather forecasts and prepare for the storm via online and other resources.

"Visit the www.ReadyPA.org site for a checklist to prepare for an emergency, and...heed any emergency warnings," he advised.

The American Red Cross has also issued to help residents prepare for the possibility of power outages, which could be long-term if the storm's path brings it close to the area.

Irene is forecast to enter the region Saturday, with winds of up to 60mph and "possibly record setting rainfall amounts in the Saturday to Sunday time frame" that "may result in major flooding across New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Maryland Eastern Shore," according to a Flood Watch issued by the National Weather Service late Thursday.

The flood watch will be in effect from Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening and covers a large swath of Pennsylvania, including both Lehigh and Northampton counties.

It could be upgraded to a flood warning in certain areas if conditions warrant.

With the potential for flooding and other weather-related problems to occur, Northampton County Emergency Services is ramping up plans to activate its Emergency Operations Center to help coordinate response at the local level.

Angel Gillette, the county’s hazard mitigation and disaster recovery manager, said Thursday that staff were going through the agency checklist, making sure emergency generators for key sites such as transmitters and hospitals are ready in case of a power outage. The agency has also been in touch with area hospitals and the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley, which would help with any evacuations. Key responders have been placed on standby.

“The concern right now is flash flooding and that can be risky,” Gillette said. Municipalities can report problems to the county agency, which will be coordinating efforts with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

County residents or those outside the county can sign up for emergency alerts online by going to NotifyNC.org, Gillette said. It’s free and allows people to receive alerts through e-mail, texting or other communication in case of a neighborhood evacuation, road closures or other emergencies.

To prepare for the storm, residents are advised to have on hand a supply of food, water, flashlights with batteries, medication, manual can opener, battery-powered radio and anything else they might need during a long power outage or other disaster.

“We ask residents to plan for 72 hours or longer to be able to sustain themselves without assistance,” Gillette said.

Editor's Note: Patch will be covering the impact of the storm throughout the weekend. Please share your observations and photos by commenting, uploading a photo to a published story, or emailing josh.popichak@patch.com.