TOWNSHIP ISSUES WINTER WEATHER ALERT

From the Township today:

Weather Alert - Winter Storm Jonas The Maplewood Police Department along with The Township of Maplewood Office of Emergency Management is continuing to closely monitor the winter storm which may affect the Township Friday night thru Sunday with heavy snow and strong winds. As of 01/22/16 as of 8:00 AM The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Watch for our area, which means there is a potential for falling and/or blowing snow with strong winds and extremely poor visibility. As of 01/22/16 predictions are calling for 6 (six) to 12 (twelve) inches with winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 55 mph. Visibility is expected to be only ¼ of a mile and roads may become impassible. With the potential for wet snow clinging to power lines and trees along with strong winds, power outages may occur. Please do not call the police for a power outage unless an emergency is present (i.e lines down that are arching, fire caused by lines down). Contact your local power provider so they may begin to restore power in your area. Have an emergency plan and supplies including, food, drinking water, and  extra batteries available and charge your cell phones to full power. When plowing or snow-blowing your driveway or sidewalk, it is against township ordinance to plow the snow into the street. Please help DPW by not plowing or blowing snow back into the street. Violators are subject to a summons. Additionally, if you have a sidewalk, that too needs to be cleared of snow and ice for pedestrian safety. If there is a fire hydrant near your residence, please clear an area around it so that if an emergency does occur the fire department will not be delayed. If you have an elderly neighbor please check on them periodically and notify the appropriate authority if there are any issues or concerns. There will be no overnight permission given to park vehicles on the street from Friday 01/22/16 until further notice. This is to ensure that the roadways can be properly plowed. If you do park on the street your vehicle will be subject to a summons and possibly towed. Again, please call your power provider to report a power outage. Call 911 for emergencies. Recycling Center (located at 359 Boyden Ave.) will be closed on Saturday, January 23, 2016 in anticipation of Winter Storm Jonas. Open-Heart Cooking - Rescheduled for March 6, 2016.