Downbeach wants you to be prepared for hurricane season

By STEVE JASIECKI

VENTNOR – The annual Downbeach communities of Ventnor, Margate and Longport held their annual Hurricane Preparedness Event Wednesday evening prior to the start of the Sunset Beach concert at Ski Beach in Ventnor. 

Emergency management coordinators from Ventnor, Margate, Longport and Atlantic County spoke to the public about how to respond during an emergency.

The event served as an informative warm-up for the ever-popular Legacy Band, which performed afterward as part of the weekly concert series.  

Holding the presentation at the concert helped organizers reach a larger audience with potentially lifesaving information.

Many visitors and residents may not realize how severe coastal weather can become at the Jersey Shore.  Because the Downbeach communities sit at sea level, they are especially vulnerable to hurricanes and nor’easters.  Sharing preparedness information is one of the best ways to help keep the public safe.

When severe weather strikes, emergency management teams are ready to respond.

“Mother Nature can be very mean to us, and we have to be prepared beforehand,” Ventnor coordinator Donna Peterson said.  

Emergency coordinators from the three towns and Atlantic County, along with police officers and other responders, shared preparedness guidance.  

Residents were advised to keep an emergency “go bag” packed with enough essentials to last several days in case they need to evacuate.

Other key advice included: do not drive through flooded streets; evacuate when instructed; remember that property can be replaced, but lives cannot; pack enough medicine, clothing and other essentials to last several days; create an evacuation plan; identify a safe place to go; tell family members where you will be if communication is lost; and make plans for pets, including food, water, medicine and other care needs.

The presentations continued during concert breaks.  

Meteorologist Joe Martucci provided a weather outlook and discussed how quickly weather conditions can become dangerous. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and stay informed.   

Additionally, Jessica Grant, DVM, of Ventnor Veterinarians spoke about caring for pets during a disaster, noting that their needs can be easy to overlook when preparing to evacuate.  

Throughout the night, the message was clear:  preparation is the best way to manage emergencies when severe weather arrives.