Anticipating a tidal wallop from Winter Storm Jonas, Brick Township officials issue a voluntary evacuation advisory to residents with homes near Barnegat Bay and the lagoons.

Brick Township Mayor John Ducey (Facebook)
Brick Township Mayor John Ducey (Facebook)
loading...

"The water's definitely coming over our bulkheads," Mayor John Ducey said this afternoon, "it'll be coming up through our storm drains and flooding out those low-lying neighborhoods."

A blizzard warning takes effect at midnight, and coastal flood and high wind warnings have already been issued here at the shore. Townsquare Meteorologist Dan Zarrow's updated forecast calls for at least 12 inches for most of New Jersey, perhaps 20 or more in inland spots below I-78, perhaps a bit less on the coast where rain will be in the mix.

We're also expecting wind gusts up to 60 miles an hour, ocean waves 16 to 20 feet and three- to four-foot surges on tidal waterways. Conditions are expected to abate Sunday morning.

The township has also placed the Drum Point Sports Complex and its ballfields on Lanes Mill Road and on Tiller Lane for high-ground parking.

The community falls in line with Barnegat, which issued a voluntary evaucation notice Thursday afternoon.

Voluntary, as it implies, is not mandatory. However, the risks of being stranded in a dwelling, possibly without electricity or other utilities, must be weighed against the inconvenience of temporarily moving inland.

"We have our fire department, and our DPW front-loaders on hand for rescue attempts," Ducey said, "but it obviously would be much better to voluntarily evacuate."

The township currently has launched no sheltering arrangements, but "that will be a game-day decision as the storm proceeds," Ducey said.

In anticipation of deep snow, Ducey asks residents to keep cars and moveable objects such as basketball hoops and trash cans off the streets, move lawn furniture, grills, and related items indoors from yards, clear fire hydrants of snow blockage, and be patient during clearing operations.

"In six inches of snow, it takes about 16 hours for us to clear the roadways. If we go over 14 inches, it increases to almost 72 hours," Ducey said. "The reason why is that we have so many cul-de-sacs. We have to bring in front-loaders and other types of equipment."

See a full list of Brick Township's preparation and advisories here.

More From 92.7 WOBM