UPDATE: Point Pleasant Boro Orders Mandatory Evacuations

With Hurricane Irene ready to strike, Point Pleasant Boro has orderd a mandatory evacuation for residents who live within the flood plain, officials said late Friday.

Those residents must evacuate by 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Point Boro officials expect the evacuation order will be rescinded Monday morning on a case-by-case basis as the areas are inspected for safety.

Residents can see the mandatory evacuation zones at goo.gl/SFIpf.

The mandatory evacuation will apply to:

• Delaware Avenue, including Tyler Street, Brown Street, Lister Street, Madison Street, Dallas Street, Wilmington Street and South Richmond Avenue;
• south of Fay Court and Hance Avenue, including Donna Drive, Wood Wild Drive, Elm Avenue and Partridge Run;
• areas east of Beaver Dam and south of Bridge Avenue, including areas east of the canal (Lovelandtown, etc.) that are south of Bridge Avenue;
• areas bound by south of Bennett Avenue and east of Dorsett Dock Road, then -
• south of Littlehill Road to Wildwood Avenue, then west of Wildwood Avenue up to Honeysuckle Lane; south of Honeysuckle Lane to Northstream Parkway, west of Northstream Parkway to Apple Place, south of Apple Place to Mossbank Road, west of Mossbank Road to Nowatta Avenue, south of Nowatta to Chicopee Avenue, west of Chicopee  to Mattapan Avenue, north of Mattapan to Northstream Parkway, and west of Northstream Parkway to south of Route 88.

Please see goo.gl/SFIpf  for a better visualization of the evacuation areas, borough officials say.

The borough will open Point Pleasant Boro High School as an emergency shelter at noon on Saturday.

Wall Township High School and the Pine Belt Arena (formerly the Ritacco Center) in Toms River are shelters that are accepting pets.

Rumors aside, neither the borough nor the state will close off the Route 88 Bridge or the Bridge Avenue bridge over the Point Pleasant Canal, officials said.

Mayor William Schroeder made the decision in consultation with the Office of Emergency Management, Police Department, Fire Departments, First Aid, Department of Public Works and the Council’s Public Safety Committee.