Point Beach Residents Urged to Begin Evacuations

Point Beach residents who have family or friends to stay with are being urged to begin evacuations now, borough officials said Thursday.

"A mandatory evacuation may be issued tomorrow if the current track of Hurricane Irene does not change," said Kyle Grace, the borough's emergency management coordinator.

All vacationers are under a mandatory evacuation order now, Grace said.

Updates will be broadcast on 1630 AM, radio station WQFG844, owned and operated by the Point Pleasant Beach Office of Emergency Management. Mantoloking and Bay Head residents may find the updates useful as well, Grace said.

All residents who live east of St. Louis Avenue should be prepared to move their vehicles to higher ground, should flooding get bad. The following parking lots have been approved as lots were residents can park their vehicles: River Avenue lot, Arnold Avenue lot by Cramer Avenue and the Bay Avenue lot, Grace said. All residents are reminded to secure loose property to prevent it from blowing around during the storm, he said.

If a mandatory evacuation order is issued on Friday, borough personnel will be going door to door notifying residents as well, Grace said.