As a severe winter storm closed in on New Jersey on Friday morning, some residents and officials along the Jersey Shore were out and about. Some were taking advantage of the sun while it was out, others were moving to higher ground. Watch video
As a severe winter storm closed in on New Jersey on Friday morning, some residents and officials along the Jersey Shore were out and about despite the chilly conditions.
For some, this meant taking advantage of the sun while it was out by strolling on the beaches and boardwalks. For many others, however, this meant moving their vehicles - and in some cases, their families - to higher ground.
Officials in towns from Sea Bright in Monmouth County all the way south to Cape May, spent Friday morning urging residents to make all possible preparations in advance of the storm, including to moving their vehicles to higher ground and checking in on elderly neighbors and their properties to help make sure they were prepared for the storm.
Brick Township issued a voluntary evacuation request on Friday for residents in low-lying areas, which were hit particularly hard by Hurricane Sandy. The alert asked residents in those flood-prone areas to stay away for the duration of the storm.
A similar message went out to residents of Tuckerton, as well.
In the southern Ocean County bayfront township of Little Egg Harbor, residents in flood-prone areas were encouraged to evacuate to upland areas, at least temporarily. Barnegat Township issued a similar advisory on Thursday.
"All residents, especially vulnerable members of the community, such as the very young or the elderly, those who are medically dependent or those who have mobility issues should consider moving to upland areas at least until the extent of the emergency becomes clear," Little Egg Harbor police Chief Richard Buzby said in a release. "Our first responders, as always, will be on duty and available to assist throughout the emergency. Conditions like these, however, may cause delays in response or even periods when immediate response may become impossible, hence the advisory to make other arrangements if possible."
Buzby said that township had already staged response assets and was planning to open two warming centers, one at the Parkertown Fire House and the other at the Mystic Fire House. Both were expected to be available by 4 a.m. Saturday.
In towns along the northern peninsula of Ocean County, workers squeezed in another day of construction on homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy more than three years ago. Joggers, bundled from head to toe, took their scenic routes on the boardwalks in Point Pleasant Beach and Seaside Heights. Some combed the beaches for interesting finds while others took leisurely rides on their bikes along the boardwalks.
But watching over the whole scene was a New Jersey State Police helicopter that buzzed along the shoreline late Friday morning to surveil the condition of the beaches.
Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger said his township, which was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, was ready for the storm.
Middletown crews began pre-treating roads with brine, salt and sand as early as Thursday.
"The township has 153 pieces of equipment at its disposal to clear snow from more than 650 lane miles of road," Scharfenberger said in a release.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.