AREA — With Hurricane Beryl bringing heavy rain to New Jersey last week, weather services are predicting what the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is going to look like.
According to NJ.gov, the Atlantic hurricane season — which affects the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico — extends from June 1 to November 30 each year. The peak months for hurricane activity in New Jersey are August through October.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a more severe than usual hurricane season this year, citing an 85percent chance of an above-normal season. NOAA forecasts eight to 13 Atlantic hurricanes to occur, with four to seven major hurricanes. However, these storms may not necessarily hit New Jersey.
The uptick in hurricanes this season is mainly the result of warmer ocean temperatures that are nearing a record-breaking high, according to NOAA.
Though no hurricane has been announced yet in New Jersey for this year, NJ.gov suggests that its residents determine whether or not they live in a high-risk area. High-risk areas include barrier islands, coastal communities, mobile-home parks and flood-prone areas.
Cranford is a flood-prone area, due to its proximity to the Rahway River. During times of heavy rainfall, the river fills up and overflows, spilling out into the township.
This past spring, Cranford’s Office of Emergency Management created a “Stormwater Management” section on Cranford’s official website that includes relevant information on how to prepare homes in the event of flooding, what to do if evacuation is necessary and more.
“Last year, the township replaced 50-year-old portable pumps, restored the eroded dike on Riverside Drive to the original levels, conducted a desnagging program with the county to clear trees, large limbs and other debris from the river that could create dams, implemented routine debris removal from storm drains and swales,” Commissioner of Public Works and Engineering Kathleen Miller Prunty said.
Cranford also has received a $1.8million grant from the state for a stormwater-mitigation project in the downtown area, and has completed numerous road-drainage improvement projects on various streets throughout the township. Additionally, Cranford and its mayor, Brian Andrews, hosted a two-day workshop last spring with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (US ACE), New Jersey officials and nine other towns impacted by flooding from the Rahway River.
“[We] continue to be vocal advocates and leaders on the Rahway River Mayor Alliance for a regional flood control project by the USACE,” Commissioner Prunty said.
Mountainside also is affected by flooding caused by the Rahway River, though it is moderate flooding as opposed to Cranford, which is more high risk.
Moreover, NJ.gov has a “Hurricane Survival Guide for New Jersey” on its website that details how to be prepared in the event of a hurricane, with sections on how to stay informed, what to do before a hurricane, how to prepare homes, how to prepare businesses, what to do when a hurricane is approaching and what to do after a hurricane.
For more information about Cranford’s stormwater management, visit cranfordnj. org/ stormwater-management. To read NJ.gov’s hurricane preparedness guide, visit nj.gov/njoem/plan-prepare/ hurricanes.
