Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose reports that because severe thunderstorms are predicted today, drivers should avoid streets that may become flooded.
Director Ambrose said showers and thunderstorms are predicted after 2 p.m. today and before 1 a.m. tomorrow. Some storms may be severe with damaging winds. Because motorists can become stranded by driving through flooded streets and high water, drivers are asked to avoid the below locations and to use alternative routes.
**The following locations should be avoided due to flooding conditions or the potential for flooding:**
· Clay Street and McCarter Highway
· South Street and Van Buren Street
· Jefferson and Chestnut Streets
· State Street near Broad Street
· Jabez and Backus Streets
· 357 Wilson Avenue
· Manufacturers Place and Hyatt Street
· Magazine Street and Avenue L
· Avenue L and Wilson Avenue
· Ferry and Foundry Streets
· Norfolk Street
· Orange Street
· Nesbitt Street
· McClellan and Frelinghuysen Avenue, and
· Frelinghuysen Avenue and the Route 22 underpass
The Department of Public Safety is coordinating responses to burglar alarms, flooding conditions and other weather-related incidents through the combined use of Police, Fire and Office of Emergency Management Personnel. Special attention should be given to unsecured outdoor furniture, awnings, refuse and building materials. For fire safety, please utilize flashlights, instead of candles, should you lose electricity. For non-emergency weather issues, call: 973-733-6000. For emergencies, please dial 911.
**Heat Advisory**
Because a heat advisory remains in effect this week, seniors and other residents are welcome to visit one of the City of Newark’s cooling stations, recreational centers and public pools are listed below:
**COOLING STATIONS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS**
Bethany Baptist Church Senior Center, 275 West Market Street (entrance: 58 Hartford St.) – M-F, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Kenneth Gibson/Sharpe James Aquatic Recreation Center, 226 Rome Street – M-F, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m./Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Vince Lombardi Center of Hope, 201 Bloomfield Avenue – M-F, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m./Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Nellie Grier Senior Center, 98-104 Maple Avenue – M-F, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
**COOLING STATIONS FOR ALL RESIDENTS (Recreational Centers and Public Pools)**
John F. Kennedy Aquatic Center, 211 West Kinney Street, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m./Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hayes Park West, 179 Boyd Street, M-F, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m./Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kenneth Gibson/Sharpe James Aquatic Recreation Center, 226 Rome Street – M-F, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m./Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Rotunda Recreational Center, 75 Clifton Avenue, M-F – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m./Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saint Peter’s Recreational Center/Bo Porter Sports Complex, 378 Lyons Avenue – M-F, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m./Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Boylan Recreational Center, 916 South Orange Avenue – M-F, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m./Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All branches of the Newark Public Library will also serve as cooling stations. Check your local branch for hours of operation at: https://npl.org/about-the-library/hours/.
**Additional tips for staying cool include:**
· Drinking plenty of fluids
· Sheltering in place inside an air-conditioned room
· Avoiding prolonged periods in the sun
· Wearing light-weight, loose-fitting clothing
· Rescheduling strenuous activities to cooler temperatures or during the morning or evening hours
Seniors and young children are especially susceptible to heat-related illness. Those who care for them are advised to regularly check on them and to bring them to the cooling centers.