Community Corner

HURRICANE SANDY: First Mandatory Evacuation Order - Ocean City

All barrier island and Delaware Bay communities in Cape May County must evacuate on Oct. 28.

With a powerful storm currently expected to make landfall somewhere near Ocean City early on Tuesday and possibly bring record flooding, emergency management officials are calling for a mandatory evacuation of the island starting on Sunday.

"After conferring with state officials Friday morning, the county’s position and the state’s recommendation is that there will be voluntary evacuation of the barrier islands and Delaware Bay communities tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 27) and mandatory evacuation on Sunday (Oct. 28)," Cape May County Emergency Management Director Gerald Thornton said in a statement posted on the county's website Friday evening.

"However, if the storm direction intensifies or changes we will modify this directive," he said.

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Ocean City Business Administrator Mike Dattilo confirmed that local officials would issue the same directive to Ocean City residents and property owners.

He said further details on the evacuation and shelters would be released on Saturday morning.

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But Dattilo confirmed that access to all roads in Ocean City would be unrestricted on Saturday, and residents are encouraged to secure their properties in advance of the evacution.

He said roads and the causeways will be restricted at some point on Sunday.

Ocean City last ordered a mandatory evacuation as what was then Hurricane Irene approached the island in August 2011. That order came at the height of the summer tourist season and was the first time that Ocean City had been evacuated since Hurricane Gloria in 1985.

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