Belleville, Nutley Prepare For Stormy Weather: Roads, Schools, Safety

BELLEVILLE-NUTLEY, NJ — Batten down the hatches in Nutley and Belleville – some ugly weather is headed your way on Tuesday, forecasters say.

Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency in the Garden State ahead of a winter storm system set to bring up to four inches of rain, flooding and wind gusts up to 65 mph that could down trees and cause power outages. Read More: Murphy Declares NJ State Of Emergency Ahead Of Tuesday Storm

The state of emergency goes into effect across New Jersey at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

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NUTLEY

In Nutley, local DPW crews worked deep into the early morning hours to clean and salt the roads in spite of a weather forecast that promised rain, but never materialized until after midnight, Mayor Joseph Scarpelli said Monday.

“For 99 percent of the town we are down to the pavement,” Scarpelli said. “Continue to exercise caution as there may be icy areas in spots. Please do not throw snow back into the street.”

The mayor added:

“There were way too many cars parked on the street overnight. You will see areas where plows had to go around parked cars in almost every neighborhood. There may be additional precipitation today, it is forecasted not to accumulate.”

The Nutley Public School District will close all its facilities at 5 p.m. on Tuesday due to the weather forecast.

“We are asking families, who utilize Extended Day, to keep this in mind and if possible pick up their child at the earliest possible time,” school administrators said.

“Nutley High School gymnasium will close, following the scheduled varsity basketball game. All evening activities and practices will be canceled,” administrators said. “For all other athletic events, please check the [district] website and/or notifications.”

“As the storm develops, we will monitor the conditions into Wednesday morning, and update as needed,” Nutley school administrators concluded. “Stay safe.”

Other local impacts include:

• The Nutley Public Library will be closing at 5 p.m. on Tuesday due to the weather forecast.
• All Nutley Parks and Recreation activities for Tuesday, Jan. 9 have been cancelled.

BELLEVILLE

Belleville town officials shared the governor’s state of emergency announcement on social media, which warned of “severe storms causing hazardous weather conditions including heavy rain, high winds, and flash flooding.”

Some safety tips from Belleville officials included:

• If possible please stay indoors and off all local roads.
• Monitor the local weather forecasts and warnings. The township website (www.bellevillenj.org) and our community social media accounts will also provide updates.
• Please make sure all cell phones are charged.
• Clean gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage. If able, please check catch basins in your neighborhood for blockage.
• Secure outdoor furniture and other loose items.
• Unplug electronic devices to prevent damage from power surges.

The Belleville Public School District announced that all after school and evening activities are canceled for Tuesday. Aftercare programs will end at 5 p.m.

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