Strathmere Storm Plan

Upper Twp. makes Strathmere storm plan
By MICHAEL MILLER Staff Writer, (609) 463-6712
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Updated: Tuesday, June 13, 2006

UPPER TOWNSHIP — As the first tropical storm of the season approached Florida on Monday, the Township Committee about 900 miles away made its own storm contingencies for Strathmere.

This narrow island is especially susceptible to flood problems this season as the ocean tides from Corsons Inlet erode the county road linking Strathmere to Ocean City. Adding to the island's transportation woes, the Cape May County Bridge Commission last month reduced the weight allowed on the Corsons Inlet toll bridge from 9 to 3 tons.

This effectively restricts anything larger than a pickup truck from using one of three exits off the island.

On Monday, the Township Committee drafted a resolution urging Cape May County freeholders to provide two satellite telephones and station a heavy Army-surplus truck at the Strathmere Volunteer Fire Company to evacuate people during a coastal storm.

During past storms, Strathmere has been cut off from its southern egress through Sea Isle City after tidal surges pushed sand onto Commonwealth Avenue, the only road through town. But sand would not be an obstacle to these heavy trucks.

“If there's a storm, Whale Beach could be washed out,” Mayor Richard Palombo said.

The committee also formally approved the assignment of emergency-medical technicians from the Upper Township Rescue Squad to Strathmere's Beach Patrol headquarters this summer. The technicians, who are already on duty daily in Strathmere from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will be able to respond quickly to any emergency on or off the beach, the mayor said.

Palombo said the township plans to ask the county to contribute money to pay for these workers. The township also donated $10,000 from its budget to the Sea Isle Ambulance Corps for providing mutual aid to Strathmere residents while the weight limit is in place on the bridge.

The committee wants the county or the Bridge Commission to place better signs at both ends of the narrow bridge to give truck drivers advance warning of the weight limit.

Finally, the committee wants the county to enforce the weight restriction. Residents in Strathmere recently counted contracting, delivery and privately owned Humvees that crossed the bridge heedless of the weight limit.

“It's not being enforced. I don't even know why they have a restriction,” Palombo said.

Meanwhile, the township's fire and rescue trucks are expressly forbidden from using the bridge even during an emergency.

The Bridge Commission plans to reinforce the bridge and lift the weight restriction by September, Palombo said.

Committeeman Curtis Corson Jr. said the township should lobby to get one of its residents appointed to the Bridge Commission, a quasi-governmental agency that oversees five toll bridges in Cape May County.

Palombo said the township will urge early evacuations in Strathmere as a precaution if a hurricane threatens southern New Jersey this year.

“We're taking this very seriously,” he said.

To e-mail Michael Miller at The Press:MMiller@pressofac.com