Goodnight Irene, Goodnight

Editor's Note: Hurricane Irene made landfall near Cape Lookout, NC, at 7:30 a.m. Saturday (Aug. 27). The storm is now a (74 to 95 mph winds) with sustained winds of 85 mph and higher gusts. The National Weather Service says slight weakening is expected as it moves over North Carolina, but Irene will still be a hurricane when it passes New Jersey early Sunday morning.

Hurricane? What hurricane? If you haven’t heard by now we have a big date Saturday night with Irene. And she’ll still be here by morning.

Livingston is primping for Irene. There are plans to convert the high school gym into a shelter, and words of warning to keep off the roads, and stay away from downed wires and trees.

The governor is closing the Garden State Parkway's southbound lanes. The search is on D batteries and generators. Lines are long at the grocery with a clique of “Is it really going to be as bad as they think?" thinkers.

“This is not like anything you’ve seen before,” said Gov. Chris Christie at a noon press conference on Friday. “I’ve heard some dopes on television today saying yeah, yeah, yeah, you know a Category 2 hurricane is nothing more than a bad thunderstorm.”

Think again, the governor said.

The storm is expected in Livingston around 7 p.m. Saturday. Mike Anello, the supervisor of Livingston's Public Works, won’t be disappointed if Irene is a no-show.

Better to be stood up than for Irene to pack a punch.

Our worse-date is facing an angry Irene, with high winds coupled with rain falling 5-10 inches in a matter of hours. “If that happens, then we’re going to have to drop back 10 and punt,” Anello said.

Livingston is taking nothing to chance. “We’ve done everything to prepare for this storm,” said Township Manager Michele Meade. “We have fuel, materials and supplies, all our equipment is ready and fueled up, and personnel are on call and ready to respond.”

That includes the township’s volunteer firefighters and auxiliary police officers, uniformed police, water and sewage employees, health workers, and DPW crews, with many planning to sleep in their officers and stations overnight.

An has been set up at Livingston High School’s new gymnasium, which has an emergency back-up generator. The township owns watercraft to transport residents if high waters force evacuations in some parts of town.

Detective Sgt. Anthony Dippold said residents should call the (973) 992-3000, ext. 0 if they need to get to the shelter. Residents should not attempt to drive or walk to the high school themselves, he said.

Everyone should just stay off the roads, Dippold said. Don't drive through flooded streets. "You can get stuck easily in a few feet of water," Dippold said.

Flooding is a concern and crews from the Department of Public Works have been clearing catch basins and retention basins along brooks to prepare for the rising waters, Anello said.

What worries Anello most is the trees. When they come down (and that’s likely because the and the gusts will be strong), they'll also take down power lines.

“Don’t touch the tree,” Anello said. Even if the line isn’t smoking, the tree – and its branches – will be energized. Call the police – they’re the command post in this emergency – and they will notify the DPW and utility, who will close the road and cut the power, Anello said.

Most residents in Livingston were taking the storm and seriously. On Friday, the Shop Rite parking lot on Livingston Avenue was full and the aisles packed with shoppers. By 7 a.m., the shelves of gallon water jugs were empty. Grocery workers were making herculean efforts to restock the shelves with new cases.

Other hot items were batteries, with the most popular size “D” cells that power radios and large flashlights. In the CVS on Livingston Avenue, the store manager brought a case of the coveted battery out of the storeroom. The contents never make it out of the box as customers pounced and collected what they sought. In Walgreens, racks of battery and non-battery powered flashlights were bare and residents stocked up on candles in anticipation of a blackout.

"During the Nor’easter we had a year and a half ago, a tree fell nearby, taking a power line, and we had no electricity for five days," recalled Ellen Lazer. "The sump pump stopped working, the basement flooded, we lost many possessions and had to throw out food from the freezer.  We were able to borrow a generator after a couple of days, but still, it was a mess."

Recalling their experience, Bob Lazer thought it would be a good idea to have their own generator for Hurricane Irene. "By the time he got the idea and called the usual suspects – the big stores, the small engine lawnmower repair firms – no one had any left. Through a friend, he found a used, rebuilt generator in Kearny."

Of course, not everyone was using the sunny Friday as a get-to-work and get-ready day. Plenty of tourists and residents at the Jersey Shore  were still sunning themselves when the governor took the podium for a late afternoon press conference.

"You're done," . “It’s 4:30. You’ve maximized your tan. Get off the beaches and get in your cars and get out of those areas.”

Christie said southbound traffic on the Garden State Parkway below Exit 98 in Wall would close at 8 p.m. Friday. Beginning Saturday at 12 p.m., All NJ Transit bus service will be suspended statewide at 6 p.m. on Saturday, though buses already en route will complete their trips.

“Today is the day to get yourselves ready for what’s going to be happening over the next 48 hours,” the governor said. “So, for those who are working today, when you’re done with work make it your priority to get that checklist done for things you need to have yourself and your family ready. There’s nothing that I’ve seen in the last 24 hours that indicates that this is going to be any less serious than what I said yesterday.

"In fact, in many ways it’s getting more daunting because it is barreling down on us now."

Where is Hurricane Irene? Click here for a storm tracker map, courtesy of The Weather Channel. The Huffington Post has an interactive map here.