Upper Milford Supervisors Chairman Steven Ackerman provided the perfect segue at Thursday night's Board of Supervisor's meeting for a report from the Citizens Fire Co. in the wake of Hurricane Irene. Ackerman thanked all township emergency and public works personnel for their work during the hurricane. “Thank you very much for your dedication,” Ackerman said, just moments before George DeVault, acting fire chief for the Citizens Fire Co. told the supervisors about the department’s extraordinary efforts to respond to calls on Aug. 28 and 29. “With Hurricane Irene, we crammed about five months…
It will be business as usual at the Emmaus Borough Pool for the three-day holiday weekend – with one exception – the baby pool is closed for the season due to damage caused by Hurricane Irene. There was some post-Irene cleanup that had to be done to get the main pool ready for Labor Day weekend, according to Emmaus Borough Manager Craig Neely. But, he says, that’s all been taken care of and residents will still be able to enjoy the pool during the final weekend of summer. The Emmaus Pool will be open Saturday, Sept. 3 through Monday, Sept. 5, from noon to 8 p.m. Day passes for adults 18 and…
For three and a half days Terry and Betsey Schmeltzle were “inconvenienced” by Hurricane Irene. They and the other five homes on Fox Lane in Upper Milford Township survived without power for 86 hours. It began Saturday at midnight—when the power went out. Schmeltzle was prepared with a generator. He had seven extension cords strewn throughout the house to keep their refrigerator, freezer and other items working. Sometime Sunday evening, said Schmeltzle, the power came back on for five to ten minutes and went out again—this time until 1 p.m. Wednesday. “It was not only an inconvenience, but it…
It’s not just the postman who isn’t thwarted by rain, sleet, snow or dark of night. Fortunately for Emmaus residents, Weis Supermarkets is also similarly equipped to handle bad weather. The Sunbury, Pa.-based chain, which has 163 stores in five states, has an inclement weather plan that kicks in as predications of severe weather mount, according to Dennis Curtin, director of public relations. “With you hear the weather reports you know the kinds of things that people are going to be looking for – water, ice, batteries, milk – and we make sure that the stores are stocked with those things …
Hurricane Irene left her mark at a local food pantry this past weekend. But, according to Linda Fosbenner, a volunteer at the Zionsville Area Food Pantry, operations will continue without interruption. “This is a manageable inconvenience,” she said. The pantry will stay on its normal schedule. A plan has already been worked out to keep things running smoothly so that people can get the food they need. Currently, the 85 families—290 people—the pantry serves each month are from Upper Milford Township, Hereford, Alburtis, Macungie and Emmaus. Monday afternoon church members came out to help …
The owner of Traub’s Doggies had a surprise waiting for him when he went to work this morning compliments of Hurricane of Irene. “There was a note on the door from the health inspector saying we were closed for business until further notice,” says Kirby Traub, who has run the popular Emmaus eatery for the past 15 years. Traub typically opens to customers at 11 a.m. on Monday and heads to work for about 9 a.m. to get ready for the lunch crowd. The notice from the health inspector was there when he arrived. About 15 minutes later, the health inspector returned and made a thorough check of Traub…
In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, we’ve heard a lot of people uttering the F-word – worrying about flood, whether it be on roadways or in basements. But, according to the USDA Web site, there’s another F-word we should be thinking about – Food. The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service offers the following advice for people after a severe storm or hurricane that has caused a power outage: “When in doubt, throw it out.” In fact, the USDA Safe Food Handling Fact Sheet titled “A Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes,” says that …
Is the storm raging in your part of Emmaus or Upper Milford? Have you already witnessed wind damage in your neighborhood? Are waters rising near your home? Upload YOUR photos of Hurricane Irene's ongoing impact and help your neighbors and fellow Patch readers witness first-hand the effects of this historic weather event.
Emmaus Patch wants to know what you are doing to keep your eye on the storm this weekend. Upload your photos here or email them to jennifer.marangos@patch.com so we can create a "live" photo gallery of what's happening in Emmaus/Upper Milford Township between now and Monday. Before and after photos are welcome, so if you are taking some shots of the "calm before the storm" today, we'd love to see them. Just remember to be safe in all of your photography efforts. Also, be sure to share your experiences in the comments to let us know what's going on in your neighborhood and how you and yours …
Herd animals like bison and elk have an instinct for knowing when to hunker down, which is one reason the Lehigh Valley Zoo isn’t shipping the animals elsewhere to ride out the coming storm. Richard Rosevear, the zoo’s general curator, said he expects the bison and elk around the facility’s perimeter to bed down and stay low to the ground if high winds and heavy rains hit this weekend as expected. “They know it’s coming long before we do,” he said. “They can detect changes in barometric pressure.” The bigger concern is that a hurricane could knock down trees that would put a hole in the chain…
With Hurricane Irene almost certain to batter our area this weekend, the need for up-to-the minute info is even more important. At Patch, we will be working around-the-clock to cover the storm, but as with of our reporting, the more interaction we get from users the more comprehensive our coverage will be. Emmaus Patch is as much your site as it is ours.So as we all weather Irene's fierce wind and intense rain, here’s how you can use Patch to help paint the local picture of the event.1. Get the news. When we know about storm-related news, so will you. From important local and county …
Editor's Note: Patch will cover the storm impact throughout the weekend. Patch welcomes your photos and observations. Send to jennifer.marangos@patch.com Hurricane Irene is coming and residents really should spend some time today getting ready for the heavy rains and high winds that are on their way, according to local experts. People should do the types of things they are hearing on the radio, like making sure their flashlights have batteries and the gas tanks in their cars are topped off, says Kevin Farnish, emergency management coordinator for the Borough of Emmaus. Farnish says that …
Forecasters say tropical storm conditions Saturday night and Sunday could bring wind gusts of 60 mph. So, how strong could that wind actually be? The Beaufort Scales are used to measure wind speed. The scale uses a 1 through 12 rating for wind ranging from “Calm” to “Hurricane” force. Here are some of the ratings: Near Gale (32-38 mph) - Whole trees in motion, inconvenience in walking. Gale (39-46 mph) - Difficult to walk against wind. Twigs and small branches blown off trees. Strong Gale (47-54 mph) - Minor structural damage may occur (shingles blown off roofs). Storm (55-63 mph) - Trees …
Hurricane Irene is expected to bring heavy rain and winds gusting up to 60 mph to Emmaus Patch Saturday night into Sunday. More rain dousing our already saturated ground could cause downed trees and power outages. The Red Cross and utility companies advise residents to have a storm kit handy. Your kit should include: Bottled water (one gallon per person per day). Non-perishable food and can opener. Blankets, bedding and toiletries. Baby formula, diapers, bottles and wet wipes, if needed. First-aid kit and enough prescription medicines. Flashlight with fresh batteries. Battery-operated radio. …
