SHAMOKIN - From picking up fallen leaves to preparing emergency personnel for the worst, local officials were busy Friday ahead of the seemingly inevitable arrival of what is likely to be Tropical Storm Sandy.
Street department employees of both Coal Township and Shamokin spent Friday preparing equipment and picking up leaves from streets and gutters.
Emergency personnel in Mount Carmel, Shamokin, Sunbury and elsewhere were keeping an eye on forecasts for Hurricane Sandy (it's a hurricane now ahead of an expected downgrade to tropical storm). The three municipalities volunteer fire personnel were expected to meet this weekend to initiate emergency action if necessary.
"The entire department will be on high alert," said Mike Rhoads, Sunbury fire chief, adding that includes the city's water rescue team - an active bunch during last September's flooding.
R. Craig Rhoades, Shamokin city councilman and director of public safety, said, "On Sunday evening, we'll make a decision as to what manpower and what standby procedure we're going to use and we'll go from there.
"We're not waiting until the last moment to prepare for what could potentially be a serious problem for the city."
Shamokin emergency personnel, including its volunteer fire bureau, will meet at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Emergency and Rescue Squad quarters in the Mill Road Square complex on North Franklin Street.
If evacuation centers are established in Shamokin and Coal Township, they'd be at the Shamokin Area Elementary Annex, Forest Hills Fire Company, Shamokin Area schools in the township and perhaps churches, according to Rhoades and Fetterman.
A meeting of all divisions of Mount Carmel Borough employees will be held late Sunday, said Mayor J. Kevin Jones, "if the storm continues to be a threat." That would include police and fire chiefs, a sewer authority representative, the borough manager and borough foreman. It might also involve Northumberland County Emergency Management Agency, by phone, he said.
Picking up leaves
Kevin Richardson, street department foreman, said his crew was "scrambling to get leaves up."
"We went through all the low-lying areas today," he said.
Craig Fetterman, township commissioner chairman, said township employees were busy doing the same. He asked that residents keep an eye on storm drains near their homes and, without risking injury, keep them as clear as possible.
Wet fallen leaves are a hazard because they can collect in storm and sewer drains and cause backups.
Both Richardson and Fetterman acknowledged that for as many fallen leaves that are picked up, more will come down when high winds whip through the trees.
Township employees will be back at it again today working overtime to continue leaf collection. Anyone with "significant" piles can call the township office about removal, although Fetterman said he can't guarantee workers can get to every area of the township.
Outside of leaf pickup, Richardson said gas cans and city vehicles and equipment - such as chainsaws, a backhoe, payloader and tree chipper - were filled up and readied for use.