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Mandatory Evacuation Notice Issued For Some Residents In Barnegat Township

BARNEGAT, NJ (CBS) – In response to the forecasted major coastal flooding, Barnegat Township Police say the Barnegat office of Emergency Management and the Barnegat Police Department have declared a local state of emergency.

Authorities say they have also issued a mandatory evacuation notice for all residents between the Barnegat Municipal Bathing Beach and the East Bay Avenue Bridge.

"We prepared our beachfronts, with the water coming up. We've got everything in our garages, equipments, with police cars and fire engines moved onto higher ground. We've had a bad experience with Sandy, we don't want to go through that again," Frank Ricciotti, Director of Margate Public Works, told Eyewitness News.

One official told CBS 3's Cleve Bryan that they expect high tide to be within 2 feet of Superstorm Sandy levels.

When storms this powerful last for days, it changes the tidal patterns, making areas normally safe get washed out.

In Ventnor, officials expect main roads to become impassable.  Since Superstorm Sandy, they've received two high water rescue trucks they hope they don't have to use, but are putting into position just in case.

Officials are urging residents to evacuate the area no later than 10:00 p.m. on Friday January 22, 2016.

Officials in Berkeley Township, Ocean County, have issued a voluntary evacuation for residents.

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