Prepare Early For Hurricane Lee, Berkeley Police Warn

BERKELEY, NJ — Berkeley police are urging residents to prepare early for the impact of Hurricane Lee.

"Year round and seasonal residents, at this time there are NOT any models that are confirming that Hurricane Lee will make land fall in New Jersey, but this storm is increasing in strength by the day and is presenting itself as a dangerous storm," the Berkeley Township Office of Emergency Management shared via the police's Facebook page.

Police said that this is a busy time of year with school and other events, but residents should take time to prepare their properties this weekend, such as storing outdoor furniture and other loose items.

"It is anticipated that we will potentially see effects from this storm by the end of next week," police said.

Further information will be shared on the Berkeley police Facebook page.

"It is way too soon to know what level of impacts, if any, Lee might have along the U.S. East Coast," the National Weather Service said, especially as the hurricane is slated to slow "considerably" over the southwestern Atlantic before it likely reaches the East Coast region late next week.

Once it does reach the western Atlantic, heavy rain, gusty winds and storm surge won’t be out of the question for the northeast U.S., according to AccuWeather.

"Right now, the area in the United States that really needs to pay attention includes locations from the upper part of the mid-Atlantic coast to New England," AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. Read more: Lee Becomes Category 5 Hurricane: See Latest NJ Forecast