Whiting, NJ — An evacuation was ordered early Tuesday at a New Jersey nursing home after freezing pipes disrupted the building’s sprinkler system, forcing staff to prepare dozens of residents for relocation.
Local police said the incident occurred at Whiting Gardens Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Ocean County. Officials reported receiving conflicting estimates on the number of residents affected, though early indications suggested the total could exceed 60.
As of around 7 a.m., authorities said residents were being staged and assisted as part of the evacuation process. Details about the exact failure within the sprinkler system were still under review, and officials had not yet confirmed how extensively the system was compromised.
Cold Weather Raises Infrastructure Concerns
The incident unfolded as the region experienced its first sustained stretch of freezing temperatures in several days. The cold snap follows a recent Arctic blast that brought dangerously low temperatures across the tri-state area and was linked to multiple deaths in New York City, according to officials.
While temperatures on Tuesday were expected to remain cold, forecasters said conditions would be less severe than last week, with daytime highs reaching the low 30s. Overnight temperatures are expected to hover in the upper 20s through the end of the workweek.
More Extreme Cold Ahead
Meteorologists are also warning of another surge of Arctic air arriving over the weekend. Forecasts call for overnight lows dropping into the single digits late Saturday into Sunday, followed by another bitterly cold day on Monday.
Authorities continue to monitor conditions at the facility as colder weather raises concerns about aging infrastructure and the risk of additional pipe failures across the region.
