With a developing low off the east coast threatening our New Year, Camden County will continue to monitor weather forecasts and keep an eye on the latest roadway conditions.
“In light of the severe weather this will be an all hands on deck scenario for the department and we will be fully staffed and have all of our resources in place to fight the snow and ice,” said Freeholder Ian Leonard, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Works. “We are continuing to monitor the developing system in order to respond to any weather condition and keep Camden County’s roadways passable. In preparation all trucks are already loaded and ready to start treating roadways at the first sign of precipitation.”
At the public works complex in Lindenwold, more than 70 pieces of equipment stand ready to keep county roadways passable and motorists moving. If the weather becomes treacherous personnel will be dispatched to 12 winter maintenance districts to address salt and plow 400 miles of roadways across Camden County. The county’s response plan calls for crews to be dispatched only to the zones where they are needed.
In addition, because of the high winds crews will have chainsaws and tree removal equipment at the ready for downed trees blocking any county roadways.
“As always, when the weather turns hazardous we recommend that motorists remain cautious and give themselves extra time to reach their destinations,” Leonard said. “Anyone on the roadways during these times should be prepared to encounter slick or icy road conditions.”
The latest forecast obtained by Camden County shows the potential for up to 7” of snow overnight with the possibility of flurries as early as this afternoon. The bulk of the storm will arrive after 7 p.m. Tonight’s moderate and steady snow will be accompanied by gusty winds as temperatures drop into the teens. The snow will wind down early tomorrow, although blowing and drifting snow is likely to recover ground surfaces. There will also be dangerous wind chill values from tonight into Friday night.
In the event that the weather causes isolated power outages, please remember to immediately call your utility company so they can identify the location and coordinate crews to restore your power. Below are numbers and contact info for the two power providers in Camden County:
- PSE&G: 1-800-436-PSEG (7734)
- PSEG website: http://pseg.com/home/customer_service/outage_info/index.jsp
- Atlantic City Electric: 1-800-833-7476
- Atlantic City Electric website: http://www.atlanticcityelectric.com/home/
- South Jersey Gas: 1-800-582-7060
- South Jersey Gas website: http://southjerseygas.com/
Additionally, Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez advises municipalities that Camden County is under a Code Blue severe weather advisory. The Health Officer issued the severe weather advisory for Camden County effective from 6:00 p.m. tonight, January 2 until to 6 a.m. January 4.
The Camden County Health Department and the Office of Emergency Management have worked with each municipality to ensure they have the proper resources to respond to these severe weather situations as part of their individual Code Blue plans. Each municipality has identified its own location to accommodate those in their community seeking shelter from the severe weather. Persons seeking shelter in a warming center should contact their local municipality. Click here for a list of approved warming centers. Please call ahead for availability.
During these weather emergencies, we encourage everyone to check on elderly or handicapped relatives and neighbors that live alone.
As always, please use 911 for emergencies only. If you see a problem on a county road, please call 856-566-2980 to report it to the Camden County DPW.
For additional weather updates go to www.camdencounty.com or follow us at www.facebook.com/camdencountynj and on Twitter @camdencountynj.
