Nor'easter Brings Power Outages To Camden County

Camden County has begun to experience widespread power outages related to the nor'easter that is striking New Jersey Wednesday afternoon. As of 5 p.m., there were over 10,000 power outages in Camden County. Atlantic City Electric customers can keep track of their outages here, and PSE&G customers can keep track of their outages here.

All nonessential county operations have closed for the day, Camden County officials announced at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Camden County College has closed due to the inclement weather conditions and the forecast of a devastating nor'easter for the region, the college announced Wednesday morning. All classes and activities scheduled for the remainder of the day have been canceled.

The Camden County Technical School is closed, along with all branches of the Camden County Library System. The Camden County Animal Shelter has also closed for the day.

It was previously announced that the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and the Camden County Court System would be closed on Wednesday.

The Cherry Hill Mall has announced it will close as of 3 p.m. Macy's will remain open until 4 p.m., and restaurant hours may vary.

The updated list of closures was announced as the Camden County Department of Public Works continues to combat the nor'easter that hit New Jersey on Wednesday. The storm has brought wind gusts of up to 35 mph, and officials are warning that downed trees and power lines are possible. In addition, watch for wet surfaces to freeze over as temperatures dip to below freezing tonight.

Since the storm began, 90 pieces of equipment and 100 employees have been deployed from the Camden County Department of Public Works complex in Lindenwold to the county’s 12 winter maintenance districts, according to county officials. The county’s response plan calls for crews to be dispatched only to the zones where they are needed.

“If you don’t have to travel, please stay off the roads to give our crews the ability to effectively do their job. Anyone on the roadways during these times should be prepared to encounter slick road conditions and poor visibility. Always leave at least six car lengths behind our DPW vehicles while they work, and move any cars off the street and into a driveway while we continue our plowing operations,” Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Works, said. “Remember that it is illegal in New Jersey to plow or shovel snow from private property into roadways.”

The heaviest snow could fall at 1 to 2 inches per hour later Wednesday morning and afternoon before tapering off early in the evening. Due to the heavy, wet snow combined with wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour, downed trees and power lines are a risk. In addition, residents should watch for freezing of wet surfaces as temperatures dip to below freezing tonight.

The county offers assistance to senior citizens and disabled residents who are unable to remove significant amounts of snow accumulation from their properties.

“The snow removal program is available to help seniors and disabled individuals get out of their homes for necessities such as prescriptions or medical appointments,” Freeholder Jonathan Young, liaison to the Camden County Department of Corrections, said. “The program uses Camden County Jail inmates who are carefully screened, non-violent offenders who are guarded at all times on the job site by corrections officers.”

Below are the guidelines for the program:

• The Snow Removal Program will go into effect only after 4 inches of snow has fallen on the ground in the area.
• At-risk senior and disabled residents can contact the Camden County Division of Emergency Management at 856-783-4808, ext. 5060, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Calls for snow removal will not be taken until after it has stopped snowing.
• Work Crews will be dispatched only after it has stopped snowing. The work crews will remove snow only during daylight hours from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Crews will respond to calls in the order they are received and will service as many residents as possible each day. There are no guaranteed times when the crews will arrive at a residence.
• Senior and Disabled residents must call after each substantial snowfall to request this service.

The Department of Corrections will supply the needed equipment. The program does not supply salt or ice-melting chemicals, but crews will dispense them if supplied by residents. Contact and conversation between the inmates and the public is prohibited. Gratuities and gifts or money, food, drink or any other item is strictly prohibited.

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. This storm has the potential to bring down trees and power lines. Residents need to be extra cognizant of any power failures. 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; http://www.atlanticcityelectric.com/home/
• South Jersey Gas: 1-800-582-7060
• South Jersey Gas website: http://southjerseygas.com/

As always, residents should use 911 for emergencies only. Anyone who sees a problem on a county road is asked to call the county's 24-hour hotline at 856-566-2980 to report it to DPW.

Patch file photo