Camden County Offices Closing Early Due To Weather Wednesday

Camden County offices are closing early on Wednesday, Feb. 20, due to inclement weather, officials announced. They will close at 12:30 p.m., and reopen during standard operating hours on Thursday, Feb. 21.

The Camden County Library System is remaining open for normal operation hours at most branches. The Merchantville Branch will be closing early at 12:30 p.m. in accordance with the school district. The VITA Tax Preparation event at the Camden Downtown Branch, and the AARP Tax Assistance program at the South County Regional Branch Library, have both been canceled.

The Camden County Department of Public Works continues to work to ensure snow and ice don’t build up on any of the county roads, according to officials.

“Our crews are on the roads and working to keep traffic moving during the lunch hour and evening commute as today’s storm brings icy, dangerous conditions to our roadways,” Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Works, said. “We are monitoring the storm and working to respond appropriately as snow shifts to rain and ice in the afternoon and evening.”

More than 100 pieces of equipment and more than 100 employees have been deployed from the Public Works complex in Lindenwold to Camden County’s 12 winter maintenance districts, officials said. 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 should be prepared to encounter slick road conditions. 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,” Shin Angulo said. “Remember that it is illegal in New Jersey to plow or shovel snow from private property into roadways.”

In the event that the weather causes isolated power outages, residents are advised to immediately call their utility company so they can identify the location and coordinate crews to restore power. Any storm has the potential to bring down trees and power lines, so residents need to be extra cognizant of any power failures. Below are numbers and contact info for the 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, use 911 for emergencies only. Anyone who sees a problem on a county road should call the county's 24-hour hotline at 856-566-2980 to report it to the Department of Public Works.

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