Camden County Prepares For Storm That Threatens Rush Hour Traffic

Camden County is preparing for a storm that is set to deliver a wintry mix and make a mess of rush hour traffic on Monday. A Cold Blue Weather alert also remains in effect. It is in effect from 7 p.m. on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 until 7 a.m. the following morning.

“The Department of Public Works crews are already on the job pretreating roadways and prepping equipment to keep roads passable and motorists moving,” Camden County Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo, liaison to the Department of Public Works, said. “Despite their best efforts, the timing of today’s storm could bring some hazardous road conditions for rush hour commuters making their way home this evening so we are asking everyone to remain cautious and alert, and give themselves some extra time to reach their destinations.”

Monday’s mix was expected to be made up mostly of freezing rain and sleet, but some snow may fall. Most of the storm is expected between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. No more than half an inch of accumulation is expected.
The temperature is expected to be between 28 and 32 degrees, with ground temperatures even colder. Any precipitation may result in icy conditions. Skies will turn partly cloudy overnight, with a good amount of sunshine expected tomorrow as temps climb to near 40 degrees.

Camden County has more than 100 pieces of equipment ready to keep county roadways passable and drivers moving. If the weather becomes treacherous, personnel will be dispatched to 12 winter maintenance districts to salt and plow 1,400 lane 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 the event that the weather causes isolated power outages, residents are reminded to immediately call their utility company so they can identify the location and coordinate crews to restore their 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 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/

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.

“We are expecting dangerously low temperatures for the next two nights. In these extreme weather conditions, we need everyone to be sheltered and out of the elements,” Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services, said. “If you must leave the house, please dress yourself and your children in warm clothing, hats and gloves. Also, please remember to check on elderly relatives and neighbors, and bring your pets indoors.”

Anyone seeking shelter in a warming center should contact their local municipality. Additional resources are available by calling the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services at 800-999-9045, or by visiting www.camdencounty.com.

As always, 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 the Department of Public Works.

Patch file photo