Camden County Residents Asked To Stay Home As Snow Removal Efforts Continue

Conditions in Camden County have evolved from from a dusting/slight accumulations to now possibly creating up to 6 inches of snow throughout the county, and clean up will require a full effort from every member of the county’s snow removal operation, officials said Saturday afternoon.

Residents are asked to remain home if possible as trucks treat and plow roads after the second successive winter storm hits the county in less than 24 hours. Officials say it is vital for an efficient and effective operation for plows and first responders to be the only ones driving while the Camden County public works department, office of emergency management and the department of public safety clean up the county.

More than 100 pieces of equipment are on the road clearing county 1,400 lane miles of highways. All personnel have been dispatched to our 12 winter maintenance districts to treat and plow all county roadways. While the trucks are on the road a team of mechanics works around the clock to ensure trucks and plows stay operational.

Snow was expected to keep falling across the region until late Saturday afternoon, dropping anywhere from 3 to 6 inches on the county. The temperature is expected to drop into the teens on Saturday night. Residents should make sure to treat sidewalks and driveways to avoid black ice and slippery conditions for Sunday morning.

More flurries are possible on Sunday, but no real accumulation is expected. The high temperature is expected to be 25 degrees.

“All 12 winter maintenance districts have reported back that significant progress has been made with clearing snow, with many places down to blacktop,” Camden County Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Works, said. “If you must be on the road, remember to 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. Furthermore, remember that it is illegal in New Jersey to plow or shovel snow from private property into public roadways.”

In addition to clearing roadways, the Camden County Freeholder Board 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,” Camden County 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.”

The Snow Removal Program will go into effect only after 4 inches of snow has fallen. At-risk senior and disabled residents can contact the Camden County Office 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 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 are 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, residents should immediately call their utility company so they can identify the location and coordinate crews to restore 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.atlanticcityelectri...
• 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 is asked to call the county’s 24-hour hotline at 856-566-2980 to report it to the Department of Public Works.