Camden County Prepares For Snow Storm For Second Time This Season

For the second time in a week, South Jersey is bracing for a snow storm. Camden County is preparing for a storm that could drop 1-3 inches of snow on the region Friday afternoon. A Code Blue Weather Advisory will also be in effect, from 7 p.m. Friday night until 7 a.m. Saturday morning.

“The Camden County Department of Public Works is working to keep everyone moving during the evening rush today, but we are asking for drivers to remain extra cautious behind the wheel,” Camden County Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo said. “Anyone on the roadways this afternoon should be prepared to encounter slick road conditions, and we ask that motorists leave at least six car lengths behind our DPW vehicles while they work.”

While the initial flakes are expected to melt on treated surfaces, all surfaces may end up covered in snow due to the prior cold and intensity of the snow, officials said. The snow is expected to continue to fall at a light to moderate intensity through the evening rush, and then eventually taper off later in the evening. Friday night's lows will be below freezing, with a heightened threat of a freeze-up of wet surfaces and slush.

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.

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.

Snow blanketed the region last weekend as well, but there were no lasting impacts. There was also snow that fell on Wednesday night that impacted other portions of New Jersey, but left South Jersey relatively dry. The Code Blue has been in effect since Tuesday.

Patch file photo