County Prepared for Storm; Code Blue in Effect This Weekend

Preparations are already underway to respond to a storm threatening to deliver snow to the region Sunday night into Monday morning.

“Our public works employees are on standby. Our equipment has been prepped and trucks are loaded with product to address any and all situations that may arise,” Camden County Freeholder Ian Leonard, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Works, said. “We will continue to keep an eye on roadway conditions and monitor weather forecasts to call in our drivers to begin pretreating all roadways in advance of the first sign of snow.”

Temperatures are expected to drop drastically and a storm is expected to drop between 5 and 9 inches of snow on the region as steady periods of snow are expected to fall from Sunday night thought Monday morning.

At the public works complex in Lindenwold, more than 90 pieces of equipment stand ready to keep county roadways passable and motorists moving. If the weather becomes treacherous personnel will be dispatched to 12 winter maintenance districts to address salt and plow 1,200 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.

“As always, when the weather turns hazardous we recommend that motorists remain cautious and give themselves extra time to reach their destinations,” Leonard said. “Anyone on the roadways during these times should be prepared to encounter slick or icy road conditions. 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.”

Due to the expected temperature drop, a Code Blue weather advisory is also in effect for the weekend.

The Health Officer issued the Code Blue advisory for Camden County effective from 6 p.m. on the nights of Jan. 30, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 through 7 a.m. the following mornings.

“It will be bitterly cold this weekend with wind chills making it feel well below zero. We need everyone to be sheltered and out of the elements during this severe weather,” Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services, said. “Before leaving 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.”

When the Camden County Health Officer declares a Severe Weather Emergency, municipalities with homeless populations, situational homeless or transient populations are expected to activate their Code Blue response plan to accommodate their immediate needs.

A cold front that arrived on Friday was projected to bring strong winds and snow flurries. The wind gusts, projected to surpass 40 miles per hour, will make it feel around -5 degrees at night.

The next system is a storm coming from the west packing a decent amount of moisture. At this time, there is a higher than normal confidence of plowable snow accumulations as steady periods of snowfall are expected Sunday night into Monday morning.

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.

“During these weather emergencies, we encourage everyone to check on elderly or handicapped relatives and neighbors that live alone,” Rodriguez said. “It is important that most vulnerable among us are not left without heat or electricity.”

Persons seeking shelter in a warming center should contact their local municipality.

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
• Atlantic City Electric website: http://www.atlanticcityelectric.com/home/
• South Jersey Gas: 1-800-582-7060
• South Jersey Gas website: http://southjerseygas.com/

As always, please use 911 for emergencies only. If you see a problem on a county road, please call our 24-hour hotline at (856) 566-2980 to report it to DPW.