Blizzard Warning In Effect For Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, NJ — A Blizzard Warning is in effect for Ocean City from 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3, through 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4, the National Weather Service announced on Wednesday. The forecast calls for 6-10 inches of snow, with higher amounts possible.

The entire length of West Avenue from North Street to 59th Street is a designated Snow Emergency Route, and parking is prohibited on both sides of the street when the road is covered by snow, city officials reminded residents in a Special Weather Alert issued at about 4 p.m.

Vehicles must be moved off the road to allow for plowing, according to the Ocean City Police Department. Vehicles that remain on the roadway and create a hazard to public safety are subject to being ticketed and/or towed.

Extreme cold with wind chill values below zero are predicted throughout the week. Residents should make sure thermostat settings in unoccupied homes are above 60 degrees, and to check on neighboring homes for frozen pipes.

There is a chance of minor street flooding around high tide at 9:42 a.m. on Thursday. Residents on streets that typically experience flooding should be prepared to move vehicles to higher ground. The forecast models predict a tide of 5.9 feet on the mean low water (MLLW) scale. See ocnj.us/octides for comparisons.

The roads closer to the beach including Central and Wesley avenues are typically at higher elevation. Parking will be available at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 20 North Shore Road in Marmora. Anyone who intends to use the church parking lot should read this letter from Trinity.

Residents should bring loose objects inside or make sure they are secure. All contractors are asked to secure job sites. Drivers are advised never to drive through flood water or around barricades.

Residents are also advised to make sure all battery-powered communication devices are charged in advance of any potential power outage. The following are the emergency numbers for local utility companies in the case of outages or other problems during the expected storm:

• Atlantic City Electric: 800-833-7476
• South Jersey Gas: 888-766-9900
• Comcast Cable: 800-COMCAST (800-266-2278)
• New Jersey American Water: 800-272-1325

The utility companies advise residents to contact them directly as soon as they experience a problem so that the companies can properly track outages and repairs. For police and fire department emergencies, call 911. For non-emergencies, call police at 609-399-9111 or City Hall at 609-399-6111.

Patch file photo