Ocean City Blizzard Warning: Parking Reminders, Flooding Alert

OCEAN CITY, NJ — As Ocean City residents prepare for a winter storm that is predicted to bring up to 18 inches of snow along the southern New Jersey coast, authorities have issued reminders and some updates.

The National Weather Service upgraded its winter weather warning to a blizzard warning, and that warning will be in effect from 7 p.m. Friday until 7 p.m. Saturday. A coastal flood advisory is in effect from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday.

The forecast is for 12 to 18 inches of snow along the coast of southern New Jersey. Northeast and north winds will gust up to 50 mph before turning offshore as the storm starts to move away.

Mayor Jay A. Gillian said the parking ban on West Avenue will not be enforced so residents can move their vehicles away from alleys that could be snowed in.

"Our Public Works team is fully prepared to begin work in advance of the storm and continue until all roads are clear," Gillian said, with primary and emergency routes such as the gateways to the Ninth Street and 34th Street bridges, the avenues that run the length of the island, and numbered streets with signaled intersections the first priority for snow clearing.

"Travel will be hazardous during the storm and, if the snowfall is deep, it will take some time for our plows to complete their work after the storm is over," he said. Residents are urged to stay home for their own safety and to allow the plowing crews to do their work.

"Please plan to have emergency supplies on hand in advance of Friday evening, and please understand that your road may not be cleared immediately after the storm," Gillian said. "Our police, fire and EMS personnel are equipped to respond quickly to all parts of Ocean City in any conditions. But it may take some time for us to restore routine travel for all residents."

He said after the primary streets are done, the secondary (numbered streets) and neighborhood streets are the next priority, and alleys cannot be plowed until the secondary streets are clear.

Gillian urged residents to move vehicles because of the potential coastal flooding.

"The tide level is expected to peak in the hours around high tide at 5:28 a.m. Saturday, so residents should be prepared to move vehicles to safe places on Friday evening," he said.

The National Weather Service predicts a level of 5.7 feet on the mean low water (MLW) scale.

The roads closer to the beach including Central and Wesley avenues are typically at higher elevation, and free parking is available at all municipal lots. Parking also will be available at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 20 North Shore Road in Marmora. Information on parking at the church is in a letter from Trinity; you can read it here.

Gillian reminded residents that snow banks from the plowing will be unavoidable if the area gets the predicted amount of snow.

"You may have to clear your driveway or parked vehicle more than once," he said.

Freezing temperatures will mean the snow banks stick around for several days, and officials said trash containers should not be placed behind any snow piles.

"Our contractor cannot climb over drifts to collect trash and recycling. If you use a trash corral, please dig it out to provide access," Gillian said.

Residents also are urged to shovel out fire hydrants near their homes.

Here are the emergency contact numbers for the local utility companies for residents who have service outages:

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

For police and fire department emergencies, call 911. For non-emergencies, call 609-399-9111.

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