Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services, advises municipalities that Camden County will be under a Code Blue Advisory tonight.
The Health Officer issued the Code Blue advisory for Camden County effective from 6 p.m. on Feb. 8 until 7 a.m. on Feb. 9.
“We are expecting a snowy and breezy night with temperatures well below freezing, so everyone should be sheltered and out of the elements during this severe weather,” Rodriguez said. “If you must leave 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.”
Evening flurries will develop into periodic snow showers overnight. Temperatures are expected to drop as low as 25 degrees with winds out of the northwest up to 18 miles per hour.
The Freeholder Board and Department of Public Works are diligently monitoring the developments of a winter storm system that will impact our area starting at midnight through Wednesday. Preparations are already underway to respond to the inclement conditions and keep traffic moving in Camden County.
“We are entering into a very active weather pattern that could have a major impact on our daily commutes and activities for the next few days, so please plan accordingly,” said Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo, liaison to the Camden County DPW. “Our public works employees will be on the job to keep roadways passible, but we need everyone to remain extra cautious behind the wheel. Our equipment is prepped and trucks are loaded with product to address any and all situations that may arise.”
Snow showers will arrive across Camden County this evening and continue intermittently through tomorrow morning. Although no significant accumulation is expected during that time, some periodic ground coverings are possible so please use caution. The steadier snow accumulation will come from late tomorrow afternoon into early evening. That wave of snow is expected to deliver 4 to 8 inches of total accumulation to our area before ending Wednesday.
“In light of the smaller coastal storm that occurred last Friday our mechanics are working around the clock to ensure all of our equipment is on the road for the first snowflakes falling tonight,” Shin Angulo said. “Our crews will be working around the clock and prepared for the worst that is forecasted for Tuesday afternoon.”
At the public works complex in Lindenwold, more than 100 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 1,400 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.
“As always, when the weather turns hazardous we recommend that motorists remain cautious and give themselves extra time to reach their destinations,” Shin Angulo said. “Anyone on the roadways during these times should be prepared to encounter slick 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.”
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.
Continue to check www.camdencounty.com through the storm for weather and road condition updates. Information will also be provided through Facebook and Twitter.
