Camden County Prepares For Winter Storm

Camden County is preparing for the possibility of a light to moderate snowfall expected to blanket the region Tuesday night and cause problems for the morning commute.

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is working to treat streets and if necessary clear snow from the county’s 1,200 lane miles of road, officials announced Tuesday afternoon.

“Our DPW crews have been checking the plows and loading the salt trucks while continuing to monitor the latest weather forecasts,” Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr, liaison to the DPW, said. “With rain and snow expected to create slippery roadways tonight when temperatures drop, our crews are already hard at work to keep traffic moving throughout the county.”

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for seven New Jersey counties, saying up to three inches could fall in Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic, Cumberland, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties. Read more here: NJ Weather: Winter Weather Advisory In 7 NJ Counties For Snow

In Camden County, between a coating and two inches of snow are expected, and temperatures should settle in the 30s. More snow is expected early Wednesday morning for a total of about two inches in 24 hours.

“Based on the amount of precipitation we have already had over the last 72 hours, anyone on the roadways should be prepared to encounter slick road conditions. Always 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,” Cappelli said. “Remember that it is illegal in New Jersey to plow or shovel snow from private property into roadways.”

At the public works complex in Lindenwold, more than 100 pieces of equipment are available to keep county roadways passable. When the weather becomes treacherous, personnel will be dispatched to 12 winter maintenance districts to 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.

In the event 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)
• PSE&G 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/

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 DPW.