Code Blue In Effect As Camden County Braces For Winter Storm

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Camden County has issued a Code Blue Weather Advisory ahead of a storm that is expected to dump up to 6 inches of snow across much of the region.

A period of snow is expected to bring widespread accumulating snowfall to the region overnight, with most snow falling between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Though widespread snowfall of 2 to 5 inches is expected across much of the region, a narrow band could set up and drop 6 inches in some areas. Read more here: NJ Snow: Totals Increase, Statewide Weather Advisory Issued

For the second time this week, the Camden County Department of Public Works is preparing for the storm.

“It looks like this winter weather event will be similar to the one we had earlier in the week with one key difference — the ground is frozen as opposed to Monday when we had temperatures of up to 65 degrees the day before,” Commissioner Al Dyer, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Works. “This key aspect will make the job a little tougher in the early morning hours tomorrow. Based on the timing of this storm, it looks like we will start to see accumulation around the morning rush hour. That said, we need everyone to give themselves plenty of extra time and be cautious on the roads tomorrow if you have to be on them.”

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.

“My message would be for tomorrow to stay off the roads if you can and give our crews the ability to effectively do their job. Anyone on the roadways during the storm should be prepared to encounter slick road conditions. And remember to always leave at least six car lengths behind our DPW trucks while they work, and move any cars off the street and into a driveway while we continue our operations,” Dyer said. “Remember that it is illegal in New Jersey to plow or shovel snow from private property into roadways.”

A Code Blue that was enacted Sunday night expires Friday morning. A new one will take effect at 7 p.m. Friday morning and expire at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning, officials announced on Thursday.

“We’re expecting extremely cold temperatures, the lowest being 16 degrees,” Commissioner Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services, said. “So, it’s crucial that we get everyone sheltered and out of the elements, make sure our on elderly relatives and neighbors are okay and get our pets indoors.”

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

“The most vulnerable among us cannot be left without heat or electricity,” Rodriguez said. “We encourage everyone to check on elderly or handicapped relatives and neighbors that live alone.”

With a large portion of households in Camden County owning a cat or a dog, Rodriguez wants to ensure that all pets are safe during these extreme temperatures as well.

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.

Anyone who is seeking shelter in a warming center should contact their local municipality. Additional resources are available by calling the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services at 800-999-9045, or by visiting www.camdencounty.com.

Power outages should be reported directly to the appropriate utility provider list below:

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