Community Corner

Camden County Prepares For First Snowfall of 2014

The county has begun preparations in advance of an expected seven inches of snow Thursday night. A Code Blue was issued Thursday afternoon.

Camden County road crews are ready to combat the first winter storm of 2014.

More than 70 pieces of equipment are available to make county roadways safe for travel as up to seven inches of snow is expected to fall on the region Thursday night.

Additionally, county officials issued a Code Blue Advisory Thursday afternoon.

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“Our public works employees are on standby and our equipment has been prepped to address any and all situations that may arise,” Freeholder Ian Leonard, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Works, said in a prepared statement. “We are continuing to monitor the developing system in order to respond to any weather condition and keep Camden County’s roadways passable.”

If the weather becomes treacherous, personnel will be dispatched to 12 winter maintenance districts for salt and to plow about 400 miles of county roads, Leonard said. Crews will be dispatched only where needed, per the county’s response plan.

Find out what's happening in Collingswoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“As always, when the weather turns hazardous we recommend that motorists remain cautious and give themselves extra time to reach their destinations,” Leonard said.  “Anyone on the roadways during these times should be prepared to encounter slick or icy road conditions.”

The Code Blue is effective Thursday afternoon through 6 a.m. Saturday morning. 

“When the Camden County Health Officer declares a Severe Weather Emergency, municipalities with homeless populations, situational homeless or transient populations are expected to activate their Code Blue response plan to accommodate their immediate needs,” said Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Camden County Health Department.

Each municipality has identified a location to accommodate those in need of shelter as the wind chill factor reaches dangerous levels during the storm. Warming centers in Collingswood are located at 678 Haddon Avenue; the Collingswood Fire House at 20 West Collings Avenue; the Collingswood Library at 771 Haddon Avenue; and the Collingswood Senior Center at 30 West Collings Avenue.

“During these weather emergencies, we encourage everyone to check on elderly or handicapped relatives and neighbors that live alone,” Rodriguez said.  “It is important that most vulnerable among us are not left without heat or electricity.”

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.  Below are numbers and contact info for the two power providers in Camden County:

As always, please use 911 for emergencies only. If you see a problem on a county road, please call 856-566-2980 to report it to the Camden County 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.


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