TOMS RIVER, NJ – The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for most of the Jersey Shore from Cape May to Sandy Hook. Windy blizzard conditions are expected from 7 pm Friday night through 7 pm Saturday night with wind gusts as high as 50 miles per hour. The National Weather Service is anticipating anywhere from 8 to 15 inches of snow across the coastal regions, to several miles inland.
Ocean County is ready
In Ocean County, the County Board of Commissioners said the county transportation department is ready for whatever mother nature delivers. Many of Ocean County’s main roads are maintained by the county.
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“Ocean County is prepared to handle winter weather whether it be snow, ice, a wintry mix or storms,” said Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners John P. Kelly, who is also liaison to the Ocean County Road Department. “Our County departments work in partnership to assure safety on our roads and continued accessibility to our programs and services.”
The Ocean County Road Department and Bridge Departments will mobilize a fleet of about 200 trucks and other vehicles and about 175 employees to salt and clear roads during the storm.
Call 9-1-1 only for emergencies
Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy said the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management and the Sheriff’s Department will be providing assistance to citizens throughout the storm. "We ask that residents only call 911 when there is an emergency,” Mastronardy said. “Please do not call the 911 call center for information on the weather or road conditions, the lines need to stay clear for medical and public safety emergencies.”
How Ocean County is planning to deal with the snowfall
The county is prepared with 30,000 tons of treated salt. The county uses salt treated with calcium chloride which does a better job when clearing snow and ice.
Once enough snow falls to warrant plowing, the first of the county roads to be cleared are the 500 series, which includes such main roads as Hooper Avenue in Toms River Township, and Route 571, which travels through Toms River Township to Jackson Township. In Southern Ocean County, those roads include Route 539.
“We start with these main roads and work our way to the secondary roads,” Waters said.