COURT HOUSE – Blizzard conditions Jan. 4 brought much of Cape May County to a halt. All schools were closed, many municipal government offices didn’t open or opened late, courts were not in session, and a Code Blue was extended by the county Office of Emergency Management until Jan. 7.
Despite Gov. Chris Christie’s declared State of Emergency for Cape May and other southern region counties, and discounting municipal emergency proclamations, like Wildwood’s issued at 9:25 a.m., some drivers elected to ignore the warnings.
Some of them became stranded, exactly what police departments had hoped would not happen in the sub-freezing, windy conditions.
West Cape May and Wildwood Crest similarly issued emergency proclamations that noted only emergency vehicles were permitted on roadways.
A Wildwood Police Department text alert stated, “Please be advised that road conditions are hazardous. Several vehicles have been disabled. Only drive in extreme emergencies.”
At 1:16 p.m., Lower Township Police issued an advisory that due to snow drifts that made Breakwater Road impassable, and multiple vehicles getting stuck, Breakwater Road from Shunpike Road to Seashore Road was temporarily closed.
The release further noted that several roads in the municipality were “not predictable and several of them have snow drifts several feet high with many motorists getting stranded.
“Please be advised we are in a state of emergency and you should not be on the roadways,” Lower police stated.
Snow-related Incidents
A New Jersey Transit bus was reported stuck in snow in Cape May by the Welcome Center on Lafayette Street at about 11 a.m.
At 10:22 a.m. in Wildwood at Rio Grande and New Jersey avenues, another NJ Transit bus became stuck.
A United Parcel Service truck was reported on its side under the Garden State Parkway overpass at the Stone Harbor Boulevard intersection in Court House at 11:27 a.m. Court House firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
At 11:51 a.m., Middle Township Police were dispatched for a motor vehicle crash at Exit 9, southbound of the Garden State Parkway. No report of injury was immediately made.
Few Electrical Outages
Atlantic City Electric’s outage map, viewed at 2:27 p.m. Jan. 4, showed two outages in Lower Township, with about 14 customers affected and power expected to be restored by 4 p.m.
An electric transformer was reported arking near Ridge Road, Green Creek at 2:55 p.m. Green Creek volunteer firefighters were dispatched to that location.
Cape May-Lewes Ferry
Ice conditions halted Cape May-Lewes Ferry operations.
A Jan. 3 release stated, “Due to significant ice accumulations in the Cape May Canal and associated wind conditions expected with the impending nor’easter on the Delaware Bay, Cape May-Lewes Ferry (CMLF) officials announced…that ferry operations have been suspended for January 4, 2018.
“Bitter cold temperatures and strong northwest winds are causing ice sheets to stack up in the Cape May canal,” stated Heath Gehrke, director of Ferry Operations. “With the approaching winter storm, these conditions are expected to worsen over the next few days. We will continue to monitor the weather conditions and will be providing service updates on a daily basis on both our website and social media venues.”
Gehrke added that given the current conditions and anticipated frigid temperatures over the next few days, additional departures might also be affected.
“It’s important that travelers who plan to use the Cape May-Lewes Ferry through Jan. 7, confirm that we are operating before coming to the Ferry,” Gehrke noted.
A Jan. 4 release stated, “Due to continued, high, northwesterly winds and ice formation in the bay, particularly at the mouth of the Cape May canal, the Cape May-Lewes Ferry will not operate tomorrow, Jan. 5.
“Given the current conditions and anticipated frigid temperatures over the next few days, additional departures may also be affected. Travelers who plan to use the Cape May-Lewes Ferry through Jan. 7, are urged to call the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Guest Services Center at 800-64-FERRY (800-643-3779, visit the Ferry’s website at www.cmlf.com, or like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @CMLFerry for the latest departure information.”
Cold Goose
In the Borough of West Wildwood, at 1:35 p.m., police received a call that a goose was trying to get into a house in the 700 block West Glenwood Avenue, apparent proof that nothing was spared from nature’s fury.
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