UPDATE: Clean Up Continues in Cape May County

COUNTY RELEASE:
COURT HOUSE — Over 39,000 Atlantic Electric customers in Cape May County remain without electricity this morning. However, road crews from Atlantic electric continue to work around the clock to restore power.
Cape May County road crews have been plowing and salting county roads and bridges since the start of the storm on Friday and will continue until all roads are clear. Also, road crews have been accompanying Atlantic City Electric crews clearing trees and snow that are covering down electrical wires.
The county Public Works Department requested an additional 1,000 tons of salt from the State of New Jersey to supplement the county’s salt supply. A shipment of salt that was scheduled to arrive from the county’s supplier or Saturday did not but it is anticipated that it will be here prior to the next storm event this week.
Facilities and Services’ crews cleared county parking lots and other county grounds over the weekend and continue the clean up today. All county government offices are open today with a few exceptions: Fare Free Transportation will only be providing service for Dialysis patients today with a normal schedule resuming tomorrow, all Cape May County Senior Centers will be closed as well as the Cape May County Park and Zoo.
Information is posted to capemaycountygov.net as well as on Facebook.
COURT HOUSE – Freeholder Vice-Director Ralph E. Sheets, Jr. and Emergency Management Director Frank McCall at 3 p.m. today, Friday, Feb. 5 signed an Emergency Proclamation declaring a state of emergency to exist in Cape May County.
Sheets stated, “The county has declared a state of emergency enabling authorities to take all necessary measures to protect the persons and property of the residents of Cape May County.”
Additionally, the Cape May County Emergency Management Communications Center was activated at noon today. The Cape May County Fire Coordinator, EMS Coordinators, CBRNE Director, Cape May County Fire Chiefs Association, Cape May County Public Works Association, the Cape May County Regional Emergency Special Operations Team and the Cape May County Municipal Offices of Emergency Management are pre-positioned to respond to the potential disaster associated with this Nor’easter/winter snow storm.
The following areas have been designated as disaster areas:
The Borough of AVALON, the City of CAPE MAY, The Borough of CAPE MAY POINT, the Township of DENNIS, the Township of LOWER, the Township of MIDDLE, the City of NORTH WILDWOOD, the City of OCEAN CITY, the City of SEA ISLE CITY, the Borough of STONE HARBOR, the Township of UPPER, the Borough of WEST CAPE MAY, the Borough of WEST WILDWOOD, the City of WILDWOOD, the Borough of WILDWOOD CREST, and the Borough of WOODBINE.
The proclamation gives the County the authority to request resources from that State of New Jersey on behalf of municipalities.
The following resources have been requested:
· State resources to assist with the ATLANTIC CITY ELECTRIC COMPANY power outage that can affect all of CAPE MAY COUNTY
· NJSP-OEM Incident Management and NJ Department of Transportation personnel to be at the Cape May County Emergency Management Communications Center
· NEW JERSEY NATIONAL GUARD high wheeled 4×4 vehicles will be requested to assist with Medical Emergencies
· NEW JERSEY FOREST FIRE SERVICE RESOURCES will be requested should their services be necessary
The Cape May County Office of Emergency Management is monitoring the situation and remains in constant communication with the New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, Municipal Emergency Management Coordinators as well as other state and federal partners.
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EARLIER COUNTY RELEASE:
COURT HOUSE – Freeholder Director Beyel assured motorists that the county is prepared to clear snow and ice from roadways countywide during this weekend’s storm event.  Beyel said, “The Cape May County Public Works Department has fitted its trucks with plows and salt spreaders and is ready to deploy personnel to ensure motorist safety.”
However, Beyel added, “Unless it is a necessity, motorists should refrain from driving during the storm.”
Due to the anticipated unsafe driving conditions resulting from the impending blizzard, the Cape May County Bridge Commission is waiving tolls on the Ocean Drive Bridges from 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5 until 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010.
“Since motorists are being discouraged from driving during this severe storm, we expect that people will only be on the road in an emergency situation. It is generally the policy of the commission not to charge tolls under such circumstances,” stated Executive Director Stephen O’Connor in a release.
The three bridges that collect tolls this time of year that will be lifted for the storm include the Middle Thorofare, Townsends Inlet and the Ocean City- Longport Bridge.
The Bridge Commission also notified the Coast Guard that the Middle Thorofare, Townsends Inlet and Beesley’s Point Bridges cannot be opened for vessel traffic because of the heavy winds of the storm. “It is too dangerous to the bridge structure to raise the span anytime winds exceed 40 MPH,” O’Connor said.
The county is ready to deploy 25 trucks to plow snow and spread salt on the approximately 210 miles of County roads and 29 bridges (22 County Bridges and 7 Cape May County Bridge Commission bridges).  The County Road Department uses personnel from other Departments and has approximately 35 staff members available to combat the winter weather conditions.
As of today, the county has approximately 900 tons of salt housed at three locations and is expecting the delivering of an additional 1,200 tons of salt.   Typically, between 450 to 500 tons of salt is used during a snow event similar to the one that hit our area this past week.  It is anticipated that the county will use over 700 tons of salt for this snow event.
Beyel said, “County crews will be working around the clock to clear roads and bridges.  When the first snowflakes start falling, crews will treat the bridges and major intersections.  The crews begin plowing operations and suspend salting when snowfall reaches 1∏ to 2-inches and more is expected.  Salting operations resume when the storm reduces in intensity resulting in snow showers.  The crews continue with the ice and snow removal until the storm event is over and the road can be safely traveled.”
Any County government closings will be posted to the County’s website capemaycountygov.net , on Facebook and twitter and available on local media outlets.
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