County prepared to battle snowstorm

FREEHOLD, NJ – The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders held a press conference today to provide updates on the County’s preparations in advance of the anticipated snowstorm.

“Monmouth County is in a unique situation with this snow storm, with some of our southern towns predicted to get as little as one inch of snow and some our northern towns predicted to get up to ten inches between noon today and 2 p.m. tomorrow,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the Monmouth County Department of Public Works and Engineering. “The forecasted amounts may change over the course of the day and overnight, but I am here to let you know that Monmouth County is ready for whatever this storm brings.”

Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the Monmouth County Department of Public Works and Engineering.

Initially crews from the County’s Department of Public Works & Engineering pre-treated critical infrastructure with liquid salt brine in order to prevent snow and ice from bonding to the road surface. As weather conditions transition to snow, road crews will be applying rock salt treated with magnesium chloride.

Be prepared for winter Sips/Ace Hardware has all your needs

“Our snow command center will be in operation for the duration of the storm and the County has the ability to put into service 250 trucks and equipment to combat snowstorms,” said Freeholder Director Arnone. “The County also has 31,000 tons of treated salt and 135,000 gallons of salt brine available for use during this storm.”

According to the National Weather Service, heavy snow and windy conditions could produce a significant amount of snowfall in Monmouth County beginning this afternoon and ending tomorrow afternoon. Accumulations of five to ten inches are predicted for parts of Monmouth County. Combined with wind, drifting snow and ice, travel could be hazardous tonight and tomorrow morning.

The high winds could also lead to power outages throughout the County. The County’s Shade Tree Commission and Traffic Safety crews are on stand-by to remove downed tree limbs and assist with the reactivation and repair of traffic control devices.

The County has been applying the salt brine and magnesium chloride-treated rock salt in advance of storms since 2007. The salt brine and a pre-application of treated rock salt prevent the snow and ice from bonding to the roads, and the treated rock salt is environmentally friendly. It does not burn the grass or other roadside vegetation nor does it corrode the trucks or the steel bridge spans.

When the County applies brine, it is 8 gallons per lane mile. The salt brine is 28% salinity. The brine prevents the snow and ice from bonding to the road service. By doing so, the County is using less material.

“We ask our residents and commuters to stay home if possible, use caution on the roadways, give yourself extra time to get to your destination, and extend distance to snow and ice control trucks,” said Freeholder Director Arnone.

The Monmouth County Department Public Works and Engineering performs snow and ice control operations on 1,000 lane miles of road, 35 building complexes, Belford Ferry Terminal, Naval Weapons Station Earle, and Shared Services for municipalities.

“Due to the inclement weather, Monmouth County’s scheduled COVID-19 testing in Long Branch and mobile testing in Ocean Township scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 17, have been cancelled,” said Freeholder Director Arnone.

The Long Branch free testing for all Monmouth County residents has been rescheduled for Saturday, Dec. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Bucky James Community Center, 231 Wilbur Ray Avenue.

The next mobile COVID-19 testing site for healthcare workers and first responders will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 22 in Middletown from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Middletown Fire Department located at 336 State Highway 35.

Information about the County’s COVID-19 testing program is available on www.visitmonmouth.com.