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Snow storm blankets Monmouth County

By Mark Rosman and Christine Barcia
Staff writers

Snow totals exceeding 20 inches in some locations were reported by the National Weather Service in western Monmouth County and parts of Ocean County following the blizzard that blanketed the area from the evening of Jan. 22 through Jan. 23.

According to information posted on the National Weather Service website, snowfall measured by trained observers and other sources reported the following totals: Manalapan, 22 inches; Freehold, 17 inches; Millstone Township, 21.8 inches; Jackson, between 19 and 21 inches; Howell, 18 inches; and Plumsted Township, 19 inches.

Not all area communities were listed on the National Weather Service website.

Municipal officials, public works employees and police departments had several days to prepare for the storm that lasted from Friday evening through Saturday. They organized their response as forecasters warned of a storm that could bring 2 feet or more of snow to the region.

In the end, the snow totals were measured in feet, not inches. Jan. 23 and Jan. 24 saw municipal employees and private contractors plowing constantly and trying to keep roads passable. The effort continued on Jan. 25 as crews worked to clear NJ Transit and Academy bus stops along the region’s highways and neighborhood bus stops in anticipation of the reopening of schools.

When residents emerged from their homes on Sunday to dig out their vehicles, snow drifts of many more feet than the snow that fell made the task a challenge for most people.

On Jan. 25, Freehold Borough Mayor Nolan Higgins said officials met on Jan. 20 and reviewed staffing, operations, equipment and supply issues with the police, fire, street, water and health departments. Another meeting was held on Jan. 22 just hours before snow began falling. Higgins said Borough Administrator Joseph Bellina monitored conditions in the municipality throughout the storm.

During the height of the storm, Freehold Borough and Freehold Township police officers transported hospital staff members to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township.

In Marlboro, Mayor Jonathan Hornik said there were 35 calls for disabled vehicle assistance and one snowblower accident that was not life-threatening.

In Manalapan, Deputy Chief Michael Fountain said there were no calls for service that were out of the ordinary during the storm.

A post on a social media site reported that the Englishtown Police Department put its recently acquired Hummer to good use during the storm, as officers used the former military vehicle to conduct welfare checks on residents, search for a missing teenager and help stranded drivers to safety.

In Allentown, Officer in Charge Lt. Dan Panckeri said there were no major incidents reported in the borough during the storm.

In Howell, Mayor Bill Gotto and the Township Council reported on Jan. 24 that “DPW crews have been working around the clock and are doing an amazing job under the circumstances. This was a record breaking storm and with high winds and the drifts this storm created, they will need extra time to get all our roads cleared. … With awesome employees and volunteers, once again Howell residents came out of this storm unscathed.”

A notice posted on the Upper Freehold Township website reported that “two feet of snow and large drifts have caused unprecedented demands on our equipment and personnel. We have requested and received additional crews from Monmouth County District 7.”

Schools in the region were closed on Jan. 25.

 

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