'The Shore Is Getting Clobbered:' Blizzard Conditions Confirmed As Winds Whip Snow On Jersey Shore
BELMAR, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Blizzard conditions were confirmed on the Jersey Shore on Saturday.
As CBS2's Thalia Perez reports, Ocean County was pounded by the storm, which blanketed the area with 21 inches of snow.
Plenty of salt spreaders and plows could be seen out and about on the main roads of Bayville during the day, trying to keep up with the storm.
Some, like Stephanie Reich, were spending the afternoon digging themselves out.
"We've only been in this area for about two years, but we don't typically get this much snow. So it's been a lot," she said.
"I've got drifts in my yard higher than me," Rick Puckett said.
"I'm pretty surprised at how late the plows were out. I'm not gonna say, like, they didn't plow our parking lots or our streets and to be honest I'm afraid about tomorrow morning," Bayville resident Justina Dinas said.
"My concern is I'm a health care worker and I have to go to work. I couldn't go today," Bayville resident Amy Perafan said.
Some neighbors were taking it in stride and went food shopping.
"This is the most snow we've had in two years," Walter Taylor said.
As with any storm, the toughest part is keeping up with it and clearing out all the snow on every roadway and walkway.
On Atlantic City Boulevard, there were plenty of sidewalks that were not shoved hours after the snowfall had stopped.
Doug La Perry was left with nowhere to walk but the street.
"It kinda stinks. I expected a little bit more. I guess it's just very tough on the township and borough, plowing the streets and the walkways," he said.
In Toms River, the weight of all the snow caused the partial collapse of an indoor sports facility.
Local officials posted on Facebook that they were addressing the situation, but it's unclear if it will affect the winter track season.
CBS2's Meg Baker reported early Saturday morning from Belmar, where powerful winds had the snow coming down sideways, making for very poor visibility.
"It's not too bad. A little windy, a little flurries. But it's white gold," one plow driver told Baker. "We need the money, we need the money."
WATCH: Monmouth County Sheriff Checks In With CBS2 On Conditions
Gusts of more than 50 miles per hour were possible down the Shore.
"Very few power outage, I'm told by our JCP&L reps, about 400," Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said. "They do caution, though, with this high wind, obviously, the crews can't work with the bucket trucks. So they have to be very careful and safe. So I don't know that they're going to be able to do any major power restoration until the winds die down here."
Moderate flooding may also be an issue in areas prone to that during high tides.
LINK: Check The Latest Forecast
Gov. Phil Murphy checked in with CBS2 and urged people to "stay home, stay inside."
"It's a statewide event without question, but the Shore is getting clobbered," he told CBS2. "It's coming down heavy, and the winds are gusting, in some cases, over 50 miles an hour."
WATCH: Gov. Phil Murphy Checks In With CBS2 On Conditions
CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis joined Baker with team coverage from Paramus in the northern part of the state.
She drove over the Henry Hudson Parkway and the George Washington Bridge, and reported the roadways had been treated but the snow was still piling up.
LINK: Winter Storm Survival Guide
DeAngelis later spoke with people at the Suburban Diner off Route 17.
"My daughter saw you guys on the show, and she goes, 'Dad, Channel 2 is down at Suburban Diner.' I said, 'There's no way they're down at Suburban.' Sure enough, she was right," Andrea Sartor said. "I came out here to join you guys, and here we are."
"Going to go in and shovel, that's what I'm going to do," said Rob Travers. "Today will be a long day, because it's supposed to snow until, what, 6 o'clock or something."
Around 2:30 p.m., the snow had actually stopped and blacktop was visible on Route 17. With the break in the snowfall, clean-up began, businesses started opening and more cars were hitting the road.
One couple who tried to leave for a ski trip earlier in the day ended up turning around.
"We were supposed to go skiing, but we didn't quite make it to the mountain," one woman said.
"We woke up at, like, 5:30, got on the road by 7, and we ... had to turn around," one man said. "[The roads] are OK. They're not great. They weren't plowing up north, but they're doing a better job here in Paramus."
DPW crews have been out since 9 p.m. Friday.
Stick with CBS2, CBS News New York and CBSNewYork.com for the latest forecast and weather alerts. CBS2's Meg Baker and Thalia Perez contributed to this report.
