What was originally called the ‘Storm of the Century’ may not even turn out to be the storm of the week.
By: Matthew Armstrong and Amanda Bok
The biggest news this week was no news as the Storm of the Century, as it was billed, may not even be the storm of the week as another storm is being quietly predicted for Friday.
"It’s not that I wish we did get 2 feet of snow but we’re being inconvenienced for absolutely no reason," said Township Manager Matt Watkins, who went home early Monday, along with the rest of township employees, to get home before the storm hit.
Patrons hit supermarkets throughout the state, with some people buying enough food and water to feed a small army.
Others loaded up on enough videos to entertain them for a month, even after the best films were taken.
"The store has been very busy from the moment the storm was forecast this weekend," said Paul Traction, owner of Dayton Video, Monday. "I wouldn’t want to have to do it every weekend but it has been very good for business.
The glee on the faces of meteorologists Sunday as they predicted mayhem all along the seaboard, causing schools, roads and airlines to close, slowly changed to a look of guilt when the snow never came and Sunday’s assuredness turned into a litany of excuses Monday.
"It was quite a costly prediction with all the schools, businesses and airlines shut down," said Ray Olsen, director of Public Works.
The event has even made some to question whether there was a secret agreement between the meteorologists and the supermarkets to declare storms to boost sales.
"It makes you wonder," Mr. Olsen joked.
In South Brunswick, Public Works trucks were lined up with drivers eager to get to work.
"Everyone was waiting for the bomb to drop and it never did," said Mr. Olsen. "It was like a drill."
Public Works had set up a plan to rotate workers into the 44 trucks in 10-hour shifts, but the plan never had to be implemented.
Yet, because the light snow and rain continued over three days, the trucks were out spreading salt sand and calcium to make sure ice did not form on the roads.
And then there were the children who got not one, but two, precious days off school.
South Brunswick school officials said Wednesday they don’t regret closing schools Monday and Tuesday for a storm that never materialized.
"Obviously the storm wasn’t as bad as the hype around it," said Superintendent Sam Stewart. But at the time, he said, he was worried about getting students to school and back home safely.
"My number one priority is the safety of students," Dr. Stewart said.
Dr. Stewart also said his primary concern had been getting students home, especially if they belonged to the 30 percent of students who participate in the after-school program. Students participate in the program if both their parents have full-time, day jobs.
"We wouldn’t send children home to an empty house," Dr. Stewart said. "If we have early closings, we have to locate the parents and that is always very difficult."
Following weather forecasts that warned the "March Lion of the Northeast" snowstorm would paralyze the entire Northeast, including New Jersey, Acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco declared a state of emergency Sunday night.
In South Brunswick, police prepared for the worst.
"We had a state of emergency declared, so we were prepared," said Harry Delgado, a police lieutenant who is also president of the Board of Education.
"One needs to take the side of caution when the safety of children is involved," Lt. Delgado said. "This storm was categorized as the worst storm in decades."
Dr. Stewart closed schools first for Monday. Early Tuesday morning, after hearing forecasts that the storm would move counterclockwise and return to New Jersey, he closed schools a second time.
The storm didn’t affect New Jersey as much as predicted, it dropped less than 4 inches in South Brunswick. But Dr. Stewart said he preferred being safe rather than sorry. He also said the decision wouldn’t affect the school calendar because the district has one more snow day left.