Hash tag Winter Storm Jonas, Blizzard of 2016 or Snowstorm 2016.

Call it what you will, a record 31.9 in. of snow was measured at Lehigh Valley International Airport the weekend of Jan. 23.

While measurments were not available for the varied geography from the east side to the west side of Salisbury Township, the Public Works Department was out in force ahead of the snowstorm and during the snowfall that began the evening of Jan. 22 and continued until early morning Jan. 24.

The crippling snowstorm that brought most commuters, businesses and government, educational and religious institutions to a standstill was Topic No. 1 at the Jan. 28 Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners’ meeting.

Commissioners lauded the public works’ department crew, singling out one particular effort, and voted 4-0 to approve a motion for a “Declaration of Disaster Emergency” relating to the Jan. 23 snowstorm. The declaration paves the way for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds should that become available.

Commissioner James Seagreaves could not attend the township meeting because he was on duty with Eastern Salisbury Fire Company, where he’s a volunteer fireman, battling a structure fire that began at 4 p.m. Jan. 28 at a residence along East Rock Road at Fern Lane on South Mountain.

“There may be some assistant available. That is still not determined,” Cathy Bonaskiewich, Assistant Manager-Director of Finance and Acting Township Manager, explained to commissoiners prior to the Jan. 28 vote on the emergency declaration.

After the meeting, Bonaskiewich told a reporter for Salisbury Press that criteria for the funding is to be determined by FEMA. She did not know when FEMA would make such a determination regarding the Jan. 23 snowstorm. Funds could help offset public works employees’ overtime, the amount of which was not available at deadline time for Salisbury Press.

Commissioner Debra Brinton and Commissioner Vice President Robert Martucci, Jr. thanked township police department and public works department personnel for snowstorm management and snow removal.

“Everyone was very pleased with the snow removal,” agreed Commissioner Joanne Ackerman, adding, “I even had people calling me to thank me.”

Commissioner President James A. Brown related a particularly laudatory response by an unamed township public works department employee who helped carry a person to a waiting ambulance at Devonshire Apartments.

“He gets out of his truck,” Brown said of the department employee, “and helps carry the person through the snow.

“Then he gets back in his truck and plows the way ahead of the ambulance,” Brown said.

Brown would like the employee to be recognized for his valiant deed. “They all do [deserve recognition],” Brinton said of public works department’s employees.

Public Works Depatment Director John Andreas did not disclose the employee’s name, saying all of the department’s employees put in extra effort.

Ackerman asked what the public works department policy is concerning damaged mailboxes. Andreas said his department would assist homeowners whose mailboxes may have been damaged. Andreas said the volume of snow plowed and the force of it could contribute to mailboxes being damaged.

“Our [public works deparatment] guys were out early in the storm to try to get ahead of it,” Andeas said.

After the meeting, Andreas told a reporter for Salisbury Press that township public works department crews were mobilized at 11:45 p.m. Jan. 22 to treat roads. “Our whole public works staff worked the storm,” said Andreas.

Plowing in the township commenced at 2 a.m. Jan. 23. Crews continued working until 6 a.m. Jan. 24. In all, 14 township trucks and 20 public works staff were deployed. Plowing continued Sunday.

Refuse and recycling collection was canceled Jan. 23 because of the snowstorm and again Jan. 25, the latter “in order to allow road crews to continue cleanup efforts from this weekend’s storm unimpeded,” accordng to the township web site. Refuse and recycling was to have resumed on the next scheduled day, Jan. 28.

Andreas told Salisbury Press that in his 23 years in the township public works department, 16 of those as director, “It ranks up there with the largest snowstorm ever, even to what people remember as the Blizzard of 1996.”

Andreas said the snowstorm created “white-out conditions” and “blizzard conditions.”

A United States National Weather Service Philadelphia-Mt. Holly, N.J., meteorologist told a radio show interviewer Jan. 25 that the snowstorm qualified as a blizzard. A Jan. 23 posting on the Weather Service’s facebook page refers to the “2016 Blizzard.”

According to the AccuWeather web site, “The National Weather Service defines a blizzard as a storm which contains large amounts of snow or blowing snow, with winds in excess of 35 mph and visibilities of less than 1/4 mile for an extended period of time (at least 3 hours).”

Whatever, you call it, the snowstorm’s effect on Salisbury’s public works crew was evident.

“Pushing 30 inches of snow is tough and challenging on equipment,” Andreas told commissioners.

The township cleanup effort continued all week after the weekend snowstorm. “We’re still working on knocking down intersections for signal distances,” Andreas said.

“Hopefully, this weather will warm up the way they forecast it and this will just be a memory,” said Andreas.

Brown noted that Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest provided food for Salisbury personnel on duty during the height of the storm when stores and restaurants were closed.

“It was another great example of working together and sharing resources,” Andreas agreed. “The [township] police stopped over and picked up boxed lunches so we had boxed lunches Saturday night.”

“It was really nice of Lehigh Valley Hospital to do that,” Brown said.

Salisbury Township Police Chief Allen W. Stiles said of his departent’s staff: “They worked hard during the storm out on I-78 and in the township.

“They [township police officers] had a lot of calls for broken-down cars and assistance,” Stiles said.