Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency for all 21 counties on Friday afternoon as a winter storm threatens to drop more than a foot of snow on much of the state.
Sherrill, joined by law enforcement and transportation officials during a press conference, urged New Jerseyans to stay home over the weekend, particularly on Sunday, when snowfall and wind are expected to be most severe. The state of emergency, which goes into effect at 5 p.m. on Saturday, will open the state’s emergency management centers and allow for increased cooperation and resources for state agencies.
“I want to make it really clear: this is not an average winter storm,” Sherrill told residents. “This is a storm the length of which we haven’t seen in probably about a decade.”
The state of emergency will close many of the state’s interstates and highways to commercial trucks effective 12:01 a.m. on Sunday.
Sherrill said South Jersey residents should expect 8 to 12 inches of snow, while North Jersey residents can expect between 12 and 18 inches. The NWS’s Mount Holly, New Jersey, station said as much as three-tenths of an inch of ice could accumulate, which could be more dangerous than the snow. Ice accumulation on tree limbs and power lines can lead to significant power outages, and they warn that travel “could be nearly impossible.”
The winter storm warning is in effect through Monday at 1 p.m., and officials say “hazardous conditions” could affect Monday morning’s commute.
The state of emergency is the second of Sherrill’s governorship. During her inaugural address on Tuesday, Sherrill signed a pair of executive orders regarding the state’s electricity costs.
Sherrill’s two predecessors also faced dramatic winter weather in the early stages of their tenure. Both slipped up, and while neither’s governorship was doomed, the storms represented hiccups. In December 2010, first-year Gov. Chris Christie stayed in Disney World as a blizzard struck the state, angering some, and then-Gov. Phil Murphy admitted his handling of his initial winter storms was imperfect as snow stranded traffic around the state.
When asked about criticism of Murphy’s handling of his storms, and whether she can guarantee the state’s response will be smooth, Sherrill said she can guarantee the state’s officials will take the response seriously.
“I can guarantee to New Jerseyans that every single public service will be doing everything we can to make sure they are safe and protected,” Sherrill said. “Again, this is a storm the likes of which we probably haven’t seen in about a decade, so we are trying to anticipate everything, but having been in crisis situations before, sometimes there is the unexpected.”
