The basics:
- Gov. Mikie Sherrill calls February storm first statewide blizzard since 1996, with up to 2.5 feet of snow
- More than 365,000 power outages reported; over 90% restored
- Major highways, NJ Transit rail, Port Authority airports have largely resumed operations
- State police responded to 486 crashes; officials maintain state of emergency during cleanup
Gov. Mikie Sherrill provided an update Feb. 24 on the recovery from the historic blizzard that has blanketed the great Garden State.
“We’ve just been through a historic storm,” said Sherrill in Woodbridge. “We’re not out of the woods yet. But this has been an incredible effort by everyone across New Jersey – workers, neighbors, communities all coming together. This was the first statewide blizzard in 30 years — since 1996. Snow totals of over a foot across the state, and two-and-a-half feet in some places, wind speeds up to 65 miles per hour, and sustained winds of 40 miles per hour. Visibility essentially zero, for hours,” she continued.
“But together we made it through.”
Sherrill thanked New Jerseyans for heeding the call to stay home and stay off the roads, as well as the thousands of workers for their around-the-clock efforts to get the state back up-and-running.
“They started before the snow even began, and they pushed through a very difficult and very dangerous night,” the governor said, acknowledging, transit, utility and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers; plow drivers; state troopers; and more. “I can’t say enough about how much we appreciate their service to their communities and to our state.”
Energizing results from utilities
Sherrill noted 365,000 power outages occurred during the storm, overwhelmingly at the Jersey Shore, and more than during any weather event in recent years. More than 330,000 – or over 90% – have been restored.
“That is an incredible amount of work – 35,000 are still without power. And while we’re working to get them back up online as fast as possible, we know having everyone else restored isn’t enough,” said Sherrill. “We’ve been working hard with utility companies to ensure they’re ready and able to respond. It’s getting results.
“For a comparison, a winter storm in 2018 was the last time we experienced over 300,000 power outages. That took 11 days to get everyone back up. I want to emphasize that this was tremendous work by over 5,000 utility workers. We were prepared.”
Watch Gov. Sherrill’s update here:
The governor described this storm as “not normal.” She pointed to preparations, which included having those utility workers staged and ready to go, thousands of crews and contractors for plowing and other cleanup services, 450,000 tons of salt, as well as the travel ban during the worst of it and other efforts.
“Today, major state roads are down to blacktop again, including the Turnpike and Parkway,” said Sherrill. “New Jersey Transit has resumed heavy rail on a modified schedule – and light rail, bus, and Access Link are on a normal schedule with a few delays.
“It’ll take a while to get full operations. But the speed at which they’ve returned is a big help to riders. Think about that. After two-and-a-half feet of snow in some places in the state, we were up and running last night on much of our public transit.”
Travel updates as cleanup continues
The Port Authority reported that its airports are open with all flights scheduled to resume by noon Tuesday.
AirTrain Newark remains suspended with free shuttle buses operating. The bridges and tunnels are also open; and the PATH is operating with a modified weekend schedule.
Officials also announced that work on the Portal North Bridge cutover had resumed.
As NJBIZ reported, that part of the project to replace the aging rail bridge began earlier this month and is slated to continue through mid-March. The work has already led to service disruptions, before this snow event.
Despite the progress, Sherrill stressed caution. “We’re still in a state of emergency, likely through tomorrow, to help in cleanup and recovery efforts,” she said.
New Jersey State Police Lt. Col. David Sierotowicz reported that troopers responded to 486 motor vehicle accidents and assisted with 1,291 motorist aids along the interstate and highways. He also lauded New Jerseyans for heeding the warnings. He described the historic snowfall as having an far less impact than it could have. “Your resilience as a state has been remarkable,” he said.
Keeping business moving
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Bracken applauded the Sherrill administration‘s storm response.
“The speed and coordination with which major New Jersey thoroughfares and local roadways were cleared is truly impressive,” said Bracken. “Within just 24 hours, most roads were reopened, allowing commuters to return to work and businesses to resume operations with minimal disruption.
“This level of preparedness, efficiency, commitment to public safety and the ongoing communications to the public made a real difference for families, workers, and business owners across our communities. It is a testament to strong leadership, attention to detail and the dedicated public works and emergency response teams who worked tirelessly to get New Jersey moving again so quickly. Job well done – and thank you.”
As she closed out her remarks in Woodbridge, Sherrill reiterated, “Remember, there will be a lot of snow melt. It’ll be warmer during the day, freezing overnight – so, early morning, icy conditions. Motorists should be aware. Please be careful. Reach out to your neighbors. Help one another.
“Winter isn’t over. In fact, we may see another inch or two of snow tonight, but we’re ready. We now are well-versed in how to do this – as long as we keep working together.”
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