State of emergency: What is it? Who can declare one?
What is a state of emergency? Here’s a look at why a governor or local official would call one, and where to find updates.
New Jersey is bracing for impact as a serious blizzard is set to bear down on the Garden State on Sunday, Feb. 22.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced shutdowns on NJ Transit and speed restrictions on major roadways shortly after noon on Sunday, as a storm that can bring up to 28 inches of snow to parts of the region begins.
There is a truck ban on state highways as of 3 p.m., and speed limits will be reduced to 35 miles per hour.
NJ Transit service on buses, light rail and Access Link will be suspended at 6 p.m.
The suspension was later updated to include train service. Initially, Sherrill and NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri hoped to maintain train service, but they decided based on storm conditions that it would be safest to stop that at 9 p.m.
“The entire state of New Jersey, all 21 counties, is under blizzard warning for the first time in 30 years,” Sherrill said. “This is likely to be the worst storm that we have seen since 1996.”
The governor explained that there is a 90% likelihood of a foot or more of snow falling on the whole state and that it could be more than 2 feet along the coast.
The worst of the storm is expected to hit overnight, when snowfall could reach 3 inches per hour, significantly more than the inch per hour the state saw last month.
“Don’t travel tonight. It’s dangerous. This is a very heavy, wet snow,” Sherrill said. “There are incredibly high winds of up to 60 miles per hour. That means we could see branches and trees fall into the highways.”
New Jersey State Police interim Superintendent Dave Sierotowicz said snow-covered roads and winds will reduce visibility and make travel life-threatening.
Search-and-rescue personnel are available if needed, and they are equipped with high-wheeled vehicles and snowmobiles. State patrols have additional units on hand to assist as the storm progresses.
NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri, who also heads the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said the focus for the turnpike and parkway is to make sure that everyone is in place to handle the storm.
The NJ Transit system is set up to run as a way to get people to their final destination, not to continue in unsafe conditions, and Kolluri said he would update the governor as the day progresses.
“We want to make sure residents pay attention to this particular event, because it is nothing like we’ve seen in 30 years,” Kolluri said.
He said the shutdown for buses and light rail is because they run on local streets, while the trains run on rails that the agency can monitor and potentially run longer.
Sherrill formally declared a state of emergency on Saturday, and it started at noon on Sunday.
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the coast as of 10 a.m. and North Jersey from 1 p.m. on Feb. 22, and it lasts until 6 p.m. on Feb. 23. This blizzard warning also reaches into New York City and up to Connecticut.
This storm is expected to produce snowfall totals ranging from 18 to 28 inches for much of the state and strong winds with gusts up to 50 miles per hour.
It is expected to include “very heavy, crippling snowfall and areas of blizzard conditions,” the National Weather Service said.
The most severe conditions and heaviest snowfall will occur Sunday night, with snow gradually tapering off during the daytime on Monday. Record-breaking snowfall totals are possible.
Visibility would be impaired and whiteout conditions would make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. Winds and the weight of the snow could also bring down power lines.
The hazardous conditions are expected to affect the Monday morning and evening commutes.
Though Sherrill has been in office for only a month, this is the second huge winter storm to strike the Garden State in that time.
The last one started on Jan. 24, and the state of emergency ended on Jan. 26. More than a foot of snow fell during that period, leading to school closures and service changes on NJ Transit.
