Politics & Government

Gov. Christie Places New Jersey Under State of Emergency as Storm Batters State

High winds, heavy snow, mixed precipitation, storm surges and sub-zero temperatures along with the possibility of a foot of snow in some areas led to Tuesday afternoon's declaration.

As snowfall forced speed restrictions on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, forced the cancellation of Gov. Chris Christie’s inauguration celebration and resulted in school districts and municipal governments across the state closing early, New Jersey was placed under a State of Emergency.

Christie issued the declaration Tuesday afternoon.

“Today’s winter storm is expected to produce heavy snow, dangerous conditions and travel hazards throughout the state,” Christie said in a prepared statement. “I’ve authorized state officials to take all necessary action to prepare, and my Administration will continue monitoring conditions throughout the remainder of the storm. I encourage all New Jerseyans to stay off the roads if possible so that our first responders and public safety officials can safely respond to any emergency situations.”

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The storm is expected to continue into Tuesday evening. High winds, heavy snow, mixed precipitation, storm surges and sub-zero temperatures are expected to consume the state.

As a result of the order, the State Director of Emergency Management and Superintendent of State Police Col. Rick Fuentes is authorized to work with all county and municipal emergency operations and governmental agencies in coordinating the preparation, response and recovery efforts for the storm, which is expected to dump up to a foot of snow on some parts of New Jersey.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.



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