Navigating NJ State of Emergency: Your Safety Guide
By Maria LaRosa, Matt Brickman and NBC New York Staff
This next system comes on the heels of one that dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of New York state — and we’re tracking yet another winter storm in its wake
- The tri-state area is expected to get a significant amount of rainfall in the 2- to 4-inch range through early Wednesday Wednesday. The rain will fall on top of up to a foot of snow cover in some interior locations, leading to flooding concerns
- Wind gusts will get above 60 mph in some areas, leading to power outage worries, especially on the Jersey Shore and Long Island. Storm Team 4 is predicting widespread major river flooding throughout the area. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency beginning at 5 p.m. New York City has issued a travel advisory for the duration of the storm
- Once we get through Tuesday’s storms and the impacts from that, we are watching another rain system for Friday night into Saturday that could bring lower rain amounts but would come on top of very saturated grounds and potentially higher rivers
A state of emergency takes effect for all 21 New Jersey counties later Tuesday, as the second major winter storm of the season — this one bringing heavy rain — threatens extreme flooding and wind damage across the entire metro area.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced the order would take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday, allowing resources to be deployed throughout the state during the duration of the storm. A widespread 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected to fall on the tri-state between Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday. That comes on top of the foot-plus of snow that fell in some spots this past weekend and as parts of New Jersey still struggle to recover from last month’s floods.
“This storm will exacerbate the effects of the inclement conditions we experienced in December and this past weekend and may precede another storm Friday night,” Murphy, a Democrat, said in a statement. “As always, I urge all New Jerseyans – including residents in our coastal and riverine communities – to follow all safety protocols and remain off the roads unless absolutely necessary.”
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul issued no such emergency directive but urged residents to prepare for widespread flooding and power outages. Those anticipated power outages extend to New York City, which was added to the National Weather Service’s high wind warning. Check the latest alerts for your neighborhood.
Early Tuesday evening delays were being reported at JFK (3 hours) and LaGuardia (90 minutes) with hundreds of flight cancellations across the tri-state, according to the FAA. Newark Liberty was also reporting extensive delays.
NYC Ferry’s Rockaway route has been suspended due to the high winds.
The city of Hoboken declared a state of emergency and urged residents to avoid flood-prone areas and avoid driving during the height of the storm.
