Murphy Declares NJ State Of Emergency Ahead Of Tuesday Storm

NEW JERSEY - Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency in the Garden State Monday afternoon ahead of a winter storm system set to bring up to four inches of rain, flooding and wind gusts up to 65 mph that could down trees and cause tens of thousands of power outages.

The state of emergency goes into effect across New Jersey at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Murphy said in an X post, adding in a separate post he urges all New Jerseyans to “take caution this week as the storm passes through.”

⚠️ State of Emergency effective at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 9 in anticipation of severe storms causing hazardous weather conditions including heavy rain 🌧️ , high winds 💨, and flash flooding 🌊.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) January 8, 2024

“This is one [storm] I would strongly, strongly, strongly encourage folks to not underestimate," Murphy said at a Monday news conference. "While it's not snow in January, I think the human nature is to say, ‘well it’s not snow, we’re going to be okay,’ but we’ve seen with Ida and other storms that a lot of rain, high winds and flooding can cause not just a lot of damage, but put lives at risk, and indeed in Ida we lost 30 blessed residents.”

A statewide flood watch has been issued for New Jersey beginning Tuesday afternoon, with the heaviest rain set to slam New Jersey Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said. A regional coastal flooding watch for Mercer, Gloucester, Camden and Burlington counties and a high wind watch will go into effect in South Jersey and the Jersey Shore region Tuesday evening.

The National Weather Service projects the Raritan River in Manville and Bound Brook, the North Branch Raritan River on the Branchburg and Bridgewater border, and the Millstone River in Blackwells Mills are all expected to hit "moderate" flood levels by Wednesday morning. Read more: Raritan, Millstone Rivers Projected To Flood Wednesday

"We are expecting substantial and severe flooding," New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Pat Callahan said. "This one is not to be taken lightly at all."

Callahan added he expects substantial detours in areas prone to flooding.

Residents are urged to avoid being on the road until the storm passes, Murphy said. Those who must drive should slow down, use caution and plan extra travel time especially during the evening commuting hours.

No commercial vehicle restrictions have been announced as of publication.

News of the storm comes on the heels of a system last weekend that already ushered in over 12 inches of snow to some parts of the state.

“Heavy rain on top of already very saturated ground and rivers running higher, plus snow melt across the north could lead to widespread and significant flooding,” the National Weather Service said Monday.

“Higher rain fall rates could result in urban flooding and even some flash flooding.” Read more: 12+ Inches Of Snow Hit Parts Of NJ, New Storm Coming: Latest Forecast