NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE
OFFICIAL
NEWS RELEASE
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
John
R. Hagerty, NJSP
Mary Goepfert, NJOEM
|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 4, 2001 @ 10:45 p.m.
|
NEW JERSEY
STATE POLICE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REMAINS ON 24-HOUR ALERT
MONITORING WINTER STORM State Offices Closed For Monday, March 5
W. Trenton The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (OEM) remains
activated as state,
county, and local officials continue to monitor changing weather events
associated with the late winter storm currently affecting all areas
of the state. The OEM continues to issue regular weather updates and
information bulletins to all county and local offices of emergency
management as part of the ongoing effort to monitor the storm's progression
and potential statewide impact, according to Colonel Carson J. Dunbar,
Jr., Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police and Director of
the Office of Emergency Management.
Acting Governor Donald T. DiFrancesco, in response to recommendations
from the staff of the State Office of Emergency Management has closed
all state government offices for Mon., March 5. All non-essential
state employees are advised to remain home and to limit any travel.
Employees previously designated as essential should report to their
pre-assigned work locations. The recommendation to close state offices
is made based on updated weather forecasts predicting that the heaviest
snow accumulations will arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 8:p.m. on Monday,
thus making statewide travel dangerous.
The State of Emergency declaration allows for the state agencies coordinating
emergency response
activities - the New Jersey State Police, New Jersey National Guard
and the Department of Transportation - to quickly muster the resources
necessary to insure public safety during large-scale emergency events.
The emergency order authorizes the Superintendent of State Police
to implement emergency traffic control procedures on state and interstate
highways to aid in moving traffic during the emergency declaration.
The order includes all access roads and municipal or county roads
and authorizes the State Police to detour, reroute or divert any and
all traffic as necessary to alleviate emergency and traffic situations.
The order also authorizes all municipal police departments to enforce
in their jurisdictions any orders issued by the State Police in connection
with the
emergency order. The order is a proactive measure normally taken during
events such as the current storm and does not restrict travel at this
time; however, the state OEM and the NJDOT encourage motorists to
refrain from travel until the storm has passed and all roadways cleared..
The State Office of Emergency Management will make separate announcements
regarding specific public safety actions.
The
following information phone numbers are in place to obtain road and
travel conditions:
GARDEN STATE PARKWAY.................................732-442-8600
NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE......................................1-800-352-4848
ATLANTIC CITY EXPRESSWAY.........................609-965-7200
NORTHERN NEW JERSEY(Sussex, Warren, Hudson, Morris, Essex, Union,
Bergen and
Passaic Counties........................................................................201-797-0300
CENTRAL NEW JERSEY (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean
and Somerset
Counties........................................................................732-308-4086
SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY (Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland,
Atlantic
and Cape May Counties.......................................................856-222-2098
The state officials noted that the continuing noreaster storm remains
complex and a threat with the
potential to impact all areas of the state. In particular, emergency
management officials remain in constant contact with emergency management
officials in all 21 counties and from municipalities statewide. The
threat of coastal flooding along the entire Jersey coast and the potential
for heavy accumulation of snow in the central and northwest portions
of the state remains of concern.
New Jersey residents and visitors are advised to keep a close watch
on news reports and to be ready to take appropriate action should
emergency management officials predict dangerous conditions which
require evacuation of threatened areas. No mandatory evacuations have
been ordered at this time.
The State Emergency Operations Center in West Trenton was activated
at 8:00 a.m. on March 4 and will remain open as long as the situation
requires. Acting Governor DiFrancesco, Attorney General John Farmer,
Col. Dunbar, General Paul Glazer and representatives from the New
Jersey Department of Transportation, the New Jersey National Guard,
the Board of Public Utilities, the Department of Environmental Protection
and other state agencies are at work to insure the safety of New Jersey
citizens during the storm. Additionally, allied agencies such as Red
Cross, Salvation Army and other public service agencies stand ready
to respond to any emergency situation.
New Jersey's emergency management system is at the ready and in place
to help the public safely
negotiate the effects of the Northeast storm. Residents should also
exercise caution when traveling or shoveling snow, and dress appropriately
if going outdoors.
Additional weather and winter storm preparedness information is available
through the State of New Jersey Web Page at www.state.nj.us; the New
Jersey State Police Web Page at www.njsp.org; via
WEATHER.NOAA.GOV/PHI; through the NOAA weather radio station or from
local media weather updates.
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