Most of the outages are in Morris, Sussex, Hunterdon and Warren counties, but some Bergen County assemblymen joined Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco in asking Gov. Phil Murphy to declare a state of emergency.
The trio of assemblymen includes former Wyckoff mayor Kevin J. Rooney (R-Bergen), Christopher DePhillips (R-Bergen) and Parker Space (R-Sussex).
“Declaring a state of emergency opens up sources of funding. This can significantly impact municipal budgets which are due to come out in the next two to four weeks," Rooney said.
"As a former mayor I know how much they need help and they need it now. The governor needs to be reactive. We need strong leadership in times of crisis.”
Virginia and Maryland declared states of emergency on Friday while Pennsylvania’s governor activated the National Guard. New York declared a state of emergency in four counties on Sunday.
Utility companies don’t expect power to be restored until Tuesday or Wednesday night. Gov. Murphy tweeted this morning that JCP&L’s slow response is unacceptable.
The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood warning and a hazardous weather outlook, saying another coastal storm is expected to impact the state Tuesday night and Wednesday.
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