PARSIPPANY — Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce is working with the governor’s office to have a State of Emergency declared in areas of the state that were hard hit by Friday’s nor’easter.
The State of Emergency declaration is necessary for municipalities and counties to apply for federal assistance to recoup the money they are spending on personnel and equipment to clean up after the storm that dumped rain and wet snow on many areas of the state.
By one estimate more than 170,000 people lost power this weekend. Nearly a quarter of Morris County households or more than 35,000 homes were without power on Saturday night.
The power company — JCP&L — said it will take days to restore power to all its customers as high winds toppled trees and cracked telephone poles.
DeCroce (R-Morris, Essex, Passaic) said she has been in contact with the governor office since Sunday seeking assistance for the hard hit counties. Today the state dispatched the Office of Emergency Management to assess the storm damage in northwest New Jersey.
DeCroce said municipalities have been working around the clock removing downed trees, clearing snow and other debris and assisting people who need shelter. Montville Township, says DeCroce, had already expended more than $100,000 by Monday morning on storm related clean up issues.
“Without the State of Emergency designation, the municipal taxpayers will have to bear the full cost of the storm damage – which could have a substantial impact on the 2018 budgets that municipalities are just now finalizing,” said DeCroce.
“I urge the governor’s office to declare a State of Emergency that will release federal aid to the hard hit municipalities and counties,” said DeCroce.
