New Jersey declares state of emergency ahead of heavy weekend rain, possible effect from Hurricane Joaquin
TRENTON, N.J. -- Gov. Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency as the state is in for days of rough weather - even before Hurricane Joaquin might arrive as a tropical storm next week.
Here's a look at the weather situation and the preparations that are ramping up.
THE WEEKEND WEATHER
New Jersey has been hit by intermittent heavy rains and strong on-shore winds the last few days, and that's expected to continue, especially Friday and Saturday.
Major tidal flooding is most likely around high tides.
Christie said Thursday during a statehouse news briefing that parts of the state along the Delaware Bay and in Atlantic and Cape May counties are most likely to be affected by floods, but he noted it's too early to say whether Joaquin will strike New Jersey.
Christie says the state Office of Emergency Management was activated at 6 a.m. Thursday and the Department Environmental Protection has reached out to communities about moving sand to protect beaches.
"I need all of you to begin to prepare today," he said. "We are not quite sure whether this is gonna be a single punch or a double punch. There's no question there's gonna be a single punch. ... We need you to prepare and not panic."
The system could mean beach erosion - something that's already been a problem - and flooding of roads along the shore and in flood-prone inland areas.
As of Friday morning, the entire state was under some kind of flood watch, warning or advisory from the National Weather Service, which is telling people to be prepared for rising water levels and not to drive through flood waters.
You can follow the storm live here via our AccuTrack hurricane tracker:
Here's the latest AccuWeather forecast:
Track Hurricane Joaquin wherever you go. Download the AccuTrack Weather Alert app for your iPhone or Android device. Search abc7NY in the App Store or Google Play, or visit abc7NY.com/apps.
