Governors declare state of emergency ahead of severe winter weather

Bracing for the severe winter weather that will hit the East Coast beginning on Friday night, a number of governors have already declared states of emergency for different areas of their states.

Govs. Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.), Phil Murphy (D-N.J.), Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), Larry Hogan (R-Md.) and John Carney (D-Del.) have all issued states of emergency.

“Out of an abundance of caution I am declaring a State of Emergency today as this storm is poised to create dangerous travel conditions, heavy snowfall rates and sustained winds over 50 mph tonight into Saturday,” Hochul said in a statement on Friday. “My team and I are laser focused on the forecast and we’ve been deploying emergency response assets ahead of the storm to assist with response efforts in the downstate areas.”

The New York state of emergency was declared for the Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, according to her office.

Youngkin declared a state of emergency on Thursday, and a release from his office noted that the severe winter weather could impact travel, down trees, create electrical outrages and possibly threaten tidal flooding. 

“We have already started planning and mobilizing resources needed to protect the Commonwealth. We are very concerned with the forecasted impacts to our Eastern Shore region and have started pre-positioning resources to ensure a timely response to that area,” Youngkin said in a statement.

The states of emergency come as parts of the East Coast brace for a nor’easter, sometimes referred to as a “bomb cyclone, which is set to run until Sunday and hit multiple states.

Winter storm watches were issued for New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Illinois and Maine by the National Weather Service. 

Washington, D.C., also had a winter weather advisory issued, too.

Up to 20 inches of snow are anticipated at most for certain areas impacted by the severe weather, according to CNN.