WASHINGTON (TNND) — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy was in Europe when his state was put under a state of emergency due to a cyclonic storm hitting the East Coast.
“Governor Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy are out of state this weekend to attend a close family friend’s wedding in Europe,” a spokesperson for the governor told The New York Post over the weekend. “The Governor has been in close communication with his team and emergency response officials regarding the nor’easter storm impacting the East Coast.”
It wasn’t clear whether or not Murphy will leave his trip early.
While Murphy was gone, Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way became the acting governor and declared the sate of emergency.
“In preparation for this storm, I am issuing a State of Emergency for all 21 counties out of an abundance of caution, authorizing our state’s emergency services personnel to activate as necessary,” she said in a statement on Saturday.
She told New Jersey residents to keep monitoring their local weather forecasts for more warnings and changes.
A state of emergency has also been issued for eight counties in New York by Gov. Kathy Hochul over the weekend.
“As the Nor’easter continues making its way through New York, I’m declaring a State of Emergency across boroughs and counties most impacted by the storm,” Hochul said in a statement. “The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority, and I continue to urge extreme caution until the storm has passed through the state.”
The storm impacted flights to and from the Northeast with delays and cancelations.
