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Declaring a state of emergency, Sherrill urges safety as storm approaches

It's "been a while" since NJ faced a storm like the one said to be barreling toward the Garden State, Mikie Sherrill said. "We have to be safe."

Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill, shown here at a press conference as volunteers gather prior to shoveling snow at Fairview Village on Martin Luther King Jr. Day during a day of service, in Camden.
Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill, shown here at a press conference as volunteers gather prior to shoveling snow at Fairview Village on Martin Luther King Jr. Day during a day of service, in Camden.Read moreJessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

Saying “it’s been a while” since New Jersey faced a storm like the one being forecasted for Sunday and Monday, Gov. Mikie Sherrill urged state residents to stay off the roads and to not “commit to anything on Monday.”

Sherrill said in a press conference in Newark late Saturday afternoon that while “we’re tough” in New Jersey, “we have to be safe.” She declared a state of emergency starting 5 p.m. Saturday.

Sherrill said she was expecting snowfall to range from eight inches to 18 inches throughout the state. It will be a storm “the likes of which we haven’t seen in a decade,” Sherrill said.

» READ MORE: Heavy snow and ice are coming to Philly, and may stick around for a week, or more

The governor said extremely cold temperatures are expected to make things more difficult, and she suggested that people watch football and play board games with their children on Sunday.

“We are prepared for the moment, but we do need the people of New Jersey to stay safe,” she said.

The governor was accompanied by State Police Acting Superintendent Lieutenant Colonel David Sierotowicz, Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Joseph Bertoni, and NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri.

With challenging conditions expected, Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Consumer Affairs warned sellers that price gouging New Jersey’s consumers during the declared state of emergency wouldn’t be tolerated.

Sellers can’t excessively increase prices (10% more than normal or higher) during a declared state of emergency, or for 30 days after the termination of the state of emergency, according to New Jersey law.

“As a former prosecutor, my administration will not tolerate price gouging, and we will be vigilant during this winter storm,” Sherrill said, adding that there’d be “zero tolerance for those who prey on New Jerseyans during this state of emergency.”