Christie N.J. Storm Response 'Unacceptable,' Officials Say

By Tom Davis and Anthony Bellano

Gov. Chris Christie is getting criticized for the very thing that helped build his reputation as a can-do public official: storm response.

Several local, federal and state officials in New Jersey are not pleased that the governor’s office, from their perspective, has been virtually absent since last week’s storm toppled trees and caused hundreds of thousands to lose power.

Greenwich Township Mayor George Shivery, who says he was the first South Jersey mayor to endorse Christie during his initial gubernatorial run in 2009, said in nj.com that he is “disheartened by the governor’s lack of response to our needs.”

Shivery’s town was especially hard hit by the storm, where eyewitnesses saw a large patch of 70-mph winds - a downburst, not a tornado - knock over trees and flip cars during a severe thunderstorm.

Shivery said in the report that not one of his town’s public buildings got electricity back until late Saturday or early Sunday - five days after the storm.

As Shivery said in the report:

“I am tired of hearing and reading reports that the governor’s office says they are in constant contact with South Jersey elected officials. The fact is that’s not true. Only once have I received a direct communication from the governor’s office without my initiating it. Communication has been terrible during this crisis and that is unacceptable.”

>>Related:

• WATCH: Watersprout Footage From Long Beach Island During Storm
• Downburst Rips Through South Jersey Tuesday Evening

The governor’s popularity shot to record heights in 2012 when his response to Superstorm Sandy, perhaps the most destructive storm in New Jersey’s history, drew national praise and started talk that Christie could be presidential timber.

Since he’s shown interest in running for president and began traveling extensively out-of-state, however, his popularity has fallen to some of the lowest levels for a governor in 25 years. A recent poll showed his approval rating at 20 percent.

Christie plans to run for president, and he’s set to announce his bid in Livingston on Tuesday.

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross, a Democrat, has urged Christie to issue a disaster declaration for two counties that would allow the use of federal funds for disaster cleanup.

“As thousands of residents deal with the aftermath of Tuesday’s storm, federal assistance will go a long way in helping them get their lives back together,” Norcross said. “With the governor’s declaration, we can move one step closer to unlocking federal resources to address the storm’s aftermath – which will allow our communities to move forward without having to stretch their budgets or burden taxpayers.”

On Thursday night, Christie said on his NJ101.5 radio show he would apply for federal funds if it was necessary - but he resisted the idea of urging for a disaster declaration, noting that almost all of the power was supposed to be restored by the end of last week.

He said he had been instructed by counsel and by the State Police that “they don’t need one.”

“If they need one, I’ll sign one. I don’t sign these just for the fun of it,” he said. “There has to be a reason to do it.”

Senate President Stephen Sweeney, along with Deputy Assembly Speaker John Burzichelli and Assemblyman Adam Taliaferro, have urged Christie and others to take more action, calling on the governor and power companies to marshall all resources to restore all power.

On Sunday, Shivery estimated in the nj.com report that as many as 250 households were still living in the dark while crews of about 1,600 workers from Atlantic City Electric and states as far away as New Hampshire worked in 16-hour shifts. Approximately 280,000 households lost power on Tuesday evening.

East Greenwich Mayor Dale Archer said in another nj.com report that his town had 14 homes and two businesses that were declared unsafe and have to be demolished, and upwards of 2,800 trees were also uprooted.

He said in the report that the state’s response has been “unsatisfactory” and “disheartening,” adding:

“We have more power outages during this 15 minute storm than we had during Sandy ... To not get that attention here in South Jersey is disheartening.”

Get local news in your inbox from Patch. Find your town and sign up here.

(Photo: Twitter user @King_Juice_13)