Bergen Assemblyman Blasts Gov. Murphy For Lack Of Storm Response

A New Jersey assemblyman from Bergen County has joined the call for hearings into Governor Murphy's response to the nor'easter that slammed the state with snow.

Gov. Phil Murphy's response to the fall and winter seasons' first nor'easter was "paltry," said Christopher DePhillips, a Republican from Bergen County representing the 40th Legislative District. The district includes parts of Bergen, Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties.

"The Murphy administration’s preparation for yesterday’s snow storm was completely lacking, and the storm response was simply unacceptable,” DePhillips said in a statement. "Lives were at risk. Children were stranded in schools. Our taxpayers and residents expect and deserve better from our government for the exorbitant amount of money we pay in taxes to maintain our state roads."

The Murphy administration apologized for its handling of the nor'easter, which closed or delayed 200 schools and left more than 13,000 without power in the icy aftermath. (See related: Murphy Administration Apologizes For NJ Nor'easter Mess (Video))

Murphy seemed to delegate blame to the National Weather Service and other forecasters who predicted that the storm would be less than it was. New Jersey State Police Superintendent Patrick J. Callahan even said that drivers "need to be better prepared" themselves for the weather.

The snow aftermath was so bad that some students had to spend the night inside Liberty Middle School in West Orange, according to reports.

"The administration had more than enough warning that a storm was coming. A foremost responsibility of the state is to protect us and always prepare for the worst, not just hope for the best," DePhillips said. "For this reason, I join Assemblyman Bucco in his request for the Assembly Transportation Committee to hold public hearings to investigate what went wrong with the storm response and why. Yesterday’s disaster can never be repeated."

With reporting by Tom Davis, Patch staff

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Image by Tom Davis, Patch staff