The governor’s office issued the following press release Friday morning:
Governor Dannel P. Malloy will declare a state of emergency in preparation for the coming blizzard which is anticipated to heavily impact the state Friday and Saturday. In addition, the Governor announced that limited access highways may be subject to closure as early as noon. The Governor is asking all residents to limit nonessential travel.
“People need to take this storm seriously. If current predictions are accurate, we will need people to stay off the roads so that emergency personnel and utility crews can get to the places they need to get to, and to make sure that our plows can keep critical roadways clear,” Governor Malloy said. “Please stay home once the weather gets bad except in the case of real emergency.”
A Declaration of Emergency provides the Governor with a number of emergency powers, including:
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The ability to modify or suspend any state statute, regulation, or requirement (for example: altering work hours, waiving licensing requirements, etc.)
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The ability to order civil preparedness forces into action
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The ability to designate vehicle and person routes and movements
