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As severe weather bears down on the Garden State, acting Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency will go into effect at 2 p.m.

“Beginning this afternoon, we are expecting severe thunderstorms to bring heavy rainfall and damaging wind gusts with the potential for flash flooding across the state,” said Way, who is serving in the acting governor capacity with Gov. Phil Murphy out of state on personal travel.

Executive Order No. 394 declares the state of emergency for all 21 New Jersey counties, which closes state offices early and allows for resources to deployed to respond to the storms.

Key things to know:

• 1–3 inches of rain generally expected, with localized amounts of 5–7 inches possible
• Way encourages all New Jerseyans to visit ready.nj.gov for updates and safety information – and to monitor local forecasts, warnings and watches

“I urge all New Jerseyans to remain alert, follow all safety protocols, and monitor the proper channels for the duration of these storms,” said Way. “Residents should remain off the road and indoors unless absolutely necessary.”

Be prepared:

Find out how the U.S. Small Business Administration can help local ventures and homeowners prepare for – and recover from – disasters. Find out more here.