A state of emergency is the government’s way of saying that the situation is beyond anything they can handle on their own. This gives the government powers that they don’t have otherwise. They can impose travel restrictions, curfews etc. They can take control of infrastructure like power distribution or utilities. They can ration food and water to ensure that the most important people get it first (emergency services, medical professionals). They can commandeer private property for their use, and generally they have the ability to spend large amounts of money without much oversight or scrutiny.
As the Brennan Center for Justice explains, the “declaration of a state of emergency makes available to the President over 130 discrete statutory powers.” The president has the power to shut down or control domestic transportation, suspend the Clean Air Act, and even seize Americans’ private property. During emergencies, the government can also make decisions faster and bypass certain rules (e.g., public agencies can buy things quicker, the president’s emergency funds are automatically made available).
A state of emergency typically requires the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management to activate its State Emergency Operations Plan. The office may also activate a State Task Force, which is a group of volunteers who are called on to help with particular emergency tasks such as coordinating food delivery or clearing roads. In addition, it may authorize travel restrictions to allow for snowplow crews to clear the roads, and to allow for evacuations.
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