Murphy Administration Apologizes For NJ Nor'easter Mess (Video)

NEW JERSEY – The Murphy admistration apologized for its handling of the nor'easter that slammed New Jersey on Thursday, closed or delayed 200 schools and left more than 13,000 were without power in the icy aftermath. Flooding also was reported in spots as the commuting nightmare continued on Friday (watch live below).

During a press conference, Transportaiton Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti apologized to the thousands of drivers who were stuck in the commuting mess – many of whom spent hours in their car when they tried to drive 10 miles.

Gutierrez-Scaccetti and Murphy, however, 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.

More than 12 inches fell in spots. Read more: New Jersey Snow Totals, Town-By-Town - 11/15/18

"It came to us much stronger and much harder than any organization had forecasted," Murphy said. "Yesterday gave forecasting a bad name."

Despite that, Murphy did say, "The buck stops with me, period." At a minimum, he said, the communication from the Port Authority on its handling of its bus system was poor.

"Clearly, we could have done better," he said. "And we will do better."

More than 1,000 accidents happened on New Jersey's roads and one person died. Read more: New Providence Woman ID'd As Fatal Victim In Car-Train Crash

Here is Murphy's press conference:

Murphy did promise that his administration would review how it deals with storms, particuarly how it receives information on forecasting.

"I feel everyone's frustration," he said. "The severity of it came out of nowhere."

Murphy said the problem escalated when the worst of the storm hit just as schools were being dismissed early. He said 1,800 pieces of equipment were being deployed just as parents were trying to get their kids home.

Sen. Joe Pennacchio, R-Morris, Essex, Passaic, ripped Murphy for his storm response, saying he should stop blaming meteorologists and take full responsibility

“Governor – you should have a little less concern for marijuana and sanctuary cities, and pay a lot more attention to fixing pot holes and keeping our streets clean and safe,” Pennacchio added. “My constituents, who are also yours, deserve better.”

The snow aftermath was so bad that some students had to spend the night inside Liberty Middle School in West Orange, according to reports. So many other issues with ice and snow created a host of problems: Cars couldn't even make it over the Bayonne Bridge (see list of current road problems and stories of the traffic nightmare below).

Angry commuters were taking to social media to complain about the Murphy administration's response as more rough weather was expected on Friday, especially following a spate of out-of-the-ordinary accidents over the past 24 hours.

Even former Gov. Chris Christie took a shot at current Murphy about his handling of the storm.

Roads are still wet and could be slippery on Friday, the NJDOT said. "Avoid driving if possible this morning. If you do have to be out, use caution and plan extra travel time." Flooding shut down 60 blocks of Long Beach Boulevard on Long Beach Island.

More than 200 schools canceled or delayed openings. Read more: New Jersey School Closings/Delayed Opening List For 11/16/18

As snow and icing conditions alleviate and conditions improve following the storm, NJ Transit will operate regular weekday service for Friday. Customers should expect delays and potential cancellations because of the residual effects of the storm.

Newark was dealing with a number of issues as the snow storm was causing massive backups on state roads 21, 78 and 280, and led to gridlock in Newark during rush hour. "We anticipate additional delays in the morning," officials said. "Therefore, City Hall and municipal offices will have a delayed opening on 11/16 and will open for business at 11 a.m."

"We are working diligently to prevent any additional delays and danger to residents and commuters. If you must travel by car, please drive safely and provide yourself with additional time for your commute."

As for the roads, commuters were still dealing with a mess on Friday after 24 hours of nightmares. A snowstorm stranded hordes of West Orange students on buses and in classrooms when the roads turned into icy nightmares on Thursday. The students were safe, officials reported, but local parents had plenty to say about the incident on social media. Read more: West Orange Students Trapped After Snow Stalls Buses (PHOTOS)

A group of men pushed an NJ Transit bus that got stuck in the snow on Route 1&9during the nor'easter Thursday night. Read more: SEE: Men Push NJ Transit Bus Stuck Bergen Highway

A school bus of first graders in Secaucus were stuck for five and a half hours during the storm. Several parents said they had no idea where their children were, or if they were safe throughout the ordeal. Read more: Secaucus First Graders Stuck In School Bus For Five Hours

The New Jersey State Police said they've responded to 555 motor vehicle crashes and 1,027 motorist aids since midnight on Thursday. "If you don't have to go out, please stay home so road crews can treat the roads," according to the State Police. "If you have to go out, please drive slowly and allow for more time to get where you are going."

Here were some of the other traffic impacts:

• Route 80 westbound was closed due to icy conditions, NJ DOT said. Read more here...
• People were getting out of their vehicles and walking on the George Washington Bridge's upper level Thursday afternoon as snow and sleet blanketed North Jersey during the area's first nor'easter. Read more here..
• Jarvis Road is closed between Wilshire Road and Prospect Avenue in Gloucester Township due to a pole across the roadway as snow falls across the region Thursday afternoon, Gloucester Township police said. Read more here...
• Linden Police are reporting two lanes closed on Route 1 South on Thursday afternoon, as of 3:40 p.m. Read more here...
• Multiple crashes are being reported throughout Princeton as road conditions deteriorate rapidly due to snowfall, police reported. Read more here...

Here are the towns that have power outages:

1. Bridgeton City 1,986
2. MANSFIELD TWP 1,302
3. COLLINGSWOOD BORO 878
4. MOUNT LAUREL TWP 750
5. LAWRENCE TWP 658
6. BLAIRSTOWN TOWNSHIP 641
7. MORRIS (NJ) 614
8. CAMDEN CITY 554
9. HIGHLANDS BOROUGH 481
10. ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP 448
11. HADDON TWP 444
12. KNOWLTON TOWNSHIP 413
13. OCEAN GATE BOROUGH 382
14. MILLSTONE TOWNSHIP 355
15. UPPER FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP 298
16. BERKELEY TOWNSHIP 289
17. SPRINGFIELD TWP 286
18. NEPTUNE CITY BOROUGH 282
19. MARLBORO TOWNSHIP 228
20. MONROE TOWNSHIP 225
21. Hopewell Twp 216
22. SEA GIRT BOROUGH 197
23. LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP 182
24. HOLLAND TOWNSHIP 131
25. RANDOLPH TOWNSHIP 113
26. JACKSON TOWNSHIP 113
27. TOMS RIVER TOWNSHIP 113
28. RARITAN TOWNSHIP 110
29. OCEAN TOWNSHIP 90
30. LACEY TOWNSHIP 86
31. NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP 73
32. COLTS NECK TOWNSHIP 67
33. EAST AMWELL TOWNSHIP 64
34. Tabernacle Twp 59
35. BRADLEY BEACH BOROUGH 53
36. Surf City Boro 53
37. MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP 51
38. DELAWARE TOWNSHIP 47
39. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 44
40. Millville City 39
41. ROBBINSVILLE TOWNSHIP 35
42. FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP 34
43. CINNAMINSON TWP 29
44. TINTON FALLS BOROUGH 28
45. HAZLET TOWNSHIP 26
46. POINT PLEASANT BOROUGH 25
47. OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP 24
48. FRELINGHUYSEN TOWNSHIP 23
49. LONG BRANCH CITY 22
50. SEA BRIGHT BOROUGH 22
51. FAIR HAVEN BOROUGH 21
52. OCEAN TOWNSHIP 19
53. MANALAPAN TOWNSHIP 17
54. ASBURY PARK CITY 16
55. RUMSON BOROUGH 16
56. BRICK TOWNSHIP 16
57. EAST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP 13
58. WILLINGBORO TWP 13
59. Pennsville Twp 13
60. ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS BOROUGH 11
61. Commercial Twp 11
62. HIGHTSTOWN BOROUGH 10
63. DEAL BOROUGH 9
64. PENNSAUKEN TWP 6
65. Stow Creek Twp 6
66. MOUNT OLIVE TOWNSHIP 5
67. PLUMSTED TOWNSHIP 5
68. MEDFORD LAKES BORO 5

Here is what is happening now:

• Garden State Parkway: Speed restriction aon the Garden State Parkway in both directions from south of Exit 143C - NJ 124 in Irvington Twp to South of Exit 159 - I-80 in Saddle Brook Twp . Salting in progress. 45 mph speed.
• New Jersey Turnpike: Speed restriction on the New Jersey Turnpike northbound from South of Interchange 6 - Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mansfield Twp to North of Interchange 14 - I-78/US 1&9 in Newark; 45 mph for salting operations.
• New Jersey Turnpike: Weather related on the New Jersey Turnpike in both directions from Delaware Memorial Bridge in Pennsville Twp to George Washington Bridge Lower Level in Fort Lee.
• New Jersey Turnpike: Speed restriction on the New Jersey Turnpike in both directions from North of Interchange 14 - I-78/US 1&9 in Newark to George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee 50 miles per hour due to roadway conditions and, maintenance salting activities.
• Outerbridge Crossing: Weather related on the Outerbridge Crossing in both directions from New Jersey Side in Perth Amboy to New York Side in Staten Island 30 miles per hour.
• Goethals Bridge: Weather related on the Goethals Bridge in both directions from New Jersey Side in Elizabeth to New York Side in Staten Island 30 miles per hour.
• NJ 35: Downed pole on NJ 35 in both directions North of Lakewood Rd in Wall Twp. All lanes closed and detoured follow detour, use caution.
• US 9: Traffic Signal Down on US 9 in both directions North of CR 526/County Line Rd in Lakewood Twp use caution.
• NJ 36: Downed wires on NJ 36 in both directions South of Sandy Hook in Sea Bright. All lanes closed and detoured follow detour.
• I-80: Disabled vehicle on I-80 westbound East of Exit 47A - I-280 in Fairfield Twp. Left lane closed.
• US 9: Watermain break on US 9 northbound area of CR 604/Green St in Woodbridge Twp. Acceleration lane closed for repairs.
• I-287: Disabled vehicle on I-287 southbound North of Exit 59 - NJ 208 in Mahwah Twp. Left lane closed.
• I-287: Accident on I-287 southbound North of Exit 59 - NJ 208 in Mahwah Twp. Left lane closed.
• NJ 23: Accident and a downed pole and downed wires on NJ 23 in both directions North of High Point State Park in Montague Twp. All lanes closed and detoured 5-10 minute delay.
• I-78: Accident on I-78 local lanes eastbound West of Exit 56 - Elizabeth Ave in Newark. Left lane closed.
• I-295: Vehicle off the roadway on I-295 northbound South of Exit 63 - NJ 33 in Hamilton Twp. Right shoulder closed use caution.
• I-287: Accident on I-287 northbound North of Exit 59 - NJ 208 in Franklin Lakes. Left lane closed.
• NJ 42: Minor delays on NJ 42 northbound from Exit 10B - CR 681/Lower Landing Rd in Gloucester Twp to South of I-295 in Bellmawr delays due to volume.

Tom Davis and Governor Murphy photos