Christie declares state of emergency in NJ

Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency in New Jersey on Thursday ahead of the potential approach of Hurricane Joaquin and asked those affected to not panic.

Christie, a GOP presidential candidate, joined Virginia in declaring the emergency ahead of intense rain and possibly dangerous winds in the coming days.

I’ve declared a State of Emergency ahead of this storm.

— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 1, 2015

We are prepared. I need everyone to not panic.

— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 1, 2015

{mosads}Christie made the announcement during a press conference Thursday morning, where he said 5-6 inches of rain is expected in some areas.

The Category 3 storm, currently in the Bahamas, has strengthened, with winds expected to peak at 125 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said Thursday morning.

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy became a major flashpoint in the tenure of Christie. He said Thursday that he hadn’t called President Obama regarding the current storm.

“I’m not standing up here today to say that Joaquin will be Sandy,” Christie said.

Christie said there was no way to know if Joaquin represented “Sandy 2” for the area.

“If it did, we’re as prepared as you could be do deal with it.”

Christie has canceled campaign events in New Hampshire and plans to be in New Jersey until at least Tuesday, according to The New York Times.