Many people have asked News 12 New Jersey - What does a state of emergency exactly mean?

Gov. Chris Christie declared a State of Emergency in New Jersey Thursday ahead of heavy rains expected for Friday and the potential threat of Hurricane Joaquin early next week.

According to the state Office of Emergency Management, the governor's declaration "empowers the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) to act on behalf of the governor to employ the resources and assets of State, local and private agencies to provide immediate assistance to localities."

A common misconception about a state of emergency is that civilians are not allowed to travel on the roads during the declaration. According to the NJOEM, "the governor's declaration does not normally restrict citizen movements or activities. The state may limit access to affected areas due to concerns for public safety but will notify the public of these restrictions.

To learn more about state of emergency declarations, go to the NJOEM website.