Christie's office said the damage from Sandy (flooding, fallen trees, downed power lines, roadway closures and power outages) would make it unsafe for trick-or-treating Wednesday, when the rest of the country celebrated the holiday. He asked local officials to pass the word to their community.
"I've taken this action to minimize additional risks to lives and the public safety as we begin the process of rebuilding and recovering from Hurricane Sandy," Christie said in a statement. "In too many communities in our state, the damage and losses from this storm are still being sorted out, and dangerous conditions abound even as our emergency management and response officials continue their work. As Governor, it is my responsibility to use all available resources of the state government to protect against the emergency created by Hurricane Sandy -- postponing Halloween celebrations by five days is a commonsense and necessary step to accomplish that."
At least 2.5 million people lost power in New Jersey as Sandy swept across the East Coast -- more than any other state. Christie previously said that the total damage in his state would likely total in the billions of dollars, according to the Newark Star-Ledger, and at least six people died.
Christie surveyed the damage along the New Jersey shore with President Barack Obama on Wednesday afternoon.
