Outrage Grows As Thousands Remain Without Power In NJ [AUDIO]

Thousands of New Jerseyans are at or near a boiling point as they wait impatiently for their power to be restored after last weekend's freak blizzard. Governor Chris Christie has a message for Garden State residents who have or are thinking of doing something stupid.

"I've made it clear to law enforcement in the state; people who are going to threaten utility workers are going to be arrested and we're not going to put up with it," says Christie. "We understand your frustration, but your frustration shouldn't be taken out on the people who are actually trying to help."

There's a reason Christie is giving this warning. He explains, "We've been getting repeated reports about citizens who are harassing and threatening utility workers. We had a few arrested yesterday (Wednesday) for it."

"These men and women in the utility companies who are climbing up these poles and taking down trees and restoring lines are working 16, 18 hour days and they're doing very dangerous work," says the Governor. "The last thing they need is to have frustrated citizens come and harass them. They didn't bring the storm. They didn't take the lines down. They're just trying to do their job to help you."

Christie is having daily conference calls with Board of Public Utilities President Lee Solomon, PSEG President and CEO Ralph LaRossa, and JCP&L President Don Lynch, to receive updates on the progress of storm recovery and power restoration efforts that remain ongoing around the state.

The Governor says damage assessment continues to see if the state will reach the threshold at which residents and businesses can apply for financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He says his administration has gotten pretty good at working with FEMA.