S264

TRENTON – Legislation Senator Jeff Van Drew sponsored to improve state emergency evacuation plans in preparation for a catastrophic event or natural disaster, such as a hurricane or tropical storm, was signed into law today by Governor Chris Christie.

Developed from the recommendations of a legislative task force formed in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the law (S-264/A-3224) addresses a number of areas involving emergency response, from identifying and creating additional shelters to be used in the event of an emergency to establishing evacuation strategies on major coastal roadways to ensure that residents are able to vacate an affected area in an orderly fashion. A key piece of the law requires that evacuation plans are consistent among counties and ensures the public is made aware of the procedures to follow in the event of an evacuation.

Senator Van Drew said the evacuation of Cape May and Atlantic counties, as well as areas across New Jersey, during Tropical Storm Irene – then, believed to be a hurricane – demonstrated the need to improve and update emergency plans. For example, the state must take steps to ensure that shelters are available and equipped to house residents long term in the event of a severe storm that results in people being displaced for several weeks. In addition, the state needs additional pet shelters, which will better ensure that residents do not stay behind out of fear for their animal’s safety.

“Hundreds of thousands of residents were evacuated from their homes in preparation for Irene, and because of the work of emergency personnel at all levels it was done with very few complications,” said Senator Van Drew (D-Cape May/Atlantic/Cumberland). “However, we learned there is still much work to do when it comes to creating a comprehensive emergency response plan for our state. In the event the storm directly impacted our coast, we may not have had the capacity to place residents in shelters for long periods of time. This law will begin the process of identifying and creating additional shelters across the state.”

TRENTON – Legislation Senator Jeff Van Drew sponsored to improve state emergency evacuation plans in preparation for a catastrophic event or natural disaster, such as a hurricane or tropical storm, was approved today by the full Senate.

Developed from the recommendations of a legislative task force formed in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the bill (S-264) addresses a number of areas involving emergency response, from identifying adequate shelters to be used in the event of an emergency to establishing evacuation strategies on major coastal roadways to ensure that residents are able to vacate an affected area in an orderly fashion. A key piece of the legislation would require that evacuation plans are consistent among counties and ensure the public is made aware of the procedures to follow in the event of an evacuation.

Senator Van Drew said the recent flooding resulting from a storm that hit the Delaware Bay area, in particular, the shore community of Downe Township, along with Maurice River and Commercial townships, was a grim reminder of the need for an updated, comprehensive evacuation plan. Areas in the northern region of the state have also experienced significant flooding following recent storms.

“The recent flooding we experienced served as a reminder that there is still much work to do when it comes to creating a comprehensive emergency response plan for our state. If moderate storms can wreak that kind of havoc on our communities, imagine what a major storm would do,” said Senator Van Drew (D-Cape May/Atlantic/Cumberland). “Updating our emergency plans is critical to ensuring that we are prepared for any weather activity that comes our way and is particularly important to protecting our residents in the event a large-scale storm impacts the coast.”

TRENTON – Legislation Senators Jeff Van Drew and John Girgenti sponsored to improve state emergency evacuation plans in preparation for a catastrophic event or natural disaster, such as a hurricane or tropical storm, was unanimously approved yesterday by the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee.

Developed from the recommendations of a legislative task force, the bill (S-264) addresses a number of areas involving emergency response, from ensuring that plans are consistent among counties, to making the public aware of the procedures to follow in the event of an evacuation.

TRENTON – Citing forecasters’ predictions of an extremely active 2010 hurricane season, Senator Jeff Van Drew today urged action on legislation he sponsored to update the state’s emergency evacuation procedures.

“It’s impossible to predict exactly what Mother Nature has in store for us this hurricane season, but coordination and planning will ensure we are prepared in the event a large-scale storm hits our coast,” said Senator Van Drew (D-Cape May/Cumberland/Atlantic). “While this is something we should be doing regularly, predictions that this hurricane season will be extremely active make it that much more necessary that we update our emergency evacuation plans. We must also make sure residents know what to expect if, god forbid, disaster strikes.”