State of New Jersey
Executive Order #27

Governor James E. McGreevey


WHEREAS, severe weather conditions on August 2, 2002 caused torrential thunderstorms, hailstorms and strong damaging winds which produced severe flooding, multi-day power outages, and widespread damage to and destruction of buildings, roads, trees and crops in the State of New Jersey, in particular Monmouth County; and

WHEREAS, the State Emergency Operations Center, already activated for homeland security considerations, shifted its emphasis to response operations; and

WHEREAS, on August 3, 2002, the State Emergency Operations Plan was activated and a State Police Rapid Deployment Team from the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management was dispatched to Monmouth County; and

WHEREAS, 25 State Troopers and a command operations center bus were dispatched to assist Monmouth County authorities with manual traffic control throughout the County; and

WHEREAS, the State Department of Transportation provided regional assistance teams to provide electric signed and other traffic control devices; and

WHEREAS, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities deployed its Emergency Coordinators to establish liaison with major power suppliers and assist with the reinforcement efforts from outside agencies; and

WHEREAS, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Solid Waste provided advisory assistance to Monmouth County Department of Public Works on the disposal of debris generated by the storm; and

WHEREAS, the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance sent field representatives to the affected areas of Monmouth County to advise citizens of their insurance options; and

WHEREAS, comprehensive field surveys were performed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in close coordination with the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management and other State agencies and these surveys have evaluated, quantified and verified the extent, magnitude and impact of these extraordinarily destructive weather events upon the affected county; and

WHEREAS, these weather events and the damage therefrom pose a continuous threat and constitute a disaster from a natural cause which threatens and endangers the health, safety and resources of the residents of Monmouth County, and these events have caused damage that is too large in scope to be handled in its entirety by normal municipal operating services; and

WHEREAS, the Constitution and Statutes of the State of New Jersey, particularly the provisions of the Laws of 1942, Chapter 251 (N.J.S.A. App. A:9-33 et seq.) and all amendments and supplements thereto, confer upon the Governor of the State of New Jersey certain emergency powers;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JAMES E. McGREEVEY, Governor of the State of New Jersey, in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people of the State of New Jersey do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

  1. A State of Emergency exists in the County of Monmouth and has existed since August 2, 2002.

  2. The State Director of Emergency Management, in accordance with N.J.S.A. App. A:9-33 et seq. as supplemented and amended, and through the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, shall coordinate the recovery effort from this natural disaster with all Federal, State, county and local government agencies, volunteer organizations and the private sector.

  3. In accordance with N.J.S.A. App. A:9-33 et seq. as supplemented and amended, I reserve the right to utilize and employ all available resources of the State government and all available resources of each and every political subdivision within the County of Monmouth, whether persons, properties or instrumentalities, necessary to protect against this emergency.

  4. This order shall take effect immediately, and it shall remain in effect until such time as I determine that an emergency no longer exists.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 14th day of August in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Two, and of the Independence of the United States, the Two Hundred and Twenty-Seventh.

/s/ James E. McGreevey
Governor

[seal]

Attest:
/s/ Paul A. Levinsohn
Chief Counsel to the Governor