CAPE MAY COUNTY          
HURRICANE EVACUATION PLAN

I.     PRIMARY AGENCIES:
        Cape May County Emergency Management Communications Center
        Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders
        Cape May County Administration

II.    SUPPORT AGENCIES:
        Cape May County Chapter - American Red Cross
        Cape May County Fare Free Transportation
        Cape May County Health Department
        Cape May County Road Department
        Cape May County Sheriffs Department

III.    INTRODUCTION:

         A.    Purpose:

                The purpose of this plan is to define and provide guidance for the development and operation of a variable evacuation program for evacuating Cape May County due to the threat of a hurricane and to ensure completion of required emergency actions.

                The primary objective is to evacuate low-lying coastal areas and any other threatened population within the County from east to west, and do so prior to the onset of tropical storm force winds (39 mph).

        B.    Scope

         Municipal forces will be responsible to coordinate evacuation at the local level, moving traffic onto identified local evacuation routes.

                The major evacuation routes in the County are:
               
               North Bound Lanes on: 
                                                      - Garden State Parkway
                                                      - U.S. Highway Route 9
                                                      - State Highway Route 47 
                                                      - State Highway Route 50
                
                West bound on:
                                                    - State Highway Route 49

                On these major routes, coordination will be the primary responsibility of the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) and the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), with the assistance from County and Municipal agencies.  Included in this plan is an attachment for Route 47/347 Reverse Lane strategy.  This will provide for a reduction of the time need to clear traffic exiting Cape May County via Route 83 and 47 by reversing the southbound lane of Route 47/347 thereby providing two lanes northbound.

IV.    POLICIES 

         This Plan will be incorporated into the overall Cape May County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
         The Plan will be reviewed and updated at least once each year before the beginning of the hurricane season.  This review will include, at a minimum, the primary agency identified under Section 1 of this Plan.

         Municipal forces will coordinate decision-making with the Cape May County Emergency Management Communications Center (CMC EMCC).  The CMC EMCC will coordinate its decision-making with the NJOEM and the NJDOT, however the final decision to effect an evacuation rests with the CMC EMCC.
         Should a reverse lane operation order be called for Route 47/347, the governor will issue a State of Emergency in order to empower the state, County and Municipal Agencies with the carrying out the evacuation and traffic control.  All other (local) coastal evacuation decisions may be initiated by the CMC EMCC in coordination with the NJOEM, NJDOT and the affected Municipal forces.  On these routes a Governor's declaration need not be issued as evacuation will be limited to municipal forces only and involve local populations specific only to those roadways.
         All participating agencies recognize that an evacuation order may be issued for more than just Cape May County, and indeed, for many of  New Jersey's 21 counties.  As such, resources and manpower support may be limited and not available for all  identified locations in this plan.  If needed, resource requests will be prioritized in order to maintain the safest and most efficient movement of traffic away from the coast.  To this end, the CMC EMCC will maintain close coordination with the NJOEM and the NJDOT.

V.     SITUATION

         A.    Existing Conditions

                 Cape May County's barrier islands run virtually the entire length of the County. Total population for the Cape May County as a whole ranges from a permanent 107,000 to as much as 750,000 peak.  During the height of tourist season, from July 1st through Labor Day, which coincides with much of hurricane season, as many as 1,000,000 people can be enjoying our beaches, boardwalks, rental homes, hotels and motels, and businesses along the coast.  A considerable year-round population exists immediately inland of the coast, but still well within reach of hurricane winds and flooding.                                    
                  During the Summer, daily traffic is often bumper to bumper, especially on weekends, when day-trippers and weekly rentals are traveling to the beach communities.  Backups can accumulate at traffic lights and other major intersections, as well as at the many bridges that cross the bays out to the barrier islands.  The final destinations for the majority of this population are the barrier island communities.  In the case of each of these islands a single bridge moves most of the population by privately-owned vehicle (POV). In addition, some of these bridges are movable, and are periodically raised to allow taller ships to pass,  thereby exacerbating traffic problems into the beach communities.
                 Construction and reconstruction of the State, County and local roads is occurring up and down New Jersey's coast.  Many of the bridges are old and in need of fortification and/or expansion to handle the increase in seasonal population flow.  At any given time, traffic has to be detoured through neighborhood streets while construction is under way.  In certain cases it is unavoidable to maintain more than a single lane of traffic through the construction zone even on routes that were traditionally two or more lanes each way.

         B.    Disaster Condition                                                             
                 Flooding has been and will always be a problem for New Jersey's coast.   Much of this area is less than 10 feet above sea level.  During periods of heavy rain many low-lying segments of the routes that are used for both daily and evacuation use can and do flood temporarily until storm drains can catch up and remove the standing water.  During these times, NJDOT, County and municipal forces are accustomed to rerouting traffic around these flooded road segments.  This can hamper, delay and extend evacuation times for widespread areas as traffic backs up along these roads.
                While the Summer months are predominantly dry in addition to being hot, there may be incidences of heavy rains, which can saturate the ground and keep the water table close to the surface.  Should a storm impact Cape May County during such a scenario, it is likely that low-lying areas and roads will begin to flood much earlier than normally expected.  In addition, tides are often negatively affected by an approaching storm several days before a storm, and drainage systems may be slowed during each tidal cycle.  As the storm gets closer and depending on wind direction, rivers and creeks draining into the bays can be held back for several hours, cutting off evacuation routes.

         C.   Planning Assumptions

               Clearance times for Cape May County vary, ranging between 15 to 22 hours, possibly more.  These figures represent ideal conditions, meaning that an evacuation order would have been issued in a timely fashion, providing the time needed to muster the emergency personnel, effect an evacuation and remove response forces all prior to the onset of tropical storm force winds (39 mph). It is unlikely that this will occur as planned.  Politics, uncertainty in storm forecast track, time of day, and other local considerations make it more likely that there will be a delay in the decision to order an evacuation on time. Since updated forecasts are issued by the National HurricaneCenter (NHC) every 6 hours, it is likely that said delays will be made in increments of 3 or 6 hours.  It is not inconceivable, therefore, that an evacuation order could be delayed for up to 12 hours until officials are confident that an evacuation is
required.
                As the threat of a strike to New Jersey is at it's height during the peak Summer period, the option to utilize and order a reverse lane operation for Route 47/347 will almost definitely be used.  Emergency management will initiate the reversals as soon as an evacuation begins and without delay.  For the Route 47/347 reverse lane operations, the Governor will declare a State of Emergency. The interstate 195 reverse lane operation is still under development, and would not be used unless deemed absolutely necessary and ordered by the Governor   as adequate planning and sufficient resources are not available at this time.

VI.    OPERATIONS AND CONTROL

         A.   General

                The NJOEM will coordinate statewide hurricane operations.  Operations and control will emanate from the State Emergency operations Center at Division Headquarters of the New Jersey State Police in West Trenton, NJ.  The State EOC will coordinate with the CMC EMCC for all county-level activities.  The CMC EMCC shall coordinate all local-level operations with its municipalities.
                The CMC EMCC is the lead agency for the coordinating emergency management in Cape May County.   Operations and Control will emanate from the Cape May County Emergency Management Communications Center, (CMC EMCC) at 30 West Mechanic Street, Cape May Court House, NJ.
                Details of how the Route 47/347 Reverse Lane Operation will be coordinated, which are covered in a stand-alone plan, are referenced as an attachment to this Plan.

         B.    Organization

                 Decision-making for all County and local-level operations will be under the command of the CMC EMCC.  Close coordination with the NJOEM and NJDOT at the State EOC will be maintained in order to ensure a safe and efficient flow of traffic during the evacuation.  The line of succession for the CMC EMCC will be as follows:
                                                                 Frank McCall, Director
                                                                 Ed Koehler
                                                                 Ed Taylor

                 At the local level, command and control will be handled by the chief law enforcement official and/or emergency management coordinator via the local EOC's in each jurisdiction, working in close coordination with fire, EMS, public works and any other municipal departments.  All local evacuation decisions will be coordinated up the chain from the municipal level through the County up to the State EOC.
                 Direction and Control for the Route 47/347 Reverse Lane Operation and the remaining State, and interstate highways and the Garden State Parkway (GSP) will be coordinated jointly by the NJSP Incident Management Unit (IMU) and the NJDOT Traffic Operations Division.

         C.    Notification Procedures

                 The CMC EMCC shall coordinate notification of all county departments involved in hurricane evacuation.
                 The CMC EMCC, in concert with the State EOC and the NJDOT shall closely monitor any developing and/or approaching storm that may impact Cape May County.  The Hurwin95 and/or Hurrevac2000 software will be the primary tracking and forecasting tool used to follow an approaching storm.
                 Upon agreement by all three above mentioned agencies, the State EOC shall notify the Governor's Office and the Attorney General's On-Call Duty Officer and advise each of the need for a Declaration of a State of Emergency on the part of the Governor.  This action will be necessary in order to implement the Reverse Lane Strategy for Route 47/347. The State EOC shall notify the NJSP Field Operations Section, who will in turn notify Troop "A" Headquarters of the need to prepare for activation of the Route 47/347 Reverse Lane Strategy.
                 The State EOC shall ensure that all affected counties, state and allied agencies are notified and kept abreast of the status of all evacuation decision-making. This includes the conduct of conference calls with the National Weather Service at predesignated times emanating from the State EOC.
                 The NJDOT shall notify it's regional offices via their Emergency Control Center or the State EOC of the need to prepare for activation of resources.

         D.    Implementation Actions

                 Several days prior to the potential arrival of a hurricane, all participating agencies shall review this plan for implementation procedures.  In some cases, this may be up to 5 days in advance of an approaching storm.  This is particularly the case for the Cape May County Public Works and Sheriff's Departments as they will need the time to muster both manpower and resources for dedication to evacuation routes.   In case of resources, sources will be verified and, if necessary, moved to centrally located maintenance yards for quick deployment should it become necessary.
                 As an approaching storm's probability of striking Cape May County reaches a heightened level of concern, the CMC EMCC, NJSP, and NJDOT shall direct the setting up of staffing patterns and intersection assignments for mustered personnel.  In addition, resource assignments will be issued for all locations where said resource needs have been identified.
                 Once an evacuation order is imminent, all affected agencies shall immediately be notified in order to provide the time necessary to deploy manpower and resources along the identified evacuation routes.  This step is crucial to ensuring that local operations begin smoothly and in a coordinated manner.  It is estimated that approximately 4 hours will be needed for this purpose.  Once in place, each traffic control post shall report a state of readiness back to their supervising location.  Same will be done for all resource deployments and setups along evacuation routes.
                 When all deployed forces have reported in a state of readiness, this shall be immediately communicated to the CMC EMCC and the State EOC. At this time an evacuation order may be issued.  Depending on the time of the year, the clearance time for Cape May County may be as much as 15-22 hours. Adding to this the 4 hours needed for preparation and activation of evacuation routes, every attempt will be made to issue an evacuation order no less than19-26 hours prior to the arrival of Tropical Storm Force winds (39 mph).  It must be understood that this is a worst-case scenario, representing peak population figures.
                 It is estimated that the reverse lane strategy for the Route 47/347 corridor will reduce the evacuation of Cape May County by up to 10 hours.  For late season storms an evacuation order may be no less than 9-16 hours prior to arrival of Tropical Storm Force winds.
                 Should a storm threaten Cape May County later in the season (i.e., when weekly and weekend rentals have dropped off), evacuation clearance times drop considerably.  In this scenario, reverse lane strategies may not be needed as only 8-12 hours may be needed to complete an evacuation.

        E.     Reception and Sheltering

                 The County of Cape May has no shelter that is totally adequate for use during an extraordinary disaster.  Some shelters would not be used in certain emergencies as they do not have emergency power, while others may be prone to flooding during a hurricane; particularly Category II, III, IV storms. There are no shelters available in Cape May County for Category II or greatery Chapter of the American Red Cross is the primary agency for providing shelters in non-nuclear events; and, the support agency is the Cape May County Emergency Management Communications Center.
                 The only agreement the County has with the American Red Cross is the Statement of Understanding between FEMA, the American Red Cross 1982; and, the Statement of Understanding between the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross 1984. 

        F.    Refuges of  Last Resort

               According to this Plan, traffic will be moved from local roads onto County roads, and then finally onto State and Interstate highways for eventual evacuation from east to west.
               Under more emergent conditions when the approaching storm has or is about to overtake traffic posing a threat from wind or flooding to evacuation routes, traffic may be ordered to move into facilities to provide at least a minimum of protection against the storm.  These facilities will be identified by the CMC EMCC and its municipalities and opened under the authority of the American Red Cross at the direction of the CMC EMCC.  It is understood that these facilities may not provide ideal sheltering characteristics, and as such are to be used for temporary purposes only.  Once the worst of the storm passed, the population housed will be disbursed or allowed to return to their point of origin. 

        G.   Special Needs Populations

               Cape May County has a considerable amount of population with unique needs. This includes retirement villages, a hospital and nursing homes.  In some cases, some of these facilities will require additional time or outside assistance in evacuating.  The CMC EMCC will coordinate notification for warning and evacuations of these facilities.  A list of these facilitie SRCA 2,  Shelter & Reception Annex of the Cape May County EOP.

VII.  RESPONSIBILITIES
 
         A.  Primary Agencies

               The Cape May EMCC shall be the central focal point for decision-making for evacuation in Cape May County.  Communications will emanate from the Cape May County Emergency Management Communications Center.
               The CMC EMCC is responsible for keeping this plan and all attachments up to date and for circulating all changes among participating agencies.  The CMC EMCC is also responsible for ensuring that participating personnel receive adequate training on their respective roles identified in this Plan as well as in local plans.
               Once an evacuation order has been initiated, the CMC EMCC shall coordinate all evacuation actions within the County.  This includes deployment of county forces and resources on County roads.
               The Cape May County Road Department is responsible for the storage and deployment of resources to be used for evacuation on County roads.
               The CMC EMCC shall process all requests for interagency assistance, i.e. additional police, fire, EMS support, etc.
                All deployed State, County and municipal forces will remain in communication with their respective commands to report the status of traffic flow and conditions on their assigned routes.

         B.    Support Agencies

                 Local level operations will be coordinated by each respective agency in that jurisdiction.  In most cases, this will include municipal police, fire, EMS, and public works (road) departments.  All municipal resources will be used to their fullest extent before requests for assistance are forwarded to the CMC EMCC.  Resource and manpower commitments shall be outlined and referenced in each municipal EOP.
                 The NJ State Police, Field Operations Section Troop "A" is responsible for providing coordination and manpower support on State and Interstate highways as related to this plan.  The NJSP shall monitor traffic flow to ensure the safest and most positive movement of population.  This may require the periodic opening and closing of various exits along evacuation routes to relieve backups.  Constant communications and reporting will be maintained at all
                 times.
                The NJOEM is responsible for manning and coordinating all State activities via the State EOC.  All evacuation decisions made at the State level will be done in coordination with both the NJDOT and the CMC EMCC.
                 The New Jersey Highway Authority and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority shall activate their emergency control centers and remain in constant communications with the NJSP to facilitate movement of population via those roadways.
                 The New Jersey National Guard (NJNG) shall be responsible in providing manpower and logistical support to evacuation operations.  Requests for assistance shall be made via the emergency management chain of command and coordinated through the State EOC.
                The New Jersey Department of Corrections shall coordinate the use of any correctional facilities as reception and shelter locations and/or refuges of last resort.
                The American Red Cross (ARC) shall coordinate shelter operations with Cape May County for mass care of evacuees.
                The Salvation Army shall assist by providing feeding stations for response personnel involved in the evacuation operation.

VIII.  RESOURCE  REQUIREMENTS

          Details of evacuation routing and resources are provided as attachments to this plan.They are organized by route number under Section XI. The CMC EMCC shall coordinate all requests for resources within the County to support County and local level evacuation operations.  State and Interstate highway evacuation resources and support shall be coordinated through the NJDOT at the State EOC.
          Special resource requirements that cannot be handled by the CMC EMCC shall be directed to State EOC. Requirements that cannot be met by State EOC shall be referred to FEMA Region-II.
          To the best extent possible, logistical support for food, water, fuel, emergency power and lighting, sheltering for emergency workers shall be the responsibility of each participating agency.  Additional or unmet needs shall be coordinated through the CMC EMCC.

IX.     AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES

          Federal Authorities

          A.   The Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, as amended (P.L. 1-920).
          B.    Code of Federal Regulations, Title 33, Part 117, Section 33.

          State Authorities

           A.   The Emergency Management Act, N.J.S.A. App. A:9-33 et seq.
           B.   Office of Emergency Management Directive #79, Rules and Regulations-Citizen's Duty to Evacuate, May 11, 1990.

          References

           A.    Federal Response Plan ( For Public Law 93-233, as Amended), April 1992.
           B.    Transportation Planning Guidelines for the Evacuation of Large Populations, CPG 2-15, Federal Emergency Management Agency, September 1984.
           C.   Cape May County Emergency Operations Plan.
           D.   New Jersey Emergency Operations Plan.
           E.    New Jersey Hurricane Evacuation Study, Technical Data Report, 1992

X.        DEFINITIONS