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RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE PASSAIC COUNTY EVACUATION STRATEGY AND ZONE DESIGNATIONS, PURSUANT TO N.J.S.A. 40:20-1 ET SEQ.
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WHERAS, the County of Passaic (hereinafter the "County") is a body politic and corporate pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:18-1 and vested with all rights contained therein; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:20-1 the Board of County Commissioner of the County of Passaic (hereinafter the "Board") is vested with managing the property, finances, and affairs of the County; and
WHEREAS, there is a critical need for regional and statewide coordination of county evacuation plans to ensure a unified, efficient, and life-saving response during flooding events and other large-scale emergencies; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to N.J.S.A. App. A:9-43.11, evacuation and shelter plans of the state's coastal counties and other counties impacted by coastal evacuations must be consistent and coordinated, and integrated into a statewide evacuation plan; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to N.J.S.A. App. A:9-43.2, county emergency operations pans must be coordinated with state emergency plans to ensure a regional coordinated response and the efficient deployment and use of emergency resources; and
WHERAS, since 2017, to achieve this consistency and coordination, representatives from the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 2 Hurricane Program have worked collaboratively, and at times individually, with the Passaic County Office of Emergency Management and County personnel experienced in emergency planning and engineering to define standardized evacuation zones for Passaic County; and
WHEREAS, the defined evacuation zones reflect both state and federal best practices and guidance, incorporating the latest Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) models, local hazard risk assessments, shelter locations, and the anticipated impacts of evacuating populations from contiguous counties; and
WHEREAS, this information has been incorporated into the New Jersey Hurricane Evacuation Study and is integrated into HURREVAC, the state's hurricane evacuation decision support tool; and
WHEREAS, evacuation zones have been established using a standardized lettering system (Zones A through E) consistent across all 21 counties in New Jersey, in order to streamline public messaging and strengthen preparedness and coordination at the local, county, and state levels; and
WHEREAS, designation and adoption of these evacuation zones will support effective and timely evacuation, sheltering, and emergency response during significant storm and flood events; and
WHEREAS, this matter was discussed at the September 2, 2025 meeting of the Law and Public Safety Committee and is now being recommended to the Board for approval.
NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the County of Passaic Board of County Commissioners establishes the following:
1) The Board hereby formally adopts the Passaic County Evacuation Strategy and the associated Evacuation Zone Designations (Zones A through E), as developed in coordination with NJOEM, NJDOT, USACE, FEMA Region 2, and the Passaic County Office of Emergency Management.
2) The evacuation zone boundaries, are hereby established in accordance with the State Evacuation Task Force County Evacuation Zones memorandum, attached hereto and made part hereof, and are described as follows:
a. Zone A: 50-year Storm Surge Zone: includes areas most likely to be affected by a storm with a recurrence interval of 50 years, typically subject to the earliest evacuation during major storm events.
b. Zone B: 100-year Storm Surge Zone: includes additional areas likely to be impacted by more extreme storm events, requiring phased evacuation after Zone A.
c. Zone C: areas affected by more severe coastal flooding, high winds, and inland storm surge, evacuated in the event of an intensifying forecast.
d. Zone D: inland areas vulnerable to major riverine and flash flooding, considered for evacuation under certain storm or emergency scenarios.
e. Zone E: all remaining areas in the County that may be impacted by cascading events (power outages, infrastructure failures, etc.) or required for reverse-ane or emergency traffic coordination.
3) The Passaic County Office of Emergency Management is directed to work with local municipalities and relevant agencies to implement public outreach and education regarding the evacuation zones and to ensure continued integration into the statewide emergency operations plan.
LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution shall be forwarded to NJOEM, NJDOT, FEMA Region 2, the Passaic County Sheriff's Office - Office of Emergency Management, and all Municipal OEM Coordinators within Passaic County.
KJB September 9, 2025