WHEREAS, the National Weather Service is forecasting further rainfall and flooding as bodies of water crest throughout the day on April 16, 2007 and thereafter; and

WHEREAS, the aforesaid condition constitutes an imminent hazard which threatens and presently endangers the health, safety and resources of the residents of one or more municipalities or counties of this State; and which is in some parts of the State and may become in other parts of the State too large in scope to be handled by the normal municipal operating services; and

WHEREAS, the Constitution and statutes of the State of New Jersey, particularly the provisions of N.J.S.A. App. A: 9-33 et seq., N.J.S.A. 38A:3-6.1, and N.J.S.A. 38A:2-4 and all amendments and supplements thereto, confer upon the Governor of the State of New Jersey certain emergency powers;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD J. CODEY, Acting 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 DECLARE AND PROCLAIM that a State of Emergency presently exists throughout the State of New Jersey; and I hereby ORDER AND DIRECT the following:

1. I authorize and empower the State Director of Emergency Management to activate those elements of the State Emergency Operations Plan as he deems necessary to further safeguard the public security, health and welfare; and to coordinate the recovery effort from this emergency with all governmental agencies, volunteer organizations and the private sector.

2. I empower, in accordance with N.J.S.A. App. A:9-33 et seq., the State Director of Emergency Management, who is the Superintendent of State Police, through the police agencies under his control, to determine the control and direction of the flow of such vehicular traffic on any State Highway, municipal or county road, including the right to detour, reroute or divert any or all traffic and to prevent ingress or egress from any area, that, in the State Director's discretion, is deemed necessary for the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the public, and to remove parked or abandoned vehicles from such roadways as conditions warrant.

3. I authorize and empower the Attorney General, pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 39:4-213, acting through the Superintendent of State Police, to determine the control and direction of the flow of vehicular traffic on any State, Municipal, County or Interstate highway, and its access roads, including the right to detour, reroute or divert any or all traffic, and to prevent ingress or egress from any area to which the declaration of emergency applies, and further authorize all law enforcement officers to enforce any such order of the Superintendent of State Police within their respective municipalities.

4. I authorize and empower the State Director of Emergency Management to order the evacuation of all persons, except for those emergency and governmental personnel whose presence the State Director deems necessary, from any area where their continued presence would present a danger to their health, safety or welfare because of the conditions created by this emergency.

5. I authorize and empower the State Director of Emergency Management to utilize all facilities owned, rented, operated and maintained by the State of New Jersey to house and shelter persons who may need to be evacuated from a residence, dwelling, building, structure or vehicle during the course of this emergency.

6. I authorize and empower the executive head of any agency or instrumentality of the State government with authority to promulgate rules to waive, suspend or modify any existing rule the enforcement of which would be detrimental to the public welfare during this emergency, notwithstanding the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act or any law to the contrary for the duration of this Executive Order, subject to my prior approval and in consultation with the State Director of Emergency Management. Any such waiver, modification or suspension shall be promulgated in accordance with N.J.S.A. App. A:9-45.

7. I authorize and empower the Adjutant General, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 38A:2-4 and N.J.S.A. 38A:3-6.1, to order to active duty such members of the New Jersey National Guard that, in the Adjutant General's judgment, are necessary to provide aid to those localities where there is a threat or danger to the public health, safety and welfare and to authorize the employment of any supporting vehicles, equipment, communications or supplies as may be necessary to support the members so ordered.

8. In accordance with the N.J.S.A. App. A:9-34 and N.J.S.A. App. A:9-51, I reserve the right to utilize and employ all available resources of the State government and of each and every political subdivision of the State, whether of persons, properties or instrumentalities, and to commandeer and utilize any personal services and any privately owned property necessary to protect against this emergency.

9. This Order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect until such time as it is determined by me that an emergency no longer exists.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 16th day
of April, Two Thousand and Seven, and of the
Independence of the United States, the Two
Hundred and Thirty-First.

/s/ Richard J. Codey

Acting Governor

[seal]

Attest:

/s/ Kenneth H. Zimmerman