Pennsylvania Code
Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

• No statutes or acts will be found at this website.

The Pennsylvania Bulletin website includes the following: Rulemakings by State agencies; Proposed Rulemakings by State agencies; State agency notices; the Governor’s Proclamations and Executive Orders; Actions by the General Assembly; and Statewide and local court rules.

PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 03-1926

THE GOVERNOR

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

[33 Pa.B. 4889]

Proclamation of Disaster Emergency

September 18, 2003

   Whereas, The spring and summer seasons have been unusually wet and the ground is heavily saturated throughout the Commonwealth resulting in severe flooding in numerous northwestern and northeastern counties; and

   Whereas, on September 14th and 15th heavy rains caused severe and widespread flooding in Chester County and surrounding counties resulting in extensive damage to public and private property; and

   Whereas ongoing monitoring and projections made at my direction have disclosed that Hurricane Isabel is going to strike the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and

   Whereas, Hurricane Isabel has the potential to cause widespread and unusually heavy rains and high winds throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which in turn poses a serious threat for flash flooding and other adverse impacts throughout the state; and

   Whereas, Hurricane Isabel's potentially heavy rains, high winds, and risk of flash flooding may result in extensive damage to roads, streets, bridges, private homes, and businesses, and may cause other adverse impacts upon the general population of Pennsylvania; and

   Whereas, the emergency situation caused by Hurricane Isabel may be of such magnitude and severity as to render essential the Commonwealth's supplementation of county and municipal efforts and resources and the activation of all applicable state, county, and municipal emergency response plans.

   Now Therefore, pursuant to the provisions of Subsection 7301(c) of the Emergency Management Services Code (35 Pa.C.S. Section 7101 et seq.), I do hereby proclaim the existence of a disaster emergency in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and I direct all Commonwealth agencies and departments to utilize all available resources and personnel as is deemed necessary to cope with the magnitude and severity of this emergency situation.

   Further, I hereby transfer up to $5 million in unused appropriated funds to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. The aforementioned funds shall be used for disaster-related expenses that may be incurred by various state agencies and departments. These funds shall be credited to a special account established by the Office of the Budget. All Commonwealth agencies and departments purchasing supplies or services in response to this emergency are authorized to utilize the emergency procurement procedures set forth in Section 516 of the Commonwealth Procurement Code, 62 Pa.C.S. § 516. This Proclamation shall serve as the written determination of the basis for the emergency under Section 516; and

   Further, I hereby direct the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to activate and fully staff the State Emergency Operations Center for the duration of this emergency situation and to augment it with personnel from other state agencies and departments. I also authorize the Agency to coordinate and direct the emergency preparedness and response activities of other state agencies and departments as deemed necessary to deal with the exigencies of this impending emergency situation through implementation of the State Emergency Operations Plan; and

   Further, I hereby authorize the Secretary of Transportation to use all available equipment, resources, and personnel of the Department of Transportation, in whatever manner that he deems necessary, to ensure that all state highways in the potential disaster emergency area are cleared of debris and any other obstructions that may result from this hurricane. In addition, I hereby waive any laws or regulations that would restrict the application and use of the Department's equipment, resources, and personnel to assist local jurisdictions in the clearing and removal of debris and other types of obstructions from non-state-owned highways. This assistance to local jurisdictions may be provided solely at the discretion of the Secretary of Transportation. This assistance, however, does not apply to privately owned highways, roads, streets, or other types of property; and

   Further, I hereby authorize the Secretary of Transportation to use all available equipment, resources, and personnel of the Department, in whatever manner he deems necessary, to ensure that highways, bridges, roadbeds, and related facilities and structures, including federal-aid highways, that may sustain damage in the disaster emergency area are immediately repaired, maintained, reconstructed, or replaced or that new construction is undertaken where necessary. In addition, I hereby waive any laws or regulations that would restrict the ability of the Department to respond immediately and effectively in repairing, maintaining, reconstructing, or replacing any potentially damaged highways, bridges, roadbeds, and related facilities and structures, including federal-aid highways, and areas adjacent thereto, or in undertaking necessary new construction; and

   Further, I have directed that the emergency response and recovery aspects of the Commonwealth and all applicable county, municipal, and other disaster emergency response and recovery plans be activated and that all state, county, and municipal actions taken to implement those plans be coordinated through the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; and

   Further, pursuant to the powers vested in me by the Constitution and laws of this Commonwealth, I hereby authorize the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania to place on state active duty for the duration of the emergency/disaster proclamation, such individuals and units of the Pennsylvania National Guard, as requested by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, to alleviate the potential danger to public health and safety caused by the aforementioned emergency; and

   Still Further, I hereby urge the governing bodies and executive officers of all political subdivisions that may be affected by this emergency to act as necessary to meet the current exigencies as legally authorized under this Proclamation, namely: by the employment of temporary workers; by the rental of equipment; and by entering into such contracts and agreements as may be required to meet the emergency, all without regard to those time-consuming procedures and formalities normally prescribed by law, mandatory constitutional requirements excepted.

   Given under my hand and the Seal of the Governor, at the city of Harrisburg, this 18th day of September in the year of our Lord, two thousand and three and of the Commonwealth, the two hundred and twenty-eighth.


Governor

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 03-1926. Filed for public inspection October 3, 2003, 9:00 a.m.]


No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.

This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.