TRENTON, NJ – It’s not the changing of the seasons, or hurricane season New Jerseyans should be concerned about. According to the NJ DEP, it’s climate change.
State officials are urging New Jersey residents to be proactive in preparing for severe weather events, especially as climate change exacerbates their frequency and intensity.
State Police Superintendent and Director of Emergency Management Patrick J. Callahan, along with Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette, emphasized the importance of planning for not only hurricanes but also for tornadoes, wildfires, inland flash floods, and landslides.
Callahan stated that hurricane preparedness is everyone’s responsibility and encouraged residents to adapt and stand resilient to changing weather patterns. LaTourette added that the Department of Environmental Protection’s climate scientists are continually providing valuable data to help residents understand increasingly unpredictable weather.
The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) has provided several tips for preparing for severe weather:
- Sign up for emergency alerts from local, county, state, and federal agencies.
- Register for New Jersey’s Special Needs Registry for Disasters to aid emergency responders.
- Assemble a family go-bag with essentials such as medication, food, and important documents.
- Create an emergency plan with family and friends detailing contact methods, meeting places, and other contingencies.
- Prepare an emergency kit with a 3-5 day supply of non-perishable food, water, and prescription medications.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection also advises residents to:
- Understand your flood risk using the New Jersey Flood Indicator Tool.
- Purchase flood insurance, as most homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood damages.
- Consider a buy-out through DEP’s Blue Acres program for homes subject to repeated flooding.
Officials are urging the public to make preparations a community effort and highlighted Resilient NJ as a resource for resilience planning on a broader scale. With National Preparedness Month coinciding with the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, now is the time for residents to take these precautions seriously.