San Joaquin County Municipal Code Ch. 9-810 Evacuation Plans

The purpose of this Chapter is to require plans for the evacuation of recreational vehicle parks and mobile home parks during times of flood hazard.

An Evacuation Plan shall be required for all existing mobile home and recreational vehicle parks and shall be a condition of issuance of permits for all proposed mobile home and recreational vehicle parks located or proposed to be located within floodways or flood fringe areas. A fee, as specified by resolution of the Board of Supervisors, shall be required.

The agency conducting the Evacuation Plan review for recreational vehicle and mobile home parks shall be the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services. The review procedure for an Evacuation Plan shall be that set out in Chapter 9-802 for a Zoning Compliance Review with the primary reviewer being the Director of the Office of Emergency Services.

At a minimum, Evacuation Plans shall meet the following standards:

(a) Storage Sites. No storage site for the storage of unoccupied mobile homes or recreation vehicles shall be in an area subject to flooding during a 100-year flood;

(b) Risk Reduction. The Evacuation Plan will operate to reduce damage to property and hazards to health and safety during floods;

(c) Feasibility of Performance. The Evacuation Plan shall be feasible of performance during a flood;

(d) Clarity. The criteria for initiating the Evacuation Plan shall be sufficiently clear to determine when the evacuation should occur; and

(e) Timely Evacuation. The criteria for initiating an evacuation shall allow for timely evacuation prior to inundation of the site.

The following provisions shall apply to all mobile home parks and recreational vehicle parks with approved Evacuation Plans:

(a) Posting. A copy of a summary of the Evacuation Plan shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises to be evacuated;

(b) Impediments and Obstructions. All impediments or obstructions to the evacuation routes shall be removed or relocated;

(c) Changes. A new Evacuation Plan must be approved for any change in an existing plan;

(d) Implementation of Evacuation Plan. When the criteria for evacuation occur, the Evacuation Plan shall be carried out as planned; and

(e) Distribution of Evacuation Plan. A copy of the approved Evacuation Plan shall be given to the following persons and kept on file for public review:

(1) The Community Development Department;

(2) The park owner;

(3) The park manager;

(4) The Director of the County Emergency Services Office; and

(5) The County Flood Control Engineer.

The requirements of this Chapter may be altered as follows:

(a) Ground Anchors. As an alternative to preparing an Evacuation Plan, owners of mobile home parks that were established before September 30, 1980, and that are outside of a floodway may require park residents to provide ground anchors to be used as tie downs to prevent movement and flotation of mobile homes during a flood. Park owners shall provide proof of compliance by residents with said requirements.

(b) Mobile Home Parks in Zone AO. Mobile home parks in Flood Insurance Rate Map Zone AO with a flood depth of one foot or less shall be exempt from the provisions of this Chapter.