Public Safety Signals

Interstate Coordination and Planning Saves Lives

2008 Sep 4 Posted by Mark R

A full week prior to landfall, and without full knowledge of where Gustav would make landfall, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was making plans for a full-scale evacuation of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. This evacuation plan, a result of the Katrina experience, involved no less than three state police agencies, dozens of local agencies, and other emergency resources from departments of transportation and emergency services. From New Orleans to over 50 miles into Texas, I-10 (the major southern state east-west highway) lanes leading to New Orleans would be closed to allow all highway lanes to be used for westbound traffic. Fuel trucks were staged along the route to ensure a constant re-fuel option for those that would otherwise be stranded evacuees. Hospitals as far away as Houston were advised to expect patients from the strike area. Emergency services personnel were staged along the route to care for the emergency medical needs of evacuees. The Red Cross staged ’slow and go’ refreshment areas for the hungry and thirsty evacuees. When Friday came and Gustav’s landfall zone was a near certainty, the evacuation plan was put into effect. While over 100,000 people chose to remain in New Orleans, 300,000 residents from the city, and 2 million along the entirety of the strike range, evacuated. There was no panic and the movement of people proceeded in an orderly manner. The interagency coordination allowed, when the time came for the issuance of the evacuation order four days before Gustav made landfall, for an orderly and life-saving evacuation. This effort proved that interagency and interstate cooperation in the time of a disaster is not only a necessity, but that proper planning for such an event facilitates the efficient movement of a large population away from danger. In this case the local and state officials along the Gulf Coast were able to anticipate the disaster. However, given the immediate nature of some disaster scenarios, is it possible to implement similar mass-evacuation strategies as part of the overall public safety  and homeland security paradigm such that a mass-evacuation could be orchestrated in a matter of  hours rather than days without sacrificing the current need for supplies and resources?

September 4, 2008 | Filed under: Capella, Capella University, Public Safety Signals, Public safety, disaster, online college, online university
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