Hurricane Evacuations

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Beatrice Spencer
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1 Hurricane Operations Hurricane Evacuations Operations and Effects Major John Owens Emergency Management Coordinator Captain Robert L. Havens Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator 1

2 City of Port Arthur The City of Port Arthur Est Pop. 58, Sq Miles 25 Miles of ICC At Risk Areas: Sabine Lake Sabine Pass Pleasure Island Heavily Industrialized Area Demographics Minority Pop 80% Elderly Pop 20% Below Poverty Line 25% 2

3 Hurricane Operations Why Do We Evacuate? Riding it Out vs. Evacuating Run From The Water Hunker Down From The Wind Port Arthur, Texas Average Elevation Above Sea Level = 7 ft Seawall/Levee System Max Height = 17 ft Do the Math! 3

4 Hurricane Operations When Do We Evacuate Evacuation Criteria Category 3 or Higher Surge Predictions Timeline This Ain t Right! 4

5 Storm Surge 5

6 Storm Surge Steep Atlantic Coastline Shallow Gulf Coastline Our Problem 6

7 Evacuation Timelines Pre Evacuation Evacuation EOC Activation & Ramp-Up County & Local Disaster Declarations General Population Evacuation Begins Last Bus Departs Extract Ops Personnel H-120H-108 H-96 H-84 H-72 H-60 H-48 H-36 H-24 H-18 H-12 State & Federal Disaster Declarations Special Needs & Voluntary Evacuations Begin Last Air Mission Departs Last Acft Departs Pre Evacuation Evacuation

8 Air Evacuation Timelines Phase 1 EVACUATION WITH NO FEDERAL SUPPORT Phase 2 (State) Phase 4 WARNO & ICS th CRE FMC TXMF force packages deployed to APOE(s) 1 st State mission ready Last mission departs Last acft departs Extract Support Personnel H-120H-108 H-96 H-84 H-72 H-60 H-48 H-36 H-24 H-18 H-12 MA and PTDO for DOD AE AE EXORD FCCs Activated DMATs Deploy AE Forces Deploy Phase 1 Ground Support from TRANSCOM arrives at APOE(s) 1 st T10 mission ready Phase 2 Fed Disaster Dec TXANG-ANG shift to NDMS ops Phase 3 (NDMS) Last mission departs Last acft departs Phase 4 EVACUATION WITH FEDERAL SUPPORT

9 Ike Evac Timeline Landfall Counter Day Date Time Activity EOC Activation - Closely Monitor - Begin Communications and Evacuation Timeline H-120 Sun 9/7/ :00 H-96 Mon 9/8/ :00 H-72 Tue 9/9/ :00 H-60 Tue 9/9/ :00 H-53 Wed 9/10/2008 6:00 H-48 Wed 9/10/ :00 H-36 Wed 9/10/ :00 Preparations Governor's & Presidential Disaster Declarations signed Mayor & County Judge signs Disaster Declarations Prepare for EOC and Responder Relocation Special Needs & Voluntary Evacuation Benchmark Nursing Home Evacuate Facility to Facility & Hospitals Evacuate via NDMS Continued MSN Evacuation Operations H-31 Thurs 9/11/2008 4:00 H-24 Thurs 9/11/ :00 H-12 Thurs 9/11/ :00 H-0 Fri 9/12/ :00 General Population Mandatory Evacuation Benchmark Continued Evacuation Support Operations Evacuations End & Relocated EOC Activated Tropical Storm Force Winds 9

10 Hurricane Evac Ops Evacuation Process Decision Time Implementation Special Needs General Population Transportation Hubs Civic Center Airport Processing Medical Assessments Coordination Activities Emergency Management Activities Relocation of EOC Continuous Operations 10

Hurricane Evac Ops Evacuation All Hands Called In For The Evacuation Primary Efforts Healthcare & Nursing Home Facilities Limited Ambulances (Local

11 Hurricane Evac Ops Evacuation All Hands Called In For The Evacuation Primary Efforts Healthcare & Nursing Home Facilities Limited Ambulances (Local Providers Only) No Medivac DSHS Plans Don t Always Work The General Public Traffic Transit Buses School Buses The Airport USAF, NG, & Reserves NDMS Flights 11

12 Evacuations City of Port Arthur Notable Evacuations Lily (2002) General Pop - Voluntary Hospitals Katrina (2005) Shelter Operations Evacuation for Rita Rita (2005) First Full Scale Evacuation Voluntary Good Compliance Special Needs = Huge Challenge 12

Evacuations City of Port Arthur Notable Evacuations Gustav (2008) Full Scale Evacuation First Mandatory Evacuation Fairly Good Compliance Utilized Lessons Learned From Rita

13 Evacuations City of Port Arthur Notable Evacuations Gustav (2008) Full Scale Evacuation First Mandatory Evacuation Fairly Good Compliance Utilized Lessons Learned From Rita Evacuation and Reentry Operations lasted 1 week Ike (2008) Full Scale Evacuation Mandatory Evacuation Only Moderate Compliance Reentry Based on Critical Infrastructure Restoration 13

H-72 Only the hospitals evacuated Made landfall on October 3, 2002 The

14 Hurricane Lili Hurricane Lili October 2002 Was headed straight to the Texas Louisiana border Category 4 at its height Evacuation called for at H-72 Only the hospitals evacuated Made landfall on October 3, 2002 The deadliest and most devastating hurricane of the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season

15 Hurricane Lili

16 Hurricane Lili 16

17 Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina August 2005 The Summer of 2005 Busiest Season Ever The K-Word What we did New Orleans Evacuation Ford Park Shelter New Orleans Response Evacuation of Katrinians

18 Hurricane Katrina What was the real Katrina Effect? People started taking Hurricane Operations seriously FEMA was playing catch up Everyone was tuned in to the events of the season 18

19 Hurricane Rita Hurricane Rita September 2005 First Full Scale Evac We had plans But no exercise Everyone was Learning on the Go Voluntary Evac Good Compliance Due to the media coverage of NOLA Everyone was Scared! Hurricane Rita September 24, 2005

20 Hurricane Rita General Pop Huge Numbers Massive Traffic No Tracking System Problems with Information Sharing Special Needs Huge Challenge Evaluated by Criteria Most were AGARs MSN Problem Larger than Expected

21 Hurricane Rita 21

22 Hurricane Gustav Hurricane Gustav September 2008 All of our plans were in place Evacuation Operations went relatively smooth Air Evacuations were necessary No Storm Impact The Best Full Scale/Full Function Exercise Ever!!! 22

23 Hurricane Gustav

24 Hurricane Ike Hurricane Ike September 2008 One week after Gustav People did not want to Re-Evacuate Our first experience in 45 years with the Dirty side of the storm. 24

25 Hurricane Operations After Landfall Those that did not leave usually wish they did! Recon Re-Entry PDAs Reestablish EOC 25

26 Hurricane Operations Damaged Infrastructure Loss of Utilities Gas Leaks Does Anyone Have Generators??? Roads Impassable No Water & Sewer Lack of Medical Facilities 26

27 Hurricane Operations Emergency Ops Poor Communications Extreme Heat & Humidity Almost No Water Manpower Intensive 27

28 Re-Entry Operations Re-Entry/ Repatriation Top Priority Where did every one go? Where is Carrolton? How we going get them back? How many are out there? What are the REAL numbers? 28

29 Re-Entry Operations Problems Public Safety Critical Infrastructure Utilities Food Fuel Public Health Hospitals Nursing Homes Dialysis Pharmaceutical Support 29

during evacuation operations the sheltering communities experience during re-entry

30 Re-Entry Operations Please Note: We can only bring our people home when it is safe to do so All the problems and frustrations the sheltering communities experience during evacuation operations the sheltering communities experience during re-entry In Other Words: Evacuating Communities become Sheltering Communities during Re-Entry 30

Hurricane Rita First Responders Emotional

31 Hurricane Rita First Responders Emotional Wellbeing of Responders Problems Separation From Family Loss / Damage of Property Burn-out Solutions Physician Support Responding Agencies IAFF Established Shelter at Local Church Fire & Police Clergy CISD 31

32 Hurricane Evacuation How Can We Do Better Communication Track Patients & General Pop Electronic Bracelets GPS Evacuate Medical Special Needs to Closer, Hardened, Inland Shelters Train, Train, Train Prepare SOPs Plans Equipment Facilities 32

33 Hurricane Evacuations Lessons Learned Hurricanes are Bad Nuff Said! We must make the Special Needs Evacuation call by H - 53 We must make the General Population Evacuation call by H - 31 Evacuation Operations MUST completely stop by H - 12 Airplanes Breakdown We need the ability to Mandate Medical/Nursing Home/Hospital Evacuations prior to the General Pop Evacuation 33

34 Hurricane Evacuation Summary Nobody Wants to Leave! Hunker Down for the Wind, Run from the Water. Repatriate Only When Essential Services are Available There is an Emotional Toll on EVERYONE! It Will Happen Again 34

35 Hurricane Rita What Next??? Questions??? 35

William Lokey. Federal Coordinating Officer Louisiana Hurricane Katrina Response and Recovery

William Lokey. Federal Coordinating Officer Louisiana Hurricane Katrina Response and Recovery William Lokey Federal Coordinating Officer Louisiana Hurricane Katrina Response and Recovery Testimony Before The House Select Committee To Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina