Using Highways For No Notice Evacuations PDF Download

"Much of what is known about evacuations is based on preparations for incidents, such as hurricanes, for which there is advance warning. With advance warning, evacuations can be planned and managed using procedures and systems that have been developed as a result of extensive and methodical pre-planning. This approach, however, does not adequately support management of incidents when there is no advance warning or when conditions are changing rapidly. Evacuations in response to these types of incidents tend to be monitored, but not well managed. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recognized the importance of and need for new tools and processes to help agencies plan for and manage evacuations where there is little or no advanced warning. Consequently, the FHWA initiated a project to assess the state of the practice and state of the art in evacuation transportation management. The purpose of this document is to outline a concept of operations for transportation management during a no-notice emergency evacuation. This report will illustrate how agencies interact with each other, what information is shared, and how transportation systems are effectively managed during disasters. The concept of operations is intended to address who, what, when, where, why, and how the transportation management system needs to operate during a major no-notice event or disaster requiring evacuation. A high level description of activities that occur during each phase of the evacuation process is provided."--Technical report documentation page.