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EVACUATIONS Texas National Guardsmen at a roadblock during Tropical Storm Allison Evacuations are used to move people out of the way of a threatening situation such as a flood or fire. The scale of an evacuation can vary from a single building to a whole city. THE CITY'S EVACUATION PLAN The City of Austin Office of Emergency Management works in conjunction with emergency responders to maintain a flexible evacuation plan based on the situations that may impact us. There are no specific evacuation routes for each type of hazard due to the extreme variability of Austin's hazards. There are many factors that influence how each storm brews, floods flow, fires move, and chemical plumes blow. These variable factors are considered before an evacuation is ordered. If it is too dangerous to evacuate, officials may decide it is safer to take protective actions, such as shelter in place, until it is safe to evacuate or the emergency is over. Once it is decided to evacuate, the route and type of evacuation will vary depending on the scene. Key elements in these important decisions include: What are the wind and weather conditions? What time of day or night is it? Are conditions deteriorating or improving? Are people safer indoors or outdoors? Will the rapid movement of hundreds or thousands of people injure as many or more than the threat? Will the out flow of people obstruct the movement of emergency vehicles and responders? Will backed-up traffic block vital roadways? Is there a safe mode of transportation and route for evacuees? Is there sufficient notification time before the need to evacuate? Are there safe locations for staging areas, pickup points, shelter, supplies, and medical assistance, if needed? What data is immediately available? (e.g. on scene reports, reference information, measured data, calculated data, predicted data) Does the impacted group have special needs? Should the evacuation be specific to a building or expanded to a whole area? During an incident, the top priority is always to notify citizens if they are or are not in danger. Notifications will be communicated by emergency responders and/or City staff in a variety of ways, depending on the specific threat. Common communication methods are: Radio, TV, NOAA all hazard/weather radio, web, street-by-street public address systems, and door-to-door notification. Rest assured that when an evacuation is recommended by local officials it is a serious situation! Officials try to give as much advanced warning as possible, so the problem may not look serious at the time you are notified. Please evacuate immediately when asked to because you could lose your life if you stay. If you wait, rescuers may not be able to reach you in time when the dangerous situation is worse. PREPARING FOR AN EVACUATION Prepare an evacuation pack to take with you as part of your family disaster supplies kit. Fill this pack with the items that you would most likely need during an evacuation. Suggested evacuation pack items are marked with a * on the disaster supplies kit page. Learn the hazards in your neighborhood. Consider the proximity of any floodplains, areas at risk of wildfire, highways, industrial facilities, pipelines, railroad tracks, and utilities. Plan several evacuation routes out of your neighborhood that are upstream, upwind, and uphill of any potential risks. Officials may require you to use certain routes depending on the weather and other factors during an incident. Plan routes from school and work as well. DURING AN EVACUATION Stay calm, listen carefully, and follow all instructions quickly. Take your evacuation pack with you. Don't take shortcuts on the way to the assigned gathering point, as there may be risks you are unaware of. Avoid using the telephone or cell phone unless there is a life-threatening emergency. If instructed to leave by car, take only one vehicle. If you need a ride, ask a neighbor. If no neighbor is available to help you, listen to local radio or television stations for further instructions. If the evacuation order allows time: Turn off lights and non-vital appliances. Close and lock your windows and doors. Check on neighbors to make sure they have been notified. Offer help to elderly neighbors and/or those with special needs. For an oil or gas emergency, anything electrical could cause a spark and ignite leaking gas or concentrated crude oil. Do not use your telephone or cellular phone. Do not use switch on/off light switches. Do not start an engine. Do not activate your electric garage door opener to leave your house. Do not try to re-light a pilot light or strike a match. Leave gas furnaces, water heaters and other gas appliances alone. After officials have surveyed the situation, they will make a decision when to allow the public back into the evacuated area. Key issues considered are: Public health issues (standing water, vermin, contamination, etc.) Safety issues (debris, structural integrity, security, etc.) Status of utility services (leaks, lines down, outages, etc.) The City of Austin Office of Emergency Management and the Public Information Office will notify the media about situation updates, when the evacuated area is re-opened, and recovery information. Guard photo courtesy of Texas National Guard / photographer Master Sgt. Anna M. Wagner, 100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. Family photo courtesy of FEMA / photographer Liz Roll.