using highways for no-notice evacuations - FHWA Operations - U.S. ...

may be easily accessible by air or water that, while being impracticalfor mass evacuee movement, may be very practical for bringing in foodand supplies. This will factor into evaluation and selection of shelteringlocations.The selection and preparation of shelters needs to include considerationof the populations they will be used to protect. The manygroups who will require specialized facilities and services duringsheltering include evacuees from hospitals and nursing homes who willneed medical facilities; people with vision, hearing, or mobility impairmentwho need special provisions; and pet owners who need placesto shelter their animals as well as themselves. Sheltering facilities willbe able to accommodate such special needs groups to varying degrees,depending on their facilities. Evacuation planners should determinewhether such special needs groups should be routed to particular sheltersand how to incorporate such specialized direction into the evacuationplan. 13In some cases, transportation planners may need to identify shortterminterim sheltering locations as part of the evacuation transportationplan. These can serve as collection points for evacuees who havewalked or ridden transit from the at-risk area, and who now must waitfor secondary transport (buses, etc.) to longer-term sheltering facilities.As with the long-term shelters, these short-term options need to bepre-identified in relation to the transportation network and evacuationroutes so that they can be incorporated into the evacuation plan andbe prepared in advance to support a no-notice evacuation.SITUATIONAL AWARENESSSituational awareness is critical to the successful execution of an evacuation.After a no-notice incident, evacuation managers need accurate,up-to-date information in order to make quick and effective decisionsregarding evacuation tactics and the deployment of resources. Key factorsof which they need to be aware include:n Nature of the precipitating incident and its associated hazardsn Geographic location and scope of at-risk arean Current size and location of at-risk population13See the Evacuation Populations with Special Mobility Needs Primer in this Primer series for additionalinformation.USING HIGHWAYS FOR NO-NOTICE EVACUATIONS75