Order Code RL34745
Federal Evacuation Policy: Issues for Congress
November 12, 2008
Bruce R. Lindsay
Analyst in Emergency Management Policy
Government and Finance Division
Federal Evacuation Policy: Issues for Congress
Summary
When government officials become aware of an impending disaster they may
take steps to protect citizens before the incident occurs. Evacuation of the
geographic area that may be affected is an option to ensure public safety. If
implemented properly, evacuation can be an effective strategy for saving lives.
Evacuations and decisions to evacuate, however, can also entail complex factors and
elevated risks. Decisions to evacuate may require officials to balance potentially
costly, hazardous, or unnecessary evacuations against the possibility of loss of life
due to a delayed order to evacuate.
Some observers of evacuations, notably that from New Orleans during
Hurricane Katrina, claim evacuations pose unique challenges to certain segments of
society. From their perspective, special-needs populations, the transit-dependent,
and individuals with pets faced particular hardships associated with the storm. This,
they claim, is because some evacuation plans, and the way in which they were carried
out, appeared to inadequately address their particular circumstances or needs.
In responding to these challenges, Then-senator Obama introduced S. 1685 in
the 109th Congress which would have directed the Secretary of Homeland Security
to ensure that each state provided detailed and comprehensive information regarding
its pre-disaster and post-disaster plans for the evacuation of individuals with special
needs in emergencies. President-elect Obama indicated during his campaign that he
would continue to pursue similar evacuation polices.
Another facet of evacuation is sheltering displaced individuals. For short-term
sheltering, federally provided resources include food, water, cots, and essential
toiletries. When displaced individuals need long-term sheltering, federal policy
provides financial as