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Hurricane Evacuation for the Houston-Galveston Area

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Hurricane Evacuation for the Houston-Galveston Area Hurricane Evacuation for the Houston-Galveston Area Presented by William E. King www.weking.net Mississippi Coast after Katrina Mississippi Coast after Katrina Mississippi Coast after Katrina Mississippi Coast after Katrina Hurricane Carla September 5-11, 1961 A large, slow-moving storm that made landfall near Port Lavaca Sustained winds of 150 mph (Category 4) – Gusts to 175mph Maximum storm surge of 22 feet (Matagorda Bay) 14.8 feet (Houston Ship Channel) Maximum rainfall recorded - 16.49 inches (Galveston) 34 Deaths in Texas Dickinson Texas City Galveston Houston-Galveston Study Area Mean Sea Level Dickinson Texas City Galveston Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 0100 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Surge: 4.5 Feet Dickinson Texas City Galveston Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 0500 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Surge: 8.5 Feet Dickinson Texas City Galveston Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 1000 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Surge: 12.8 Feet Dickinson Texas City Galveston Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 1500 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Surge: 15.8 Feet Dickinson Texas City Galveston Hurricane Carly Category 5 MEOW NW at 8 MPH Surge: 19.0 Feet Baytown HOUSTON La Porte League City Alvin Texas City Houston-Galveston Study Area Galveston Mean Sea Level Baytown HOUSTON La Porte League City Alvin Texas City Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 0100 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Galveston Surge: 4.8 Feet Baytown HOUSTON La Porte League City Alvin Texas City Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 0500 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Galveston Surge: 10.6 Feet Baytown HOUSTON La Porte League City Alvin Texas City Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 1000 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Galveston Surge: 17.9 Feet Baytown HOUSTON La Porte League City Alvin Texas City Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 1500 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Galveston Surge: 22.4 Feet HOUSTON Pasadena Deer Park Webster La Porte Baytown Bacliff Houston-Galveston Study Area Mean Sea Level HOUSTON Pasadena Deer Park Webster La Porte Baytown Bacliff Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 0100 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Surge: 4.8 Feet HOUSTON Pasadena Deer Park Webster La Porte Baytown Bacliff Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 0500 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Surge: 10.6 Feet HOUSTON Pasadena Deer Park Webster La Porte Baytown Bacliff Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 1000 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Surge: 17.9 Feet HOUSTON Pasadena Deer Park Webster La Porte Baytown Bacliff Hurricane Carly 9/11 at 1500 CDT MEOW NW at 8 MPH Surge: 22.4 Feet Hurricane Katrina August 26, 2005 (Friday) – 1PM Category 2 (100 mph) Hurricane Katrina August 26, 2005 (Friday) – 11PM Category 2 (105 mph) Hurricane Katrina August 27, 2005 (Saturday) – 10AM Category 3 (115 mph) Hurricane Katrina August 27, 2005 (Saturday) – 10PM Category 3 (115 mph) – 7mph Hurricane Katrina August 28, 2005 (Sunday) – 7AM Category 5 (165 mph) – 12mph Hurricane Katrina August 28, 2005 (Sunday) – 10AM Category 5 (165 mph) – New Orleans calls evacuation Hurricane Katrina August 28, 2005 (Sunday) – 6PM Category 5 (165 mph) Tropical Force Winds hit New Orleans less than 8 hours after evacuation called Hurricane Tracks 1851-2005 Hurricanes since 1900 Within 120 NM of Houston Comparison of CAT 3-5 Storms 1985-1994 1995-2004 http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/Hurricanemaps/Galveston StudyAreaMap.pdf Harris County Surge Zones EVACUATION STATISTICS FOR CATEGORY 4-5 HURRICANE Total Population of 4,000,000 Affected Area Number of Persons who 800,000-1,000,000 MUST Evacuate Number of Person who ????? Say 2,000,000 PROBABLY Evacuate Number of vehicles 500,000-1,000,000 involved in evacuation http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/Hurricanemaps/Galveston StudyAreaMap.pdf Major Evacuation Choke Points # of Lanes SH59 2 SH290 1 I-45 2 I-10 2 Total 7 Basic Evacuation Math Est. Evacuation Population 1.5 MM Est. Evacuation Vehicles 750,000 Vehicles per Lane per hour 2,000 Total Vehicles per hours 14,000 Time to clear evacuation 53 hours vehicles Task Forces’ Major Recommendations • Command and Control – Unified regional approach – Planning at COGs • Fueling – Utilize industry infrastructure – Fuel Desk at State EOC • Special Needs – Definition – “Anyone who cannot evacuation themselves.” – Statewide database, web based, maintained locally – State responsibility to develop sheltering plan • Traffic Management – Incident management –Aid stations – Traffic Management Plan Traffic Plan? • Directed Evacuation • Contraflow • DEM Website http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem Elements of a PERSONAL Evacuation Plan • Know when/if you need to evacuate – What is your risk? • Are you in the storm surge zone (which category)? • Does wind pose a risk to your home? At what level? • Are you susceptible to upland flooding? 100-year flood plain 100yr Rainfall Possible peak gusts from a cat 4 on worst case track for Rita Elements of a PERSONAL Evacuation Plan • Know when/if you need to evacuate – Other factors • No utilities • Special medical needs • Convenience evacuation • Consider after storm evacuation Forecast Uncertainty Rita 24 hours before landfall Elements of a PERSONAL Evacuation Plan • Know where you are going to go – Friends or relatives are best – Farther is better; west is better – Hotels will be booked for hundreds of miles inland – Shelters – www.OneStorm.org – Personal evacuation plan Elements of a PERSONAL Evacuation Plan • Familiarize yourself with latest traffic management plan • http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/pages/index.htm Elements of a PERSONAL Evacuation Plan • Know what you are going to take with you and where it is – Computer hard drives – Photographs, keepsakes – Records (birth certificates, marriage licenses, SS card) – Financial records – Prescriptions (keep extra refill on hand) – Insurance policies – Medical records – Cash (ATM on national institution) Elements of a PERSONAL Evacuation Plan • Know how to get hold of everyone going with you • Know what you are going to do with pets • Get weather update at each new advisory http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ Elements of a PERSONAL Evacuation Plan • Be Prepared for a long time in your vehicle – Plenty of water & food – Cooler with ice (freeze packs) – Pets’ needs – Medicines – Detailed Map (Computer with mapping program, DC adapter) – Cell phone (extra battery) • Make sure your vehicle is prepared for trip – Keep gas tank topped off – Oil, coolant levels, fan belts, brakes Rita on Thursday at 1AM CAT 5 – 175mph – 28 ft Surge We Cannot Allow This to Happen Here We Cannot Allow This to Happen Here . Again 137 Evacuation Deaths “I watched my mother die in the rear view mirror” www.weking.net.
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