Evacuations

People are forced to evacuate more often than you may realize. Hundreds of times each year, transportation or industrial accidents release harmful substances into the atmosphere, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes and work sites to go to a safer area.

Evacuation Planning
Fires, floods, chemical releases and natural disasters, such as tornadoes, cause the majority of evacuations. Almost every year people along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts need to evacuate in the face of approaching hurricanes.

As a result, evacuation planning has been in progress for many years. Specific evacuation programs vary by area and by disaster, so contact your local emergency management agency for your community's plans.

What to Do During an Evacuation
If an evacuation is called for in your community, local officials will provide information via television, social media, and radio broadcasts. Government agencies, the American Red Cross and other disaster relief organizations will provide emergency shelter and supplies. But just in case, you should plan to have enough water, food, clothing and emergency supplies to last at least three days. In the event of a catastrophic national emergency, you should be self-sufficient for at least two weeks.

The amount of time you have to evacuate your home, community, or work site will depend upon the disaster. Many disasters offer no time at all for people to gather even the most basic necessities. This is why you should prepare now.

Hamilton County Mass Evacuation Plan
The purpose of the Hamilton County Mass Evacuation Plan (PDF) is to provide for the orderly and coordinated evacuation of all or any part of the population of Hamilton County if it is determined that such action is the most effective means available for protecting the population from the effects of an emergency situation.