Schrilla, Thomas P.

City of New Orleans. Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

United States. Federal Transit Administration. Office of Research, Demonstration, and Innovation

FTA Report No. 0137

https://doi.org/10.21949/1506039

Tech Report

New Orleans (Louisiana)

United States. Federal Transit Administration. Office of Research, Demonstration, and Innovation

Evacuation represents an important strategy for preserving safety and minimizing the risks from disaster. However, a portion of the population face obstacles that prevent them from being able to evacuate on their own. In New Orleans, the local government maintains a plan to help these vulnerable residents to safely evacuate in the event they are not able to do so independently. In the interest of improving cities’ ability prepare for and execute an effective evacuation, New Orleans’ City-Assisted Evacuation (CAE) plan was tested and evaluated to assess whether existing practices would adequately meet the needs of the vulnerable populations for whom they are intended. A comprehensive review of the CAE plan investigated multiple aspects of the process, from planning and design stages through implementation and execution. The project concluded that some aspects of the process did not fully support the needs of New Orleans’ vulnerable populations. Areas for improvement were identified and potential solutions proposed. 2-page Report Summary is included on Supporting Files tab.

PDF

LA-26-7010-00

Federal Transit Administration