Connecting the Phases of Response:

Pre-Landfall to Recovery: FHWA Update

2010 Gulf Coast Hurricane ConferenceJune 3, 2010

Laurel RadowEmergency Transportation Operations Office of OperationsFederal Highway Administration

U.S. DOT and Hurricane Season

• The Department’s contacts are our Regional Emergency Transportation Representatives or RETREPS:– Leah Russell – Region 4 -

Leah.russell@faa.dot.gov• (404)305-5151(o); (816) 651-6560 (c)

– Gary Barber – Region 6 - Gary.barber@faa.dot.gov

• (817) 222-5401(o); (202)306-5649(C)  

for anything you’ll need regarding our assistance before, during and after the season.

CCONTINUUMONTINUUM & P & PARTNERSHIPSARTNERSHIPS

EVENT

EVENT SEVERITYEVENT SEVERITY

PROBABILITY

Catastrophic Event

Local Disasters

Traffic Incidents

Major/Regional Event

Malevolent Act

Wildfires

Floods

Malevolent Acts

Trans Incidents

HazMat Incidents

Major StormsMajor Storms

Transportation

Emergency managers

1st responders

Shelter managers

Health & medical

At Federal, State Regional & Local levels

Transportation Emergency Responders

Size Distribution of Large-Scale Evacuations in the United States 1/1/1990 - 6/30/2003

Principal Causes of Large-Scale Evacuations in the United States 1/1/1990 -

6/30/2003

Emergency Response and Technology

• Transportation Management Centers

• Advanced Traveler Information– Variable message

signs– 511 telephone systems– Highway Advisory

Radio– Websites– Social Networks

FHWA Evacuation Primers

• Comprehensively addresses all aspects of transportation evacuations. 

• Emphasis of the first Primer is on Highway Evacuations triggered by events that give advance warning.

• Second primer in the series has as its focus Highway Evacuations resulting from no-notice events.

• The third focuses on evacuating populations with special transportation needs and its publication.

• Intent - guidance to State, local, and regional authorities on how to prepare an evacuation plan with regard to transportation, i.e., a kind of “101”.

• Audiences– Emergency managers who lead development of

evacuation plans– Transportation managers

FHWA Evacuation Primers

• Routes to Effective Evacuation Primers Series– Using Highways during

Evacuations Operations for Events with Advance Notice

– Using Highways for No-Notice Evacuations

– Evacuating Populations With Special Needs

Evacuating Populations with Special Transportation Needs

• Third Primer in the Series– Specific focus for those with special movement

requirements, including the elderly, those with medical conditions, transit-dependent populations, pets and service animals, and people being held by law enforcement officials.

– Summarizes information in the other primers that touch on moving populations with special transportation needs.

– Primer provides findings, lessons learned and best practices that aid in developing evacuation plans.

Transportation Evacuation Planning and Operations Workshops

• During 2007-2008, FHWA hosted four regional workshops designed to help State and local authorities use the primer series in developing their evacuation plans. 

• These workshops integrated information from the three primers and included breakout sessions

• Good Practices in Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response: Results of the FHWA Workshop Series available at http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09040/index.htm

FHWA ETO Publications

• Best of Public Safety and Emergency Transportation Operations CD

• Good Practices in Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response: Results of the FHWA Workshop Series

• FHWA Preparedness & Response Workshops - Summary– Common Issues in Emergency

Transportation Operations– Best Practices in Emergency

Transportation Operations• Simplified Guide to the Incident

Command System (ICS) for Transportation Professionals

• Managing Travel for PSE: Executive Summary

• FHWA Study: Integration of Transportation Management Centers (TMC), Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) and Fusion Centers (FC)– Study provides recommendations on how to

integrate TMC and emergency management information/ system processes

– Looks at how information can be integrated to support decision-making in the emergency and security environments

– Report will be finalized this spring.

TMC – EOC - FC

Objectives and Scope of the Study• To identify means and tools to ensure transportation

information from TMCs is available and used effectively by Federal, State, and local agencies in EOCs and FCs to improve planning, response, and recovery from natural and manmade emergencies.

• The final report includes products for distribution to TMCs as well as research products for FHWA to support future program development:– Research products for TMCs:

• Practitioners guidebook to promote information sharing and communication among TMCs, EOCs, and FCs

• Awareness training presentation for TMC staff on the guidebook

• An updated checklist on evacuation procedures for TMCs/EOCs/FC

Fusion Center(FC)

Transportation Management Center

(TMC)

Emergency Operations Center

(EOC)

InformationExchange

SignalControls

MessageSigns Road

WeatherVideoCams

TrafficSensors

911Centers

DispatchSystems

NewsFeeds

WeatherServices

Fire

Police

ServicePatrols

Road MXOperations

Fire

Police

WeatherServices

EMS NewsFeeds

911Centers

DispatchSystems

Road MXOperations

PublicWorks

Utilities

S&LGov’t

Intel.Agencies

PublicHealthFEMADHS

DOT

PublicHealth

Intel.Agencies

FEMA

DHS

DODDOT

DOI

FBI

Banking

Energy

JusticeDepts

Licensing,Registration

EPAs

S&LGov’t

Ports

Agriculture

CriminalInfonets

Fusion Center(FC)

Transportation Management Center

(TMC)

Emergency Operations Center

(EOC)

InformationExchange

SignalControls

MessageSigns Road

WeatherVideoCams

TrafficSensors

911Centers

DispatchSystems

NewsFeeds

WeatherServices

Fire

Police

ServicePatrols

Road MXOperations

Fire

Police

WeatherServices

EMS NewsFeeds

911Centers

DispatchSystems

Road MXOperations

PublicWorks

Utilities

S&LGov’t

Intel.Agencies

PublicHealthFEMADHS

DOT

PublicHealth

Intel.Agencies

FEMA

DHS

DODDOT

DOI

FBI

Banking

Energy

JusticeDepts

Licensing,Registration

EPAs

S&LGov’t

Ports

Agriculture

CriminalInfonets

Concerns of Individuals with Disabilities during Disasters

• Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities

• United We Ride– Federal interagency initiative aimed at improving

the availability, quality, and efficient delivery of transportation services for older adults, people with disabilities, and individuals with lower incomes

• UWR Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Work Group

• Incorporates the interests and concerns of both United We Ride and the ICC

FHWA Evacuation Activities

• FHWA Office of Operations in concert with the Federal Highway Administration Office of Planning worked with the National Association of Regional Councils in their development of evacuation workshops for their members.– Product: STREAMLINING CROSS-LINKING

TRANSPORTATION AND EVACUATION PLANNING: A RESOURCE GUIDE - FOR METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS AND REGIONAL COUNCILS http://narc.org/uploads/transportationandevacuationresourceguide_final.pdf

• FHWA continues to work with its Federal Partners on disaster transportation operations issues, including evacuation planning for State and local governments.

Evacuation: On-Line Training

• Objective: Planning level education tool which brings all stakeholders together in a cooperative effort using an all hazards approach to address emergency evacuations.

• These Elements among others are included in the training– Incident Command System/National Incident

Management System and the need to be NIMS compliant

– Special Needs– Pets– Host/Receiving Jurisdictions (States/Counties)

Planning Guidance for Responseto a Nuclear Detonation

• FHWA Office of Operations participated in the development of the Shelter/Evacuation chapter for the publication.

• The document was prepared by the Sub-Policy Coordination Committee on Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation, Domestic Nuclear Defense Policy Coordination Committee, Homeland Security Council / National Security Council.

FHWA Road Weather Management Program

• Seeks to better understand the impacts of weather on roadways.

• Promote strategies and tools to mitigate those impacts.

• Envisioned is a system that provides "Anytime, Anywhere Road Weather Information" for road users and road operating agencies, as well as a robust, competitive market for road weather services.

• Recent publication, “Seasons of Achievement.”

Transportation Research BoardTransportation Research Board

• NCHRP 20-59: Surface Transportation Security Research– www.TRB.org/SecurityPubs

• Cooperative Research Programs Security Research Status Report

– Report summarizes more than 80 security and emergency preparedness projects representing over $11 million in the contract research programs for state departments of transportation and the public transportation industry.  Updated monthly.

Transportation Research Board

• The Role of Transit in Emergency Evacuation

• Communication with Vulnerable Populations: A Transportation and Emergency Management Toolkit

National Disaster Recovery Framework • Draft released in February and may be

found at the following site• http://

www.disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov/index.html

• DOT provided comments from both a transportation perspective and how best to address those with special transportation needs.

Highway Evacuationsin Selected Metropolitan Regions:

Assessment of Impediments• In December 2009, Congress requested that we

undertake an evacuation study.• We can share findings

once the report is delivered

to Congress

Contact Information

• Questions?• Thank you.• Laurel Radow

– Laurel.Radow@dot.gov– 202/366-2855• Publication requests – ETO@dot.gov