Safety

Blackout becomes NYC evacuation rehearsal

Emergency Management Alert, September 3, 2003

Emergency management officials in New York City recently rehearsed the evacuation plans developed over the last year during the August 14 power outage, the New York Times reports.

When the power went out, more than 3 million people were able to get out of the city thanks to an evacuation template that is easily adapted to a variety of situations.

The plan divides the city into 131 evacuations zones and delineates responsibilities to local and state agencies. It calls for opening all traffic lanes on bridges and tunnels in the direction of evacuation flow, except for one lane for emergency response vehicles heading toward the crisis area. Sites like the city's baseball stadiums serve as reception areas for citizens to find first aid and information. The plan also uses warehouse around the city to store food and supplies.

The blackout exposed several weaknesses in the plan, though. Thousands of workers were stranded and forced to spend the night sleeping on the front steps of post offices, transportation centers, and public buildings, the newspaper said.

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