One of the largest evacuations within the U.K was that of some of it's citizens from cities and major industrial areas during WW2.
Preparations for remaining home during WW2 were also put into place.
LINK -The Homefront
LINK - Large civil defence drill in Russia
Below, not an emergency evacuation but a tube strike, which has about the same outcome on the occasions they occur in London.
Considering these strike are made known in advance, with both planning and procedure put in place, imagine an unannounced disaster type scenario tackled with an untried emergency planning option.
LINK - London Evacuation plan article
LINK - Article. Thousands evacuate flooding
The critical 'realize and relate' timescale is paramount, from either direct realization or the instant of the first release of news appearing and when you actually decide to evacuate if that's your plan will be the difference between success or failure.
LINK - Evacuation and shelter guidance
Your council will have or come under a Civil Contingencies Team, they overview emergency planning and will coordinate with essential services in a major situation within a multi agency plan . Planning will include designated buildings for refuge and evacuation of parts or all. You can check with your local councils CCT / Emergency Planning Department regarding further details for your area although some operational information may not be available to members of the public. Examples can be found in the links below, you will find similar for your location.
Sussex community risks
Having more than one plan is certainly a good idea along with different travel modes. Consider viable routes by foot, bike, car or even using waterways etc. Have a separate plan/s for work. This will all be distance and population density related, no one plan for all. Remember unknown contingencies could be introduced which will make your plan fail before it even starts if you are not prompt in early initiation. Roads can be closed only to official services, official evacuation routes introduced, movement curtailed or forbidden.
Thinking about a BOV ensure you leave early, remember your not stuck in a traffic jam, your in it with everyone else, you are the traffic jam.
It just takes one group of people to cause gridlock, in the case below one of the many taxi protests in South Africa.
If your plan involves going under bridges think again, mark them up as a risk or avoid altogether especially at night. An all too common method of attack in South Africa is to drop concrete onto passing vehicles. Remember if it's not you the tail back caused ceases the flow of traffic.
Another risk to your escape could include tunnels, again be aware of problems that could occur if within your escape route.
Civil Contingencies Act
The application of the Civil Contingencies Act can mean wide sweeping changes including being forced to remain or leave home, if away from home it may be applied to refrain you from leaving a specific designated area, this will not be negotiable so something else to plan around.
If travelling by road stay updated with problems
You will know which local roads can be problematic, here we have basically two main arterial routes, the scenic coastal route being the A259 and the main A27 dual carriageway. A problem on either one overloads the other which can indeed cause mayhem. Remember any alternate routes to your original plan are not just your idea, others will no doubt do the same.
Make yourself aware of other route options regarding your planning, maps can help but try the routes too both during rush hour and a quieter period, it is worth 'expanding' your route should the need arise to go off your original, again best to include more than one option.
You can check traffic flow in relation to your planning and practice but remember this will not be proportionate as other factors will prevail during a major evacuation, think of it as the school run and multiply by at least 100 : ) Below link to our local count, your region will have too.
CCTV clip during the London attack in March 2017, an example of an otherwise busy area after road closures however as can be seen bikes were still able to be used as a method of transport.
Links to some U.K traffic cameras below
Localised road condition feeds are a worthwhile follow along with local traffic camera feeds and appropriate traffic authorities updates.
HOME EVACUATION PLAN
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| PreparedInEssex |
Just as important as a major evacuation plan from town or city. A home evacuation plan in event of the worst happening at home. Practice in both light and darkness.
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| PreparedInEssex |
NEWS, SOCIAL MEDIA AND
CHINESE WHISPERS
Ensure you have a decent news feed in place, more about this on the blog here:
Situational news awareness
Mobile phone and internet suspension
Both internet and mobile phone services could be suspended if it is thought necessary in the interests of national security or public safety. While the downing of the internet would be thwart with problems due to it's diverse infrastructure, it is unlikely to be total or lasting even if LINX was completely taken down, perhaps one would see a downing of the basic home broadband. Communications act 2003 section 132 ' powers to deal with emergencies' likely applied with the civil Contingencies act.
LINK - Home evacuation plan LINK - Urban evacuation
People do strange things given the right scenario, picture below shows idiots on a blocked motorway (M26) leaving their vehicles. Imagine the chaos a few dumped or broken down vehicles will cause on a main road, panic and over congestion will no doubt lead to accidents then add the idiots, mayhem.
LINKS
Evacuation, what to pack
Evacuation plan
COMAH
Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999
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| Buncefield fuel depot fire, it caused £1bn of damage, injured 43 people and forced 2,000 residents to be evacuated in Hertfordshire after 250,000 litres of petrol spilled from a storage tank and caught fire. Safety alarms failed. The explosion produced a blast measuring 2.4 on the richter scale |
If your location is near a COMAH designated site be aware of the high risk this could pose.
LINKS
COMAH
Some COMAH sites
Near a nuclear facility ?
DEPZ
(detailed emergency planning zone)
REPPIR
(The radiation emergency preparedness and public information regulations 2001)
(detailed emergency planning zone)
REPPIR
(The radiation emergency preparedness and public information regulations 2001)
LINKS
BBC drama documentary ' The Day Britain Stopped ' operation gridlock emergency plan is eventually implemented after motorways grind to a halt in freezing conditions..
PLEASE REPORT DEAD LINKS
All information given in good faith with no responsibility taken
