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1 (September 2, 2005)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthabdof0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS22235 September 2, 2005 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Disaster Evacuation and Displacement Policy: Issues for Congress Keith Bea Specialist, American National Government Government and Finance Division Summary The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina reaches beyond the borders of the states directly affected by the wind, rain, and floods. Before the storm reached the coast, thousands of residents of Louisiana and Mississippi evacuated to other states, including Texas and Oklahoma. Many people, for a variety of reasons, chose to disregard the mandatory evacuation orders issued by state and local officials. In general, evacuation policy is set and enforced by state and local officials. Federal policy provides for various aspects of civilian evacuation. As Members of Congress explore the challenges and losses in the states affected directly or indirectly by Hurricane Katrina, they may be called upon to consider federal policy options to more fully integrate federal and state authorities. Using the authority set out in state laws and local ordinances, state and local officials may suggest or require the evacuation of residents from homes and communities before certain catastrophes occur.' Threats of pending natural disasters such as hurricanes or floods, warnings of the movement of airborne hazardous material due to transportation accidents, or the recognition of unstable conditions at nuclear power plants may provide officials a short window of opportunity to save thousands of lives. To a limited extent, federal statutes authorize agency heads to use federal resources to assist in the evacuation of civilians. Among those authorities, and arguably pertinent to the situation in New Orleans even before Hurricane Katrina made landfall, is the provision in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for the President to direct the Secretary of Defense to use resources to perform emergency work 1 State laws generally authorize the Governor to order and enforce the evacuation of residents under emergency situations. See CRS Report RL32287, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Statutory Authorities in the States, District of Columbia, and InsularAreas: a Summary, by Keith Bea, Government and Finance Division, CRS, and L. Cheryl Runyon and Kae M. Warnock, consultants, p. 4. Congressional Research Service +o The Library of Congress

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