Regarding the issues raised by Anne Craig's Jan. 9 letter, “Are You Prepared for a Nuclear Accident?”: In the event we should have a nuclear incident affecting Western North Carolina, do we have a rational evacuation plan? For if we do not have a plan for a phased evacuation, traffic will be at a standstill on every exit road.
The key word is "phased." It is "not brain surgery" to develop a scheme that will schedule traffic onto the various exits; however, implementing and enforcing the plan may be the major problem.
Numerous options should be examined, namely, car tags starting with one through three leave in the first hour, four through six the next hour, etc. Or order based on the first letter of surname, and possibly Homeland Security could provide other plans.
Bottom line: our local FEMA office must formulate and publish a practicable evacuation plan.
— Thomas Kelemen-Beatty
Asheville
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Have you ever participated in a major evacuation? the latest municipal evacs. were weather related and folks from greater New Orleans and NYC headed here in large numbers. How about evacuating Atlanta in the face of a plague outbreak? Here we run Weapons grade, industrial and medical radioactive materials up and down I26 and I40 every day. In the event Asheville has to clear out local government and law enforcement will leave first as they will be the first to know. Food and fuel outlets will be looted as the general public flees. Your rational evacuation plans go out the window as mom grabs the kids and her pistol and takes off in the 4X4. You stand there and tell her she has to wait an hour. Be prepared scout. Homeland security begins at home.
By mtndow
01/27/2013