Alert to Congress: Nuclear evacuation may bog down

[kristopher]

Alert to Congress: Nuclear evacuation may bog down
By JEFF DONN, AP National Writer – 1 day ago

Regulators and congressional investigators clashed Wednesday over a new report warning that in the event of an accident at a nuclear plant, panicking residents from outside the official evacuation zone might jam the roads and prevent others from escaping.

The report by the Government Accountability Office, which acts as the investigative arm of Congress, challenges a three-decade-old fundamental of emergency planning around American nuclear power plants: that preparations for evacuation should focus on people who live within 10 miles of the site.

The GAO found that people living beyond the official 10-mile evacuation zone might be so frightened by the prospect of spreading radiation that they would flee of their own accord, clog roads, and delay the escape of others. The investigators said regulators have never properly studied how many people beyond 10 miles would make their own decisions to take flight, prompting what is called a "shadow evacuation."

As a result, the GAO report says, "evacuation time estimates may not accurately consider the impact of shadow evacuations."

...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jlosskgnu-Mxq-B1CYqFkeirFaQw?docId=64b40cf916cd4478ae934708fee62deb

[enough]

1. This has been true from the beginning, and getting worse all the time.

From the article:

snip>

Nuclear sites were originally picked mainly in rural areas to lessen the impact of accidents. However, in its 2011 series, the AP reported population growth of up to 350 percent within 10 miles of nuclear sites between 1980 and 2010. About 120 million Americans — almost 40 percent — live within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant, according to the AP's analysis of Census data. The series also reported shortcomings in readiness exercises for simulated accidents, including the failure to deploy emergency personnel around the community, reroute traffic, or practice any real evacuations.

snip>

[RobertEarl]

2. This is a serious matter

A timely evacuation away from another spewing exploded nuclear power plant can mean the difference between a good long life or a shortened nasty existence being seen by doctors who can't help you.

Drones should be employed for an early warning system.

I can almost hear it... the loudspeaker on a drone....

"Get the Hell out of here, NOW!"