Gene

All of a sudden here on Cape Cod large round blue signs pop up with "Evacuation Route" message and arrows pointing way to go. What's up with this?

ggreen

All of a sudden? I know I've seen them in the Northeast for years, both here in New York City and vicinity, and in SE Massachusetts where my family lives.

They're hurricane evacuation route signs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_evacuation_route

ggreen

Oops! Hit Post too soon...

I meant to add that since Hurricane Katrina, there has been a lot more discussion of preparing for hurricanes here in the Northeast. The added signs are probably part of that initiative.

volcanogirl

Since Katrina and Rita, they've put them up in Texas as well.

lolfn

funny you should write this post today. i live in st. michaels, md--the town is on the peninsula on the chesapeake bay. there is one road on/off the peninsula. just today i noticed the new evacuation route signs. i was wondering if they put them up to coincide with the katrina anniversary.

anyone who lives out here has to know which way to go to get to the "mainland". visitors could possibly get turned around and go in the wrong direction. shouldn't they have "turn around for evacuation route" signs too?

Bobmrg

Out here in the wilds of the NW, we get both tsunami route signs and evacuation signs in case Mt. Rainier decides to blow its top.

Gene

GGreen: Thanks for your input and the Wikipedia Link.

The signs on Cape Cod have only appeared during the last several weeks and do not mention "Hurricanes". They say only "Evacuation Route" with an arrow pointing the direction.

I have not seen or heard any local or state media explanation of these signs.

Perhaps, it's only our new Governor (here in Mass.) Deval patrick who goes about putiing in new projects without telling the rest of us what their about.

I have not seen these signs in other parts of SE Mass such as Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton but I don't get to these areas that often.

Your Wikipedia website on this subject only mentions south coastal states such as Texas, Louisiana, Florida etc. as states with these signs. There are no Northeast states listed.

wyatt92

We've always had them here in Boston. A local news station did a story on them last year I believe. Tried to follow them and, as most signage in Boston, they were very confusing.

Milo

Gene: There has been information in the Cape Cod Times within the past week about the signs. They are a part of hurricane preparedness and not Governor Patrick "putting in new projects without telling the rest of us..."

Gene

Milo: Thanks for your input that there was coverage of this signage issue by the Cape Cod Times. Unfortunately I missed it.

I'm still confused by this issue. Do we as a state have to spend millions of dollars on signage to inform tourists on Cape Cod how to evacuate the area because a hurricane more than a week away may or may not strike here.

Hurricanes are not tornados they travel very slowly and can be tracked so that tourists have plenty of time to leave the area of potential impact.

I guess what we are saying here is that CC tourists are not smart enough to look at a map, listen to weather forecasts and determine on their own when to leave, they need signs to tell them where to go. How Pathetic!

rkkwan

Evacuate Cape Cod? Why do they need the signs? Don't they practice that every Sunday afternoon in the summer and at the end of any major holiday (like the coming Monday)?

lolfn

it has to be federal funds since, i as said earlier, these exact brand new signs were also put up in maryland in the last week. i doubt massachusetts and maryland are teaming up to spend money on these ridiculous signs.

i am tempted to follow the signs though to see where they take me. since i'm on the delmarva peninsula, will they take me over to the western shore of the chesapeake bay? that area got much harder hit during hurricane isabel (which came right up the chesapeake bay) than the eastern shore did.

ggreen

lolfn, that's a great idea - an evacuation route tour! LOL. I, too, have always wondered where they lead...

Gene, I don't remember if the signs I've seen actually say "hurricane" on them either. But they have been on the SE MA coast in the small towns around FR and NB at least since the early 90's after all the hurricane damage then. And in Brooklyn where I live, there are occasional signs.

Also, here in NYC, there's been a lot of ramped up talk about hurricane and other disaster handling. Poor response to the blackout in 2003; Katrina and Rita; global warming headlines; and of course 9/11 have pushed Mayor Mike into needing to address evacuation and other issues. (Not that there's been much change on the ground, as evidenced by the subway flooding SNAFU this year!) Signs are an easy, visible way of showing that the situation is being addressed - and I wouldn't be surprised if it's a federal initiative. I seriously doubt they're intended "to inform tourists" only (though I agree that on the Cape that would be the target population!).

Now I'm curious: I'll definitely have to pay more attention to where I see them!

volcanogirl

The response to Rita here was horrible; my poor Mom was driving the ten miles to my brother's house on I-10, and it took 9 hours to get there. 9 hours to go ten miles; cars everywhere were out of gas and just stalled, no bathrooms, no water. Luckily the hurricane avoided Houston, or it could have been so much worse. I think it will seriously affect people's decision to evacuate next time. Unless you're right on the coast, I think a lot of people here will just stay put.

capecodshanty

I saw the signs Gene, too, at the Orleans rotary. I had to chuckle-since what other way is there to get to the bridge, from our part of the Cape??
I'll try my luck on our dinghy, if need be!

ggreen

Found the Cape Cod Times article: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pb...NEWS/708290323

It says in part: "About 140 signs are being installed, including some pointing motorists toward emergency shelter in case a major storm leads to a mass exodus toward the Cape Cod Canal bridges, he said. When wind speeds reach 70 mph, the Army Corps of Engineers shuts down the bridges so vehicles are not blown into the canal."

I didn't know that - learn something new every day! (And my family has lived on the Cape for generations.)

The article also indicates that it is in fact a state initiative, and recommends going to www.mass.gov/mema and clicking on Cape Cod Emergency Traffic Plan 07, which brings you here: http://tinyurl.com/2ntbyc. (I have to admit, I'm not going to read this now! But the MEMA site has some other interesting info, including on hurricanes...)

Looks like the initiative encompasses much more than "CC tourists [who] are not smart enough to look at a map, listen to weather forecasts and determine on their own when to leave". It also speaks to what volcanogirl said about colossal traffic jams.

I would also contend that although hurricanes can be tracked, you never know until the last minute where they will make landfall or what the impact will be: just look at the disastrous hurricane of '38. The force of Katrina on the MS coast. Or even this new hurricane off of Aruba that's wobbling around so much they can't predict its route. Which isn't to say the signs are not a waste of taxpayer $$$, just that even the most hardened coastal dweller can run into a lot of trouble in hurricane season!

ggreen

This hurricane crossword is kind of cute! (And easy!) www.mass.gov/Eeops/docs/mema/Hurricanes.htm

gomiki

rkkwan, LOL. So true. An article in todays CCTimes suggests that one should not try to leave tomorrow between 2PM & 9PM due to the congestion.

During our last hurricane warning ( several years ago and it never came) the traffic was backed up beyond the Orleans Rotary. That's 40 plus miles!