This resource was part of AHRQ's Public Health Emergency Preparedness program, which was discontinued on June 30, 2011, in a realignment of Federal efforts.
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| Event |
Hospitals |
Pre-Event
Decision |
Post-Event
Decision |
Ultimate
Reasons for
Evacuation |
| Nuclear Reactor Incident (1979) |
Hershey Medical Center
Community General
Osteopathic Hospital
Harrisburg Hospital
Polyclinic Medical Center
(Pennsylvania)2 |
(No
advanced
warning) |
Do not
evacuate |
N/A |
| Northridge
(California)
Earthquake
(1994) |
2 trauma centers, 2 general
hospitals (private and county),
a Veterans Affairs hospital,
and a psychiatric hospital3 |
(No
advanced
warning) |
Evacuate
(immediately
after the
earthquake) |
Structural and
nonstructural
damage3 |
| Northridge
(California)
Earthquake
(1994) |
A general hospital (private)
and a pediatric hospital3 |
(No
advanced
warning) |
Evacuate (3
to 14 days
after the
earthquake) |
Structural
damage3 |
| Chemical
plant
explosion
(1997) |
Helena Regional Medical
Center (Arkansas) |
(No
advanced
warning) |
Evacuate |
Anticipated air
quality effects
due to nearby
explosion |
| Tropical Storm
Allison (2001) |
Memorial Hermann Hospital
and Memorial Hermann
Children's Hospital,4 (Texas) |
Shelter-inplace |
Evacuate |
Loss of power |
| Bomb Threat
(1999) |
Galion Community Hospital5
(Ohio) |
Evacuate |
Evacuated
prior to the
event |
Anticipated
effects of the
bomb |
| Hurricane
Katrina (2005) |
Kindred Hospital New
Orleans;6 New Orleans
Children's Hospital;7 VA
Medical Center of New
Orleans;8 Charity Hospital;9
University Hospital (LSU
Medical System)10 |
Shelter-in-place |
Evacuate |
loss of power, or
security
breakdown |
| Hurricane Rita
(2005) |
University of Texas Medical
Branch (Galveston, Texas);11
seven hospitals within one
medical system12 |
Evacuate |
Evacuated
prior to the
event |
Anticipated
effects of the
hurricane |
| Wildfire (2007) |
Pomerado Hospital
(California)13 |
Evacuate |
Evacuated
prior to the
event |
Anticipated
effects of the
wildfire |
| Rising rivers
(2008) |
Mercy Medical Center (Cedar
Rapids, Iowa) |
Evacuate |
Evacuated
prior to the
event |
Anticipated
effects of
flooding |
| Levy breach
(2008) |
Columbus Regional Hospital
(Indiana |
(No
advanced
warning) |
Evacuate |
Flooding |
| Fire (2009) |
Mt. Sinai (New York City)14 |
(No
advanced
warning) |
Evacuate |
Fire |
| Rising river
(2009) |
MeritCare Hospital and
MeritCare South University
Hospital (North Dakota) |
Evacuate |
Evacuated
prior to the
event |
Anticipated
effects of
flooding15 |
| Rising river
(2009) |
Innovis Health (North
Dakota)16 |
Shelter-inplace |
Do not
evacuate |
N/A |
5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857