Has any major city ever been completely evacuated?

[qanda]

I'm just wondering if this has ever been done in the history of our country. There are figures that 80% of New Orleans was evacuated and that sounds like a high number but there were still far too many people left in that city. I'm just wondering what the history is of evacuating any other city that size.

If we know these statistics, it may help deflect some of the criticism that Nagin and Blanco are receiving. Not saying that they don't deserve *any* criticism, but it may help to understand the size and scope of what they were faced with and why it was imperative for the federal government to step in and help.

[Yupster]

1. General Sherman ordered

the complete evacuation of Atlanta.

[TahitiNut]

2. The mass evacuation of about 1 million people was probably largest ...

... in American history. The population of metro New Orleans is/was over 1.3 million. The population of the city itself is/was slightly below 500,000.

[qanda]

4. So, what Nagin did was quite an accomplishment

That should be shouted from the rooftops and here I've been criticizing him. It helps to get perspective when looking at these types of things and unfortunately we don't have Democratic leadership that can frame issues the same way Republicans can.

[Old and In the Way]

5. No doubt....and done in 48 hours.

Not bad for a person with limited resources, like a mayor in New Orleans.

[TahitiNut]

8. Most CD authorities I've heard say it's nearly impossible.

I don't think they even pretend it's possible in SF and NYC.

[leftupnorth]

3. I remember

reading the best we had ever done in recent history was 65%, but i can't tell you where.

[Cleita]

6. Are you trying to say it was impossible in the so-called

greatest country in the world? I don't know what to think except that those people who couldn't leave should have been offered a better exit than the Dome. For those who wanted to stay behind, it was their choice. However, the very poor didn't have a choice whether to leave or not to leave. I think this is where the sin lies.

[qanda]

7. No, I'm saying...

That if the Republicans want to try to pin it all on Nagin then a few facts about what he actually accomplished, with limited resources, may be in order.

[Cleita]

10. I'm not blaming Nagin if that's what you think.

I agree with you wholeheartedly that he did a hero's duty here. I blame our feds for not being on call when they should have been because that is what it would have taken.

[qanda]

12. Yes

I just know that the Bush Administration is working overtime to pin the blame on Nagin and it always helps to have our message framed for their attacks.

What actually brought me to this place is a person on another board that said Nagin should have had 100% of the people evacuated from that city.

[Maple]

9. Just in the US?

Or anywhere?

[qanda]

11. In the US would probably be the best comparison to make

I've been looking and can only find these from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina

Other cities which have been evacuated are:

In 2002 severe flooding led to the evacuation of 50,000 residents of Prague, Czech Republic, on 14 August <7>, with a total of 200,000 Czechs during the second August week. <8>. Also partially evacuated in the same week were the German city of Dresden (120,000 evacuees) <9> and the town Bitterfeld (16,000).

In January 2002, 300,000 residents of the city of Goma (Democratic Republic of the Congo) were evacuated in 3 days due to the eruption of the volcano Nyiragongo.<10><11><12>

In 1999 the Kosovo War led to 800,000 refugees, not all of them urban residents, leaving Kosovo and being accommodated for up to 3 months in other parts of Europe.

In September 1939, at the outset of World War II, London and major British cities were evacuated with 1.5 million displacements in the first 3 days of the official evacuation taking place reaching a final total of 3.75 million.

In April of 1986 roughly 200,000 people were evacuated from Chernobyl following a nuclear meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union).

In November of 1979 the city of Mississauga in Canada was evacuated following a chlorine leak after a freight train derailed. 218,000 were displaced.

[SaveElmer]

13. The British evacuated Boston...

Along with its Tory population in 1776....