Tehama County hears update on emergency evacuation routing study

Julie R. Johnson, Corning Observer, Calif.
·1 min read

Sep. 18—Presenting an update on the safety, secondary access community planning and evacuation routing study to the Tehama County Board of Supervisors, Jeff Schwein of Green Dot Transportation Solutions said, "We have over 200 ideas and responses and opportunities and constraints from all the communities throughout the county, so we feel we have a pretty good handle on the needs of each."

During the Sept. 12 meeting, Schwein explained the evacuation and routing plan aims to identify all the challenges residents may have during an evacuation event — mainly focusing on flooding and wildland fires emergencies.

He said, working with the county Transportation Commission and fire agencies, Green Dot has been able to get a very good understanding of the needs of the community in the case of an emergency evacuation through complete and thorough community outreach, meetings, studies, data gathering and analysis.

Some of the work the company did for the plan includes analysis using geographic information systems, monitoring fire station locations and response times to communities, areas of high vulnerability, infrastructure and potential wildfire pathways.

"What we are looking at is pinch points for evacuation routes at intersections at roadways," Schwein said. "We are looking at the need for secondary access points for communities and opportunity areas for safe places of refuge during flooding or wildfires."

Now in the draft development stage of the plan, Schwein said as soon as that document is finished it will be presented to the county Transportation Commission in November followed by public review in December.

He believes a final draft will be ready for the Board of Supervisors in February.