File:Rita_evacuees_from_Houston_Texas_September_21_2005.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
evacuation
Sign in to saveAlso known as emergency evacuation, Emergency evacuation
urgent movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard
~20 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Evacuees on Interstate 45 leaving Galveston, through Houston, during Hurricane Rita in 2005. Note how no south-bound lanes (right) were used as north contra-flow lanes for vehicles turning west.
An emergency evacuation is an immediate egress or escape of people away from an area that contains an imminent threat, an ongoing threat or a hazard to lives or property.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “evacuation” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.