Planning Beyond Cars: Disability Accommodations Driving Public Transportation Incorporation in Evacuation Plans

Residents of Seattle, Washington, live under constant threat of natural disasters, and the risks are only increasing due to climate change. Hurricane Katrina made clear that disasters are more dangerous for residents lacking private transportation for evacuations. Through a comparison of the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake and the 2014 Oso Mudslide, this project analyzes to what extent Seattle has learned lessons from the shortcomings of evacuation planners that were revealed by Katrina. Evacuation plans for Seattle and relevant federal policies reveal that there is a recognized need for accommodations for low-mobility residents, but the prior arrangements needed for equitable support are not properly established. The Seattle Office of Emergency Management has shown an increased awareness of the need for public transportation in emergency evacuations, but this paper argues that the city accounts for this population as a minority instead of a majority of evacuees.