# How mandatory are mandatory evacuations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207 "2011-08-26T19:11:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207/21 "2011-08-27T19:12:23Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I wonder if the constitutionality of these laws have been tested. I wouldn’t think that it would be permissible for the government to ORDER me to leave my own home. Private property rights and all. Well they couldn’t make that old guy Harry Truman leave when Mount St Helens blew up ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207/22 "2011-08-27T20:08:33Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > What I’d like to know is, where the hell are 20 million people going to evacuate _to_? > > Kansas? It’s not a general evacuation - its an evacuation of certain streets within the city. ~270,000 are evacuated, most to other places in New York (staying the friends/family) or to shelters within the City limits (reports are that shelters are nowhere near capacity so far) ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207/23 "2011-08-27T20:23:43Z")
What do you do with pets? I’ve heard many shelters won’t take them. I’m so glad we don’t have to evacuate. It would break my heart to abandon my kitties to the storm. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207/24 "2011-08-27T21:06:04Z")
A lot of shelters these days are allowing pets, because in prior emergencies people would refuse to evacuate because it meant leaving their pets behind. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207/25 "2011-08-28T14:54:32Z")
The mayor of NYC did say that the police could, in principle, go door-to-door and forcibly evacuate people, but they lacked the manpower and would make no such attempt. This morning (or maybe it was last night, but they had a clip of him on the 6AM news here in Montreal, he said that if you haven’t evacuated, don’t. Stay indoors, as far from windows as possible and move higher if it is possible to do so without going outside. Sounds like good practical advice. Incidentally, parts of NYC were underwater from a big rainstorm just two weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207/26 "2011-08-28T16:41:10Z")
> [@](#): > > He asked them to put a 3-by-5 index card in their left shoe with their Social Security number, next of kin and telephone number of next of kin, “so we know how to identify you.” He did not seem to be joking. Wouldn’t you do better in the case of a hurricane to just write that stuff on your leg with a Sharpie? Seems to me (veteran of 2 hurricanes, and quite a few tropical storms) that if you’re going to die in a hurricane, there’s going to be a lot of water, and that index card will probably dissolve. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207/27 "2011-08-28T17:30:13Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I wonder if the constitutionality of these laws have been tested. I wouldn’t think that it would be permissible for the government to ORDER me to leave my own home. Private property rights and all. As I understand things, the government can legally take over your property as long as (1) it’s for a public purpose; and (2) you are paid reasonable compensation. I imagine that if the evacuation period were long enough, you would have the right to sue for compensation. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207/28 "2011-08-29T14:43:13Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > What I’d like to know is, where the hell are 20 million people going to evacuate _to_? Kansas? Kansas?? Why Kansas. Knoxville in **East Tennessee** had beautiful clear blue skies throuthout all of the hurricane and tornados on the east coast of conus. ---
**Author:** ![Any\_Other\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Any\_Other\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Any_Other_Name)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207/29 "2011-08-29T16:14:50Z")
> [@DxZero](#): > > A quick googling has brought up cites that indicate failure to evacuate could be considered a misdemeanor. Seems that more often than not, the penalties aren’t enforced and everyone goes about their business. Here’s an [article](http://www.americanbar.org/newsletter/publications/law_practice_today_home/law_practice_today_archive/april11/fight_or_flight_on_enforcing_mandatory_evacuations.html) from the ABA magazine about enforceability issues. Great reference. Sounds like whether specific laws are in place or not, if they really want you to evacuate, you’re going whether you want to or not. But more likely they’ll warn you of the risks and move on. I’ve heard stories of those refusing to evacuate, being asked to write identifying information on their bodies with permanent marker, as a last warning of the risks they’re facing if they remain behind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-mandatory-are-mandatory-evacuations/594207.md?page=1)