The Coastal Region Evacuation and Sheltering Standard Operating Guide, CRES-SOG, identifies counties which are at risk from storm surge flooding and those who will host evacuees by providing safe shelter from the storm. The guide includes the evacuation and sheltering of elderly and medically-fragile citizens in 20 coastal counties.

"This is one of the most important planning documents developed by any state in the wake of hurricane Katrina,” said Mark Goodman, director of Onslow County Emergency Services and Homeland Security Department. “It will save hundreds of lives in the face of a catastrophic storm event."

The guide addresses managing mass evacuations, assignment of resources, sheltering of the general populace, sheltering of functionally and medically fragile populations and coordinated dissemination of public information.

Secretary of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, Bryan Beatty, and the director of Emergency Management (NCDEM), Doug Hoell, tasked the NCDEM operations chief, Mike Sprayberry, to build a team and develop the guide. Through the work of the county emergency managers in the risk and host counties, the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) partners, the NCDEM Operations Team and Dewberry, Inc., the CRES-SOG was developed in just over three months.

“This is a huge step in better preparing for coastal hurricanes and protecting lives,” said Hoell. “The team was able to establish and clarify consistent guidelines for the state, cities and counties in planning for and supporting evacuations, so that we are all on the same page when it comes to disaster preparation, response and recovery.”

Dewberry evaluated the evacuation and sheltering plans and conducted face-to-face interviews with emergency management professionals in the 20 risk counties that border the sounds and the Atlantic Ocean. Information was compiled analyzed and used to develop the CRES-SOG to create a common framework for state and local jurisdictions.

The success of this guide is directly attributed to the input and expertise of the local emergency managers at the county level and our SERT partners,” Hoell said. “Their participation will ensure that consistency has been established in our operations at both the county and state levels.

Every year, starting this year on May 1st, the state will review and update critical regional policies and participate in scheduled exercises and training opportunities to ensure an effective program.

To read The Coastal Region Evacuation and Sheltering Standard Operating Guide, CRES-SOG, go to www.ncem.org, then click on documents. It is the second document on the page.