Poor State of U.S. Cities' Disaster Planning of 'Significant National Concern'

A new report from the Department of Homeland Security shows that, despite 9/11 and recent natural disasters, most U.S. city and state governments have not implemented adequate disaster plans.

2 minute read

June 23, 2006, 6:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"The nation's states and major cities remain unprepared for catastrophe nearly five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, having failed to develop warning systems, evacuation plans or information for the public, according to a comprehensive report issued yesterday by the Department of Homeland Security.

The department called for a 'fundamental modernization' of disaster plans for the first time since the end of the Cold War, citing President Bush's post-Hurricane Katrina declaration that detailed emergency planning must become 'a national security priority.' The report said the plans must be improved so they can be coordinated and tied to federal funding.

'The current status of plans and planning gives grounds for significant national concern,' the 174-page Nationwide Plan Review states. 'The threats and hazards we face are already sufficiently difficult. We should not have to fight our own plans and planning processes to prepare for or to perform our missions.'

The majority of state and local plans are not adequate, according to the report. They fail to set clear chains of command, provide for public warnings, communicate internally in a crisis, or care for people with special needs, such as the poor, disabled, elderly or non-English speaking.

Nationwide, emergency operations plans were found inadequate in three-fourths of the states and 90 percent of urban areas. Mass evacuation plans remain inadequate and 'are an area of profound concern,' the report stated. They are inadequate in nine out of 10 cases."

Saturday, June 17, 2006 in

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Los Angeles, California

Op-Ed: Looking for Efficiency? Fund Intercity Buses

Much less expensive than rail, intercity buses serve millions of Americans every year, but public subsidies are lacking.

45 minutes ago - Smart Cities Dive

A bus stop in Philadelphia, where people wait under a glass shelter for a bus as it arrives.

Philadelphia Councilmember Proposes Transit Access Fund

The plan would allocate 0.5 percent of the general fund toward mobility subsidies for low-income households.

1 hour ago - Streetsblog USA

Cyclists on an empty rural paved road with hills and sunset in background.

Texas Bill Would Ban Road Diets, Congestion Pricing

A Texas state senator wants to prevent any discussion of congestion pricing and could suspend existing bike lane and sidewalk projects.

2 hours ago - Houston Chronicle