Hurricane Katrina Became the Catalyst for Better Emergency Planning

The end of August marked a particularly difficult anniversary for those who lived in and around New Orleans. That’s because 20 years ago, Hurricane Katrina brought not only high winds to take out power lines and air conditioning during a sweltering summer heatwave, but also flooding that devastated the area and claimed many lives. For the residents left waiting for help, the delays were life-threatening. For the tens of thousands who had to evacuate while leaving behind family pets, it was heart-wrenching.

Like so many of today’s natural disasters, the order to get out quickly and bring only the absolute essentials almost certainly means leaving behind the much-loved fur kids. And for many, including those facing that record-breaking hurricane in New Orleans, the thought of abandoning their furry companion just was not going to happen. So, they stayed. In fact, following the hurricane, a poll determined that nearly half of the 150,000 to 200,000 people who refused to evacuate did so because it would mean leaving their pet behind.

This loving reluctance – which we hear of time and time again during forest fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, and flooding – is understandable but can wreak havoc on the rescue process. Yet, what authorities are now realizing can be equally devastating to those who have evacuated without Rover in tow is the debilitating sense of anguish pet owners face when, on top of losing their home and all personal possessions, they’ve also lost their four-legged companions.

And that’s why, in the year following Hurricane Katrina, federal lawmakers introduced the Pet Evacuation & Transportation Safety (PETS) Act. It recognized the importance of pets in the lives of the communities and understood the risks that residents were prepared to take in order to safeguard their pets. Once passed, this law encouraged states and relevant agencies to include the evacuation and/or protection of stranded pets in their local area disaster plans.

In short, it amended the existing Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to require that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ensure that, going forward, state and local emergency plans address the needs of individuals with pets and service animals prior to, during, and following a major disaster or emergency.

What this meant was that FEMA had to re-evaluate needs with pets in mind and make sufficient funding available to state and local governments to ensure necessary programs or projects – such as procuring, constructing, leasing or renovating emergency shelter facilities to accommodate and care for pets and, wherever possible, their owners – were in place.

Building on this requirement, an act in California entitled FOUND (Friends of Oreo Uniting During Disaster) went into place following the Los Angeles wildfires and a heartwarming video that showed an owner reunited with his pet named Oreo. What it requires is that local jurisdictions add a special provision to their emergency plan requiring every effort to be made to go in and retrieve animals that didn’t make it out to these shelters during forced evacuations. Further, a special emergency hotline to be created to circumvent red tape and reunite owners with their pets, faster.

With the raft of forest fires, tornadoes, flooding and more this year, it’s no surprise the American Red Cross is the agency chosen to coordinate the matching of those in need with appropriate shelter across the country. Per their website, “If it’s not safe for you to stay home, it’s not safe for your pet either.” And they mean it. They’re dedicated to finding a safe place for you and your dog, cat, or other small pet, either together or in facilities that can ensure a happy reunion when natural disaster emergencies have ended.