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Abstract
On November 10, 1979, a freight train hauling cars with five different chemicals derailed at a level crossing in the suburban city of Mississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto. Because they could see and hear propane tanks exploding and could smell chlorine, the Peel Regional Police Force decided to evacuate most of city, or about 217,000 people. Once the evacuation decision was made, the police made it known in every possible way:
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They told the media—including local radio, television and cable and the national media;
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They were quite explicit about who had to leave—they released maps of the areas affected so people could see their homes were in the evacuation zone;
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They sent officers door to door, covering every private home and every apartment;
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They followed those officers along every street with police cars with loud hailers broadcasting the evacuation decision; and
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They were specific about what people should do and where they should go.
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Text available via Understanding Katrina: Perspectives from the Social Sciences