"Some people who live, work and study in Berkeley may not be able to get out of danger zones fast enough the next time a wildfire or tsunami threatens the city, according to a long-awaited new study. An evacuation of the Berkeley Hills for a wind-driven wildfire could take longer than four hours, by which point a fast-moving fire could easily begin to overtake evacuees stuck in traffic, according to the study."
"The really, really fast winds and really, really low humidity can push a fire so fast that even if you do everything perfectly and you're set up to get the notifications, and you can leave your house really, really fast, the spread of fire could still outpace evacuation, Berkeley Emergency Services Manager Sarah Lana told Berkeleyside in an interview Wednesday. We've seen this time and time again, we've seen it in L.A., we've seen it in Maui, we've seen it in Paradise."
Evacuation from the Berkeley Hills during a wind-driven wildfire can exceed four hours, creating a risk that fast-moving fire could overtake evacuees stuck in traffic. Extremely strong winds and very low humidity can propel fires faster than evacuation even under ideal notification and departure conditions. Evacuating the Berkeley waterfront for a tsunami can take more than two hours. Residents are urged to leave the Berkeley Hills preemptively when weather favors wind-driven wildfires. For tsunamis, people are asked to evacuate on foot or by bicycle rather than by car. For wildfires, leaving the hills in a vehicle is usually safest.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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