Having lived/worked in LA area for 4 years (and having made many trips to LA while living/working in No. Cal and Washington State) , I am quite familiar with I-405’s normal traffic pattern (which is not very good, many hours of a normal day). In the DC area we are lucky that while traffic is bad most days, it isn’t anywhere as bad as I-405, except during periods of inclement weather or during special events.
However, yesterday while attending a Severe Weather Symposium in DC, we recounted an event earlier this year that was called “Carmageddon 2011”. It was a well forecasted event (a rapidly developing snowstorm) and federal employees were given the green light to go home well in advance of the incident. Yet many folks either disregarded the early release notice or the word never got passed by supervisors and managers.
Let’s hope this message gets wide enough dissemination that people are allowed to Telework or do alternating work schedules (flex hours), so that the traffic on
I-405 or side streets is not as bad as it is when there are multiple accidents on I-405 (which is most days).
Mark A. Lewack
Emergency Actions Coordinator
Facilities, Security, and Contracting
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
1900 E Street NW, Room 1300
Washington, DC 20415
Office: 202-606-5415
Cell: 202-345-4640
From: californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Kim Noyes
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 1:43 AM
To: CaliforniaDisasters
Subject: [californiadisasters] Prepare for Carmageddon With Mobile Disaster Kit
Prepare for Carmageddon With Mobile Disaster Kit
By Reva Hicks for KNBC-TV Los Angeles
| Tuesday, Jul 12, 2011 | Updated 3:15 PM PDT
Are you ready for the Southland's first planned traffic nightmare, the closure of the 405 Freeway, aka Carmageddon?
405 Project Page: Maps, Detours, Tweets
City streets and canyon routes in the area are expected to be jammed.
"We're such a mobile community in Southern California, we've got to be prepared for the unexpected," said Pete Moraga, spokesman for the Insurance Information Network of California.
He's urging drivers to put together a mobile disaster kit.
"It can be as simple or complicated as you want to get," said Moraga. "Suppose you get stranded and have to sleep in your car, it would be nice to have a light blanket."
A mobile disaster kit can be just a small backpack, filled with some "must haves" for motorists:
- Battery-powered radio
- Work gloves, in case you have to work on your car
- Bottled water
- Food (snacks, especially high-energy bars)
- First-aid supplies (including Band-Aids)
- Paper maps
Yes, paper maps. Moraga said "people get caught up in GPS devices. But they need an old-school backup."
"Best two weeks ever driving in Southern California happened during the 1984 Olympics. People stayed off the freeway," Moraga said.
"It might happen again."
--
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