A report commissioned by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has indicated that the Herbert Hoover is in "imminent danger of collapse" at several strategic points. This report resulted in a review and update of the existing Herbert Hoover Dike evacuation and sheltering plans due to the potential that the entire population in the Western sections of Palm Beach County surrounding Lake Okeechobee would need to be evacuated and sheltered for an extended period of time.
Division staff, assisted by PalmTran, Palm Beach County School District staff, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, and the cities of South Bay, Belle Glade and Pahokee as well as Calvin-Giordano & Associates, Inc. developed detailed plans and procedures for the evacuation and sheltering of residents should a breech in the dike occur or be considered imminent. These plans have since been adopted by the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a model for a regional catastrophic disaster planning project that is currently underway.
Divisions
