MORE: Civil Grand Jury concludes San Francisco lacks clear emergency alert strategy<\/a><\/p>\n “Everything used to be here. It is no more,” one resident said while describing the aftermath.<\/p>\n Similarly, a Los Angeles Times investigation into California’s 2018 Camp Fire found that roads in Paradise were “only capable of evacuating one quarter of the population within two hours.”<\/p>\n Paradise Mayor Steve Crowder said fallen utility poles further complicated evacuation efforts during the fire.<\/p>\n “The poles went down across evacuation routes and actually shut down roads so if you were heading in that direction and then you would have to turn around and find another way out,” Crowder said.<\/p>\n The study’s findings have particular relevance for the Bay Area coastline, where many communities rely on only a handful of roads for access and evacuation.<\/p>\n Prepare NorCal: Disaster Preparedness Resources<\/a><\/p>\n Pescadero depends on Highway 1 to the north and south, along with Pescadero Creek Road. Half Moon Bay residents largely rely on Highway 1 and Highway 92.<\/p>\n “I’m guessing that people who live in Half Moon Bay are very aware of their road limitation,” Fong said.<\/p>\n Concerns about roadway capacity were highlighted in December 2024, when a tsunami warning prompted an evacuation that led to significant traffic congestion along Highway 1.<\/p>\n Residents of coastal communities say limited access routes are a longstanding concern.<\/p>\n “The fact that there is only one way in and one way out, we talk about that a lot even with earthquakes and we say, we’re on our own, we’re an island,” said Montara resident Barbara Dinnsen.<\/p>\n MORE: Oakland is changing wildfire property inspections after attacks on firefighters<\/a><\/p>\n The study acknowledges that constructing new evacuation roads may be impractical or impossible in many locations. Instead, researchers emphasize preparedness and local planning.<\/p>\n The Midcoast Community Council, which represents the unincorporated communities of Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Princeton-by-the-Sea and Miramar, regularly discusses evacuation concerns.<\/p>\n David Cosgrave, program manager for the Coastside Community Emergency Response Team, said residents should focus on measures that can improve safety rather than viewing the study as a reason for alarm.<\/p>\n “We can’t build more roadways but we can clear the vegetation around them just so they are more ‘defendable’ and safe to drive if there was a fire that encroaches on the highway,” Cosgrave said.<\/p>\n The study also recommends identifying refuge areas where people could shelter if evacuation becomes impossible.<\/p>\n
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