FEMA Evacuation Trains at Memphis Tennessee August 2008

FEMA's Evacuation Trains

By Tom Parker

History

In the aftermath of Katrina, governmental agencies, particularly FEMA, stung by criticism for by their response both prior to and after the storm, went back to the drawing board and formulated new plans for future emergencies.

At issue was the failure to utilize Amtrak in the evacuation effort and reports of Amtrak trains leaving New Orleans empty.

In 2006, FEMA entered into a $700,000 per year year with Amtrak to provide emergency railroad transportation services for evacuating persons from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. This contract provided for 24 rail cars with stored equipment, food and provisions, an equipment mobilization plan, refrigerated rail cars, staff mobilization plans, insurance, and standby costs. The plan called for transportation 6000 evacuees by rail from New Orleans' Union Passenger Terminal to the Memphis, Tennesssee “Rail Depot” using two 24 car trains, with each train having a capacity of 1500 persons. Both trains were to make two trips within a forty eight hour window. One of the considerations in selection of a destination was “that arrival locations are suitable for a safe unloading operation and that arrangements are in place to care for the evacuees”.

In December 2007, the lease for the storage of these cars in New Orleans (and presumably the contract) expired and the cars were removed to Delaware. On August 1^st and 2^nd, 2008, 10 ex Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) cars were moved to New Orleans on the Crescent for “hurricane storage”.

Preparations for Gustav

In anticipation of hurricane Gustav hitting New Orleans, Amtrak ran five locomotives to New Orleans on train #59 from Chicago on August 28^th. AMTK 122 was in the lead with engines 87, 115, 139 and 63 trailing. The additional power was for use on evacuation trains out of New Orleans.⁶

On August 29^th, with hurricane Gustav projected to make landfall on September 1^st, Amtrak announced suspension of service for the three trains serving New Orleans; the Sunset Limited was stopped at San Antonio, the Crescent at Atlanta and the City of New Orleans from Chicago was cancelled. ⁷

Using the Amtrak equipment on hand in New Orleans and the 10 CDOT commuter cars, two evacuation trains were assembled, designated by railfans as FEMA-1 and FEMA-2

Evacuation

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagen announced the mandatory evacuation of residents of the West Bank starting at 8:00 AM, Sunday, August 31^st with evacuation of the rest of the city to begin four hours later at noon.

Under plans developed post Katrina, residents with no other means to leave the city were to call 311 and register for pick up at one of 17 designated spots around the city. They would then be transported to Union Passenger Terminal where they would be evacuated from the city by bus and train.

FEMA-1, departed New Orleans Union Terminal at 11:30 AM, August 31^st , with 1024 mostly elderly and disabled evacuees . FEMA-2 followed at 3:00 PM ⁴ with 876 evacuees. Upon arrival in Memphis early Sunday morning each train was met by 20 to 25 MATA buses and about a half dozen ambulances. Evacuees were taken to the National Guard Armory on Democrat Road where they were processed and transferred to one of ten shelters in West Tennessee

After the trains delivered the first group of evacuees, they returned to New Orleans for an anticipated additional 1676 passengers. However, when FEMA-1 returned to Memphis at 3:30 Sunday morning there were only 101 evacuees on board. FEMA-2 evidently returned to Memphis empty, although there was one report that the evacuees on FEMA-2's second trip detrained at Jackson, MS.

FEMA trains 1 & 2 through Hammond en route to Memphis on August 30, 2008. Photos copyright by Shawn Levy and used with permission (See Shawn's photos at: http://www.artwanted.com/artist.cfm?ArtID=19450, Train photos at http://shadow_warrior_usmc.rrpicturearchives.net/)ption

The same procedure was followed the next day. 853 evacuees³ boarded FEMA-1, which was minus sufficient Superliner cars and power for a northbound City of New Orleans from Memphis scheduled to leave from Central Station at its usual time of 10:40 PM that same night.With FEMA-1 at Central Station, FEMA-2 was held at Memphis' North Yard. On Wednesday, September 3^rd, FEMA-1 was relocated to North Yard and by Thursday afternoon, FEMA-2 had been spotted at Central Station. An estimated 1000 evacuees from the Jackson, TN, area began boarding the train for their return to New Orleans with departure “sometime after 8:00PM”

Track damage along Lake Ponchartrain by hurricane Gustav necessitated that the two FEMA trains be detoured.

The CN McComb Sub had a large section of track washed out in the vicinity of the Bonnet Carre' spillway and the returning trains were rerouted via the Canadian National to Hattiesburg, MS and then via the Norfolk Southern to New Orleans.

City of New Orleans Returns To Central Station

By Tom Parker

The City of New Orleans had it a little tougher than norm for nearly a month as a result of hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

On August 29^th Amtrak suspended train 58 and 59 for their entire route due to the approaching Gustav. It was not until a week later, on Friday, September 5^th that service was restored between Memphis and Chicago. Service south of Memphis remained suspended due to a washout along Lake Ponchartrain. For a very brief period, from the night of September 5^th through September 8^th, regular passenger service returned to Central Station after an absence of over four months.

When srvice over the entire route was restored from Chicago on Monday, September 8^th and from New Orleans on Tuesday, September 9^th, Amtrak again started bypassing Central Station and using the temporary facility near Johnston Yard.

FEMA-1 at Central Station 9/1/08 Tom Parker Photo

FEMA-1 looking south from Nettleton Avenue 9/1/08 Tom Parker Photo

  Mother nature would not go down without a fight, however. On September 11^th, winds from approaching hurricane Ike again drove Lake Ponchatrain water over the newly repaired track. #58 managed to get out of New Orleans before the track was closed, but a late running #59 was stopped at McComb, MS. GP38-2 GTW 5813 was coupled to the north end of the train and it was run north from the next day as #58.

It was over a week before the track was repaired and train service was restored. In the interim, buses service was substituted between McComb and New Orleans.

Finally, on September 20^th the “City” again rolled into New Orleans. The first northbound train departed New Orleans the following day. 

FEMA-2 at North Yard (Looking South) 9/2/08 Tom Parker Photo

FEMA-2 at North Yard (Looking North) 9/2/08. Don't know where the reefer came from, perhaps they picked it up on the second trip. It probably made the move from Woodstock interesting! Tom Parker Photo