Hurricane evacuation return process changed
Re-entry cards should be available by May 1
BY PHIL REYNOLDS SOUTH JETTY REPORTER

SOUTH JETTY Be prepared for a change in the way you return to Mustang Island in the event we have to evacuate in the face of a hurricane.

Emergency workers will get special blue and white priority re-entry cards this year, following changes in the way state and regional emergency planners are approaching how they allow people back to stricken areas.

Property owners' re-entry cards will be white, probably with a City of Port Aransas seal in blue on the background, said city Executive Assistant Pat Garrett.

Emergency cards will go only to workers critical to restoring city services, City Manager Michael Kovacs said. Those include, besides the city staff, Nueces County Water Control and Improvement District No. 4 and AEP, as well as state and federal officials. While an adequate number of crews will be guaranteed, Mayor Claude Brown, as the city's emergency management official, will sign each card, Kovacs said.

He said last year, about 9,000 cards were issued to residents and property owners. This year, that number will probably be reduced because many property owners don't live in the city, Kovacs said. He said out-of-town property owners can request cards be sent by mail.

Re-entry cards for this year should be ready for pickup at city hall by May 1, Garrett said. The card will carry the following notice on the back:

"This card will not guarantee entry into a disaster area. Roadblocks may be set up on highways outside the surrounding areas by other agencies, preventing any entry into the Port Aransas area. Even if limited access is permitted, this card may not be sufficient identification to allow you to return to Port Aransas. It is advised that proof of ownership or residency in Port Aransas be carried along with this card." Similar wording was on a handout issued by the city along with each priority card last year. After listening to state discussions of re-entry protocols at Department of Public Safety (DPS) checkpoints on coastal roads, the Coastal Bend Emergency Managers Association issued some advice to business owners, including: • maintain current and accurate lists of essential employees

• issue identification indicating "essential" or "disaster response" responsibilities to essential employees, such as a letter on company stationery stating the employee is essential and clearly indicating his or her essential functions and where these duties are to be carried out. Essential employees reentering a disaster area must be prepared to show: • State-issued picture ID

• Employee identification showing "essential" or "disaster response" or their governmental issued ID if government employees • If non-governmental, additional proof of essential functions such as the letter referred to above. Residents returning to homes should be prepared to show a state-issued photo ID and a utility bill verifying the local address. Once through DPS checkpoints, city personnel will honor priority cards, but may also want to see a state-issued photo ID, Kovacs said.