Disaster Planning: A Manual for Local Governments

This manual is designed to be used as a guide for local officials in planning to meet responsibilities during periods of disaster for the protection of life and property. It is recognized that there is no perfect plan that will apply to all cities and counties in the State of Texas, but there are many basic planning principles that should be considered regardless of the size or location of the city or county. Planning to cope with disaster, either man-made or natural, is a responsibility of officials of city, county, and State governments. The planning must be done before the disaster occurs to insure that all officials as well as the public will know immediately what action is required without the deadly delays inherent in the "Well, it's happened...what are we going to do now?" approach to disaster operations.