And devastatingly, the government failed to make use of data on the radioactive plumes released from the plant to warn local towns and direct evacuations, the report said.
There was Edward Strauss, who had been manager of trade center operations, wrapping up loose ends and almost certainly heading somewhere else, who arrived at the police desk and grabbed some bullhorns to help direct the evacuation.
In World War II Alexander commanded the British 1st Corps at Dunkirk, where he helped direct the evacuation of 300,000 troops; he was the last man to leave the beaches.
More than 80,000 residents were being directed to evacuation centres outside Fort McMurray, but journeys were made difficult as the main road out of the city – Highway 63 – was licked by flames.
Only Lightoller and his fellow midlevel officers keep their wits about them, calmly directing an evacuation that they know will be too late for many of the passengers and perhaps themselves.
Contrary to some news media accounts, she said, Captain Schettino had directed the evacuation and had ordered her to board a lifeboat at 10 58 p.m., an hour after the collision.
William Sydney Marchant, the British Resident Commissioner of the Solomons and commander of the local defense forces described by historian Walter Lord as a "bewildered elderly Englishman"—directed the evacuation of most of the white civilian residents to Australia in February 1942.
After directing a second evacuation, Captain Basco said, he felt the force of an explosion as a grenade landed a few feet from him.
The 1985 law allows the governor to "direct and compel" evacuations "from any stricken or threatened area" in the event of natural or manmade disasters.
Captain Schettino has denied the charges, saying that the ship hit a rock that was not on his map and that he was continuing to direct the ship's evacuation from a lifeboat.
