Between Japan’s quake and the Mideast’s impromptu makeover, the State Department’s already had to evacuate citizens from six nations this year. (Fleeing is sometimes voluntary for government employees; private citizens can always choose to stay.) The Feds have a playbook for abetting escape from the most uncertain parts of our uncertain world—just don’t expect a free ride.
The Libyan Evacuation by the Numbers
32: Americans who left via charter flight before access to the Tripoli airport became restricted.
183: Number who left via the Maria Dolores ferry, which featured frosted glass, leather seats, and a steel-and-burlwood bar.
18: Height, in feet, of the waves Maria Dolores sailed into.
9: Hours it took to get from Tripoli to Malta, where many passengers were treated for dehydration from seasickness.
The Lingo
“Trip wireâ€
The event that triggers an evacuation. In Libya, it seems to have been a rambling Seif Qaddafi speech that concluded, “We will fight until the last man, until the last woman, until the last bullet.â€
“Wardensâ€
Expats embassies informally rely on to contact other citizens. Officials also keep lists of hotels frequented by Americans.
“Rally pointâ€
What it sounds like. In Libya, it was the seaport in central Tripoli, across the street from a Radisson hotel.
Reasons to Flee
In a 2007 survey, embassy officials named the issues they thought most likely to force them to order evacuations.
26%: General Civil Disorder
81%: Protests and Demonstrations
43%: Avian Flu
6%: Conventional War
8%: Chemical, Biological, Radiological, or Nuclear Threats
47%: Terrorism
21%: Non-Bird-Flu Disease Outbreaks
66%: Natural Disasters
Restrictions May Apply
Fees
Travelers must agree in writing to reimburse the State Department at prevailing commercial rates. (It’s the law.) Says Usiel Meraz Cerna, a U.S. citizen and teacher in Libya who was on the ferry out: “We’ve yet to receive the bill and have absolutely no idea how much it might be. We’re actually kind of scared, especially since we’re unemployed because our jobs were in Tripoli.â€
Luggage
Generally limited to one suitcase and a carry-on item.
Pets
The State Department typically forbids all but service animals from traveling; Americans on the Tripoli ferry were able to bring their critters but have to submit them to a six-week health quarantine in Malta.
The Way Station
Itinerant foreign-service officers cool their heels at the Oakwood temporary-housing complex outside D.C. The facility’s features include:
• Tennis center
• Sand volleyball
• “Relaxation loungeâ€
• Sunday continental breakfast
• Hydro-massage spa
• “A sumptuous night’s sleep to rival any top-of-the-line hotel.”