The findings released July 27 of a survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors indicate that nearly half the 183 cities polled say they either have not created or have not recently updated city evacuation plans, almost three-quarters say they're not prepared to handle a flu pandemic, and 80% say they still don't have adequate emergency communication capabilities.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, communication between different emergency agencies was a major problem with New York police and fire departments and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey unable to reach each other. Cities responding to the survey say that on average they are still four years away from communications interoperability. Most cities cite financial constaints as the reason for lack of interoperability.

The survey, “Five Years Post 9/11, One Year Post Katrina: The State of America’s Readiness” details the responses from cities in 38 states, ranging from Bothell, Wash., with its population of 30,000, to New York City and its 8 million residents. A full copy of the survey’s findings, in PDF format, is available here. The report lists all 183 cities surveyed, but provides only aggregated responses, not each city's answers.