Those who choose to ignore mandatory evacuations in Texas better be able to weather the storm or ante up, thanks to a new law set to go into effect September 1. The law gives local authorities the right to issue evacuation orders, remove individuals from evacuation zones, and charge those who refuse to leave for their rescues, according to a Houston Chronicle article.

“Psychologically, I think it gives people a little sense of urgency—especially for people that need that nudge,” Kemah City Administrator Bill Kerber told the Chronicle.

Although police can now remove—not arrest or detain—people from evacuated areas, it’s unlikely local authorities would have the time or manpower available to do so during a full-scale evacuation, according to the emergency responders quoted in the article. That’s where the added incentive of financial liability for rescues comes into play, Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo of the Galveston County Sheriff's Department told the Chronicle.

“It certainly seems reasonable that if a person has the ability to leave but chooses to wait until it's too late, and they have to be rescued, then maybe there needs to be some compensation,” he said.

While the new legislation seems to smack of forced evacuations, many local officials view it as a tool to be used sparingly in cases of extreme danger and might not even evoke the liability portion of the law, according to the Brazoria County newspaper The Facts.

“It’s kind of good and kind of bad,” Freeport Mayor Larry McDonald told The Facts. “You can recover some of the money you’re out of pocket, but I think it’s our responsibility to do our best to get people out of harm’s way no matter what the circumstance is.”