What Baloney! During Rita, Houston was doing an orderly evacuation until Houston Mayor, Billie White, broadcast “Don’t wait; the time for waiting is over,” THAT’s when the beans hit the fan. The lesson: Think for yourself. Don’t listen to the courthouse schmucks….99% of people will deny the risk. That’s why the first lifeboats off the Titanic went off half full. . By Wednesday evening there was adequate warning to exidigitate and head out for Lubbock while the sheeple still sat around. They told the people in the world trade center to sit tight at first also…that cost many lives.If you’re in Houston get down on your knees and pray those dams hold….Because you DIDN’T blow town when you could.
Does anyone remember Ray Nagan sending all the Amtrak, Greyhound &!aircraft out of NOLA empty because NOLA didn’t need them? Also the Dome was NOT a shelter until the folks broke in and wondered where the food ,water & cots were. Rode out a Cat 1 in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, never again. So Nick, how many hurricanes have YOU been through?
THIS is why; In 2005, just a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Hurricane Rita made its way toward Houston. Rita was even stronger than Katrina — and Houstonians had just witnessed what happened to New Orleans residents who decided to wait out the storm. Nobody wanted to repeat that mistake.
The result: The largest evacuation in U.S. history, according to PBS. Texas legislators estimated that 3.7 million people left the Houston region in the evacuation effort.
The evacuation was a disaster in itself. NPR’s John McChesney reported from the scene in 2005:
“In searing 100-degree heat, cars crept up north I-45, windows down, air conditioning off to save precious gasoline. The traffic jam stretched for over 100 miles and has been going on for over a day and a half. … Gasoline was not to be found along the interstate and cars that ran dry made the gridlock even worse. Abandoned vehicles littered the shoulder lanes.”
Dozens of people died on the road — in a horrific bus fire, in traffic accidents, of heat stroke.
Yeah, evacuate 6.5 million people because they will all be orderly, well-mannered and concerned for one another. Dude, these are Texans were talking about.
Having experienced hurricanes, the only sensible thing to do it be a few hundred miles away for a few days or more. I would not need an evacuation order.
Well. Its not like you don’t have warning a storm is coming. No different than everyone running out the day before a blizzard hits to get all those vital things.
Nick Anderson you are wrong again for it is still raining in Houston. The waters will keep rising for days to come with thousands more needing rescue. An evacuation would have been a far better alternative than waiting this slow death.
Evacuation, no evacuation. FEMA plan, no FEMA plans. Levies and walls or overflowing bayous. These coastal cities are going to be hit harder and more often the longer we ignore what we are doing to our environment. So for at least 3 more years the people who put Trump in office will be punished by their weather for doing so.
The problem isn’t so much that authorities do or don’t call for evacuations, or how long they wait, as that we don’t seem to have a better evacuation plan than “everybody get in your own car and drive like hell.”
I’ve seen a bunch of evacuations, and if they aren’t started WAY in advance, with somewhere for folks to go, the toon is what happens in much smaller populations than Houston! The problem with floods is nobody thinks it will get “that bad” until it’s too late, like Houston.
Apparently, there is no great solution for Houston in their time of need, other than rethinking their zoning and the way structures are allowed to be built. Yep, regulations can be helpful. Another hard lesson.
My daughter was in savannah, ga during hurricane Matthew. She went along with a family to get out to a place normally 2.5 hours away and it took 12 hours. That whole region was under mandatory evacuation at that time. Most listened, some stayed behind and were sorry. People tried to keep up their spirits. They saw alligators along the highway, which were referred to as “free boots and appetizers.”
Great Point!!!! There will Always be Naysayers and cast this a the proper solution… Really??!!! Wake up and smell the coffee people – Millions of people leaving at the same time/area is a Recipe for a disaster far Greater than Hurricane Harvey!!!! God is in control
Sadandconfused9 over 6 years ago
Yeah that’s about right. Unless you’re flying. And I don’t think I’d want to be flying in hurricane.
MartinKilgore over 6 years ago
What Baloney! During Rita, Houston was doing an orderly evacuation until Houston Mayor, Billie White, broadcast “Don’t wait; the time for waiting is over,” THAT’s when the beans hit the fan. The lesson: Think for yourself. Don’t listen to the courthouse schmucks….99% of people will deny the risk. That’s why the first lifeboats off the Titanic went off half full. . By Wednesday evening there was adequate warning to exidigitate and head out for Lubbock while the sheeple still sat around. They told the people in the world trade center to sit tight at first also…that cost many lives.If you’re in Houston get down on your knees and pray those dams hold….Because you DIDN’T blow town when you could.
William Weedman over 6 years ago
Does anyone remember Ray Nagan sending all the Amtrak, Greyhound &!aircraft out of NOLA empty because NOLA didn’t need them? Also the Dome was NOT a shelter until the folks broke in and wondered where the food ,water & cots were. Rode out a Cat 1 in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, never again. So Nick, how many hurricanes have YOU been through?
Masterskrain Premium Member over 6 years ago
THIS is why; In 2005, just a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Hurricane Rita made its way toward Houston. Rita was even stronger than Katrina — and Houstonians had just witnessed what happened to New Orleans residents who decided to wait out the storm. Nobody wanted to repeat that mistake.
The result: The largest evacuation in U.S. history, according to PBS. Texas legislators estimated that 3.7 million people left the Houston region in the evacuation effort.
The evacuation was a disaster in itself. NPR’s John McChesney reported from the scene in 2005:
“In searing 100-degree heat, cars crept up north I-45, windows down, air conditioning off to save precious gasoline. The traffic jam stretched for over 100 miles and has been going on for over a day and a half. … Gasoline was not to be found along the interstate and cars that ran dry made the gridlock even worse. Abandoned vehicles littered the shoulder lanes.”Dozens of people died on the road — in a horrific bus fire, in traffic accidents, of heat stroke.
Darsan54 Premium Member over 6 years ago
Yeah, evacuate 6.5 million people because they will all be orderly, well-mannered and concerned for one another. Dude, these are Texans were talking about.
Theodore E. Lind Premium Member over 6 years ago
Having experienced hurricanes, the only sensible thing to do it be a few hundred miles away for a few days or more. I would not need an evacuation order.
"It's the End of the World!!!" Premium Member over 6 years ago
Well. Its not like you don’t have warning a storm is coming. No different than everyone running out the day before a blizzard hits to get all those vital things.
WestNYC Premium Member over 6 years ago
Nick Anderson you are wrong again for it is still raining in Houston. The waters will keep rising for days to come with thousands more needing rescue. An evacuation would have been a far better alternative than waiting this slow death.
Mr. Blawt over 6 years ago
Evacuation, no evacuation. FEMA plan, no FEMA plans. Levies and walls or overflowing bayous. These coastal cities are going to be hit harder and more often the longer we ignore what we are doing to our environment. So for at least 3 more years the people who put Trump in office will be punished by their weather for doing so.
GaryCooper over 6 years ago
The problem isn’t so much that authorities do or don’t call for evacuations, or how long they wait, as that we don’t seem to have a better evacuation plan than “everybody get in your own car and drive like hell.”
Dtroutma over 6 years ago
I’ve seen a bunch of evacuations, and if they aren’t started WAY in advance, with somewhere for folks to go, the toon is what happens in much smaller populations than Houston! The problem with floods is nobody thinks it will get “that bad” until it’s too late, like Houston.
Radish the wordsmith over 6 years ago
It took me 15 hours to go 250 miles because traffic was so bad right after the eclipse.
julie.mason1 Premium Member over 6 years ago
In Houston, the freeways are a part of storm water management. They are supposed to flood to help get the water downstream.
Sadandconfused9 over 6 years ago
Sadandconfused9 over 6 years ago
We just don’t build our homes with disaster in mind so when disaster happens to our homes we’re surprised.
Dtroutma over 6 years ago
Radish, we’re in the middle of nowhere, and it was worse, one friend took 16 hours for 97 miles!!
montessoriteacher over 6 years ago
Apparently, there is no great solution for Houston in their time of need, other than rethinking their zoning and the way structures are allowed to be built. Yep, regulations can be helpful. Another hard lesson.
montessoriteacher over 6 years ago
My daughter was in savannah, ga during hurricane Matthew. She went along with a family to get out to a place normally 2.5 hours away and it took 12 hours. That whole region was under mandatory evacuation at that time. Most listened, some stayed behind and were sorry. People tried to keep up their spirits. They saw alligators along the highway, which were referred to as “free boots and appetizers.”
awesomesteeler over 6 years ago
Great Point!!!! There will Always be Naysayers and cast this a the proper solution… Really??!!! Wake up and smell the coffee people – Millions of people leaving at the same time/area is a Recipe for a disaster far Greater than Hurricane Harvey!!!! God is in control