I think the reality here....is the same reality from New Orleans. Once you give a evac-order....there should be a realistic plan in place. I don’t think of any these major cities have ever written a plan big enough or bold enough to handle two or three million people.
In my military days...we had a evac plan and could be in the trucks in a couple of hours, with all the food and support equipment to survive on our own for at least two weeks. We practiced this and knew precisely what we could do.
Look around....has any of these massive urban cities ever drawn up such a plan or attempted to make it work?
I really cant speak to the folly or wisdom of ordering an evacuation given the circumstances.
What I can speak to is that if I was in Houston and I relied on a Mayor saying stay put when he knew this info..and actively excoriated someone who posted about the Army Corps of Engineers report pretending it was unfounded....I WOULD BE LIVID
Well, I disagree.
I will bet a dollar-to-a-donut that an EOC in Texas has a written evacuation plan.
Now, have the EOCs practiced the drill and know when to pull the plug and say, “ALL ROADS LEAD OUT OF HOUSTON?”
Realistic: Low areas get evacuated, first, and early.
No big hit on resources or on highways.
It’s the only rational thing to do.
If an evac order was given, the roads would quickly have become clogged. This would have inconvenienced any VIPs who wanted to quickly evacuate.
In any true disaster, do not expect politicians to alert the expendable "little people".
In a military movement, the plan and training are very important, but execution of that plan depends on a clearly defined command structure from the commanding officer down through the squad leader. Success depends on a culture of giving orders and most importantly, following orders. During an emergency, discipline often breaks down. An attack is much easier to execute than a retreat and an evacuation is much like a retreat. Humans, especially civilians, are not good at taking orders, even in the best of times
As we know...it was not followed.
Posters keep saying no evacuation plan would work, no one follows the rules. I think that’s defeatist talk. If necessary you barricade the entrances to the major road and move the barricades sequentially.
I refuse to believe there is no way to evacuate if you start 3 days before the hurricane landfall with the vulnerable populations and the low lying areas. Maybe we are looking at it backwards. Perhaps we need drainage ditches to the ocean. What I do know is we have an army corps of engineers and they should be doing disaster plan consultation. Pump maintenance has been ignored and that alone indicts the city governing officials with criminal negligence.
As someone who has lived on the Gulf Coast my entire life, I can state this with certainty.
IF you get your head out of your ass, get off the phone and actually PAY ATTENTION, you have a plan for this eventuality.
MOST who have lived on the Coast their entire lives (or at the very least) a few years, start buying supplies in January so that they don’t have to spend alot of money all at once. MOST with a brain do not let their vehicles get below half a tank, and actually pay attention to the local forecast. Don’t get me wrong, not all weather people know their a$$hole from their elbow, but the ones who do, you use common sense, and watch. IF you live in a flood prone area, an area where there are levees, mobile home, or just feel unsure. YOU take the a breath and you get out. You CANNOT wait and let the “Officials” decide what is best for you and yours.
I don’t understand these “well this person in Authority said we should stay home” mentality. Can no one think for themselves anymore.
When Andrew left Florida, and was making a beeline for Louisiana (was living there at the time) BEFORE anyone said anything about “maybe” evacuating, we were already on the road.
People HAVE to pay attention and plan for this, and most do, but we’ve got an entire generation out there of babies who cannot think for themselves.
I work in emergency planning for a medium sized city’s hospital.
When I read the plan for total evacuation of the hospital, it was one of the shortest of all scenarios.
I will let your imagination wander for a while considering all of the reasons that might be so.