The hellride on 290 during Rita’s evacuation was because LIVs were getting out of their cars to walk the dog, pee, walk to McDonald’s etc. The cars kept rolling, maybe, about 1MPH.
Law enforcement was nowhere to be found the entire route. Gas station scuffles and what not were ignored.
Keep the cars moving and there wouldn’t be the problems.
And the news of the storm was there on Tuesday telling people to fill up their cars. Rain didn’t come to Houston until Saturday (minimal rains Friday).
Evacuating on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday wouldn’t have been a problem even with “24 hour driving conditions”. Waiting until the boss says “go home” at 11am on Friday is too late.
And the news of the storm was there on Tuesday telling people to fill up their cars... Evacuating on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday wouldn’t have been a problem... Your timeline is off.
This Wikipedia timeline says that Harvey wasn't even a tropical depression on Tuesday. It was still a disorganized tropical wave.
- Aug 17 (Thursday): Harvey upgraded to tropical storm.
- Aug 18 (Friday): No change. Still a tropical storm.
- Aug 19 (Saturday): Harvey downgraded to tropical depression.
- Aug 20 (Sunday): Harvey downgraded to tropical wave.
- Aug 21 (Monday): No change. Still a tropical wave.
- Aug 22 (Tuesday): No change. Still a tropical wave.
- Aug 23 (Wednesday): Upgraded to tropical depression.
- Aug 24 (Thursday): Morning - Upgraded to tropical storm.
- Aug 24 (Thursday): Afternoon - Upgraded to category 1 hurricane.
- Aug 25 (Friday): Morning - Upgraded to category 2 hurricane.
- Aug 25 (Friday): Afternoon - Upgraded to category 3 hurricane.
- Aug 25 (Friday): Evening - Upgraded to category 4 hurricane.
- Aug 26 (Saturday): Morning - Landfall at Rockport (3:00am).
So you are suggesting that Houston should have evacuated on Tuesday or Wednesday when Harvey was just a tropical wave in the Bay of Campeche? That would be an extreme undertaking for a tropical wave so far away.
Harvey didn't become a hurricane until Thursday, which is too late to start evacuating a city like Houston.
-PJ