[a fool in paradise]

The city’s behavior during the Rita evacuation was a deliberate clusterf***.

Mr. Mayor didn’t get out of bed or on the media until the highways had already been choked for 8 hours. 7am was get up and get to work time and that was when the city FINALLY began to get on the mic.

And then then dumbass mayor told people to keep getting on the highways. Even in rush hour there is a system to stop traffic from entering already overcrowded highways.

And then the small towns along the highway shut their towns off to visiting traffic seeking gasoline.

And the drivers stopped their cars on the highway to walk the dog, take a dump, and to walk to McDonald’s.

There was no presence from public safety officers.

The mayor, the judge, and the governor all got on the radio and lied when they said (A) that gasoline was heading down 290 to restock the gas stations along 290 and that after that happened (B) 290 would be opened up (contraflow) to expand the number of north bound lanes.

Lie upon lie upon lie.

Mayor White sucked. On numerous occasions as mayor and especially that day.

[Alberta's Child]

The biggest lesson learned from the Rita evacuation was that nothing ever works according to plan in a situation like that.

In fact, in the age of cell phones and the internet I believe the basic idea of a limited evacuation or staged evacuation effectively no longer exists ... unless you have police and military personnel on the scene with "shoot to kill" orders.