A Greyhound ticket to Nashville or Memphis would have been the B move. (The A move being a $79 Allegient Air ticket to Cincinnati.
But, people who spend their last dime on Lotto tickets usually are tapped out when the storm arrives.
The situations a few of my friends encountered weren't that at all. They could've afforded the ticket, for sure. But for how long and at what expense to their health? The mayor in Houston actually got something right when he brought up the death toll after an evacuation, both during travel and soon after. Then there's the issue of pets, many infirmed who would not survive, even if they could be brought along. Then with Seniors there are health issues many already have. They don't have the resistance to risk getting pneumonia or flu in overcrowded germ-ridden environments.
For many, it was a situation with no good choices. FWIW, the ones who fared best "stayed in place", even though some endured roads being flooded and a loss of electricity for up to a week.
Until you know someone who's been in a situation with no terrific options or you've been in that place yourself, it's tough to appreciate that sometimes there's just no perfect solution to a problem.
“But, people who spend their last dime on Lotto tickets usually are tapped out when the storm arrives.”
When you’re down to your last two dollars, and there are two weeks left in the month, you might as well spend them on a Lotto ticket. You’re not making it to the end of the month anyway.