It would have taken one long, long train and I don't know how many freight cars to move the entire city to a 10 hour ride to safety. But, Oh No!, we can't ask people to ride in a freight car like a hobo! We prefer to carry them out in body bags after the storm.
Or a bunch of school buses from upstate. Even if they parked twenty at each interstate rest area upstate or outside scools for 48 hours - at least there would be running water and bathrooms.