Considering the statewide plan called for requisitioning transport from local entities like school districts and transit authorities there were probably over 1,000 buses that could have been used to evacuate New Orleans. I can't understand why voluntary evacuations using those buses couldn't have been started 48 hours before the storm hit land.
With the absolute first to be evacuated. Hospitals, Nursing Homes and the the Prisons. Who would have cared if they had evacuated these people. People in all three of these places want out.