I had precisely this discussion with a co-worker. When I mentioned the mandatory order to evacuate, she said they had no cars. When I mentioned that they could take a bus she said they didn't have $2 for a bus. When I mentioned that friends or relatives could put them up and get them, she said they had no friends or relatives.
When I said that was unrealistic, she said I had no idea of what life was like in America. (BTW, she is an immigrant!)
I was thinking if I said they were told to bring food and water, she would have said they were to poor to have extra food. If I said water is free, she would have said they had no indoor plumbing!
All in all, trying to acquaint these people with the truth is only for the truly persistent!
Well if the Convention Center and the Superdome had always been designated as "disaster shelters" then they should have been equipped with provisions for such an emergency. Nothing to "deliver" to the shelter. Keep them ON SITE.
This is a failure on the local scale.