CapnMac
Member
Part of the After Action Reports we generated (colleted TexDoT, DPS, et al) after the Rita debacle were depressing.
Houston put a six "zone" system after Katrina based on certain zip codes based on those zip codes' elevation above MSL.
The media types whipped up a frenzy, and people just started evac-ing without regard to whether they were in a Mandatory or Recommended evac zone at all. Which meant that contra-flow had to be set up 24-36 hours ahead of schedule. Which created an entire set of problems of its own.
Turns out, almost none of the people evac-ing had any idea where Huntsvlle, Texas was, or how much gasoline would be needed to get there (about 55-75 miles from the Houston metro area). None of the interviewed out of gas folks had a map., most had left town with "about" $4 worth of gasoline. Equally complicated, none of the first responder vehicles had fuel, or knew where to get any (which emergency managment people did correct, afterwards).
There were some carjackings, but most wound up unsuccessful in the traffic congestion. It was also mitigated by the number of people who knew back roads and the like. Although the ones who went east were taking themselves closer to the track of Rita.
The folks in Austin came back and wanted to know what impact there would have been if there were a lot of CHL holders in the evacuee stream. Having to find a way to explain, in words of less than one syllable to political types that there were tens of thousands of firearms in the evacuee stream, whether legal or not, and none of the first responders were going to much care, unless the arm became an issue, was more than passing complicated.
Houston put a six "zone" system after Katrina based on certain zip codes based on those zip codes' elevation above MSL.
The media types whipped up a frenzy, and people just started evac-ing without regard to whether they were in a Mandatory or Recommended evac zone at all. Which meant that contra-flow had to be set up 24-36 hours ahead of schedule. Which created an entire set of problems of its own.
Turns out, almost none of the people evac-ing had any idea where Huntsvlle, Texas was, or how much gasoline would be needed to get there (about 55-75 miles from the Houston metro area). None of the interviewed out of gas folks had a map., most had left town with "about" $4 worth of gasoline. Equally complicated, none of the first responder vehicles had fuel, or knew where to get any (which emergency managment people did correct, afterwards).
There were some carjackings, but most wound up unsuccessful in the traffic congestion. It was also mitigated by the number of people who knew back roads and the like. Although the ones who went east were taking themselves closer to the track of Rita.
The folks in Austin came back and wanted to know what impact there would have been if there were a lot of CHL holders in the evacuee stream. Having to find a way to explain, in words of less than one syllable to political types that there were tens of thousands of firearms in the evacuee stream, whether legal or not, and none of the first responders were going to much care, unless the arm became an issue, was more than passing complicated.
