|
Problems prepare region for next evacuation
Published September 28, 2005
It’s not that the evacuation plan failed. It had some flaws, but it had to be devised much too quickly to avoid the outright failures of Hurricane Katrina. It might have worked if not for the overwhelming number of people and vehicles that had to be accounted for.
Stepping back for an overall look, the task of finding enough shelter for the forced evacuation of Houston was beyond the capability of every factor involved.
One might envision having to empty a gallon jug of orange juice by pouring it into an eight-ounce glass. Most liquid would spill over onto the table. That’s about the equivalent of trying to find a safe haven for the estimated 5 million people of the Houston-Galveston metropolitan area in the adjacent 200-mile sphere.
It was more vehicles than the road system could handle, and the destinations needed more sheltered areas that could provide comfort to the millions who sought it.
Nearly every one of our people therefore had personal knowledge of the result. Roads were so clogged that a 200-mile journey might take half a day of stop-and-go inching forward — highly stressful and tiring, damaging to vehicles and engines, heavy on gas consumption, enveloping motorists in polluted air.
And then there are the unpredictables. At the time southern Brazoria County was ordered to get out, the extended track of Hurricane Rita would take the eye over the Matagorda Bay coastline. Almost to Corpus Christi, communities began boarding up. The “dirty side” of the storm would strike hardest at Brazosport and Galveston. The logical escape was far inland to the west or north.
But while most were on the road, the storm changed course. This is always a possibility. It was indeed predicted, but the changes continued, while motorists to the west were committed to the agonizing slog long after that region was relatively safe, and territory to the east came under the gun more rapidly than they could prepare for it.
Still, one should look at the bright side. In spite of some errors, Texas came up with a plan. It was workable. It did work. But it was overwhelmed by sheer volume of need.
Further, it gave every level of emergency service organizations experience that can be obtained in no other way, that provides a far better set of answers than any theoretical blueprint.
The exercise was teaching every emergency service group how to communicate with every other service — a capability badly lacking in Katrina. It taught each a greater respect for the other elements; and the communities gained a greater confidence in these same protectors.
We still have a lot to learn. A plentiful gas supply is useless if drivers can’t be found to deliver it — they, too, were ordered to evacuate. Same for the required supplies of food, water and other necessities. A greater number of smaller, more scattered shelters should be inventoried, and localities encouraged to plan their use.
These are details. They will be attended to without our urging. What they need us to do is show our appreciation for their swift action, of devising a plan dealing with many unknown factors. Despite some errors, the experience will later make Texas the best-prepared state in the nation for dealing with a major crisis.
This editorial was written by Glenn Heath, retired executive editor of The Facts.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print
|
|
|
 |
|
FREE BAY BOAT WITH WATERFRONT PURCHASE Get
...
Click for all
Top Ads listing
|
