Dean: Evac Topic

[shelby]

Okay - I started this thread so that everyone could have a place to talk and share about the possible problems ( and current if need be) that may be facing us.

[Roxy]

I think that if (God Forbid, cus I am 8 months pregnant and really don't need this this year) Dean comes anywhere near South or Southeast texas, that mass hysteria will occur in the Houston area.

Too many people remember Rita...and many won't leave. The ones that do are going to be paniced about sitting on the roads for 24-48 hours with no food, water or gas. I honestly don't believe the Houston area learned it's lesson from last time...whatever lesson that is.

Oy Vey, here we go again. I normally do not worry about hurricanes at all....but this year...I just can't take the stress and I am tempted to just evacuate now and take a weeklong spontaneous vacation.

[Houstonia]

I think that if (God Forbid, cus I am 8 months pregnant and really don't need this this year) Dean comes anywhere near South or Southeast texas, that mass hysteria will occur in the Houston area.

Too many people remember Rita...and many won't leave. The ones that do are going to be paniced about sitting on the roads for 24-48 hours with no food, water or gas. I honestly don't believe the Houston area learned it's lesson from last time...whatever lesson that is.

Oy Vey, here we go again. I normally do not worry about hurricanes at all....but this year...I just can't take the stress and I am tempted to just evacuate now and take a weeklong spontaneous vacation.

Roxy, if you're 8 months pregnant - you might just seriously consider that spontaneous vacation. Why not leave now and avoid all the hassles of evacuating later? Go somewhere nice, where you can relax and stay away from the stress of it all.
I seriously think that if I were in your situation - I would just go ahead and go. It's too hot here anyway!!!

[milankovitch]

I was just wondering what the evacuation plan would be for Houston/Galveston should Dean head that way. Has anything changed in light of Rita?

[hicksta]

I live right on the water and our plan is to leave sunday night or monday night.

[JenBayles]

As a matter of fact, yes. State and local governments learned a big lesson from Rita, and have plans in place to make fuel available along major evacuation routes. Also, infrastructure is in place to convert these routes (some major interstate highways) to contraflow status sooner rather than later if an evacuation is called for. If I remember correctly, the Harris County OEM has these details, and others, outlined on their web page.

[x-y-no]

Roxy:

At 8 months pregnant - you definitely don't want to take any chances. I'd make preparations this weekend and go the moment a watch goes up at the very latest.. Don't wait for a warning.

[JenBayles]

Here's the link to the Harris County OEM site which includes contraflow routes, evacuation plan, and pre-registration for those likely to need assistance evacuating...

http://www.hcoem.org/

[Roxy]

Yep, DH and I are going to do all the preparing this weekend and be ready to leave ASAP if need be. I know we still have some watching to do...but like I tell DH, you can never be overprepared.

Jen, I do hope they handle this evacuation better than last time. I think the hysteria I was referring to will be from the citizens...the question is...can the authorities keep the citizens calm? I hope so.

[jjr5]

Let's not forget that Houston ppl also went towards Bmt causing a HUGE problem there. I think all of SE Texas needs to watch this and beware....b/c the Bmt area does not want another Pre-Rita situation.

[southerngale]

If you're in an area where you know you'll have to evacuate, you might want to go ahead and make your reservations now. You can always cancel them if you don't need them, at no cost. And if/when you see you won't need them, be sure and cancel right away to free the rooms up for someone else who needs them.

[Sambucol]

I was in the evacuation with Rita. I was able to find out through my city's emergency management coordinator the elevation of my house & that I'm not in a surge zone of any category of hurricane. My house sits on a ridge that runs through the city. Basically what our emergency management office is saying is to stay where you are if you're in no surge zone and if your home is wind worthy. I'm not even in an evacuation zone. So, I'm staying. I've made preparations in case I have no electricity for an extended time, plenty of food and water, etc. And lots of prayer. I felt more in danger and vulnerable trying to evacuate from rita than had I just stayed home. But at that time I didn't know my home's elevation or anything.

Today, I bought better plywood instead of waiting until this weekend. Even if I don't use it this time, it will be there for the next time.

[Hou~TX~Mama]

I am in the second zone to evacuate. After having spent 12 hrs. on the road to evacuate for Rita (and only getting to the other side of Houston), I am really not looking forward to doing this again. Ugh. NO ONE is going to follow those *new* evacuation plans. People will get on the road when it works for them so I sure hope the contra-flow changes make a difference this time around! If my house wasn't surrounded by huge trees, I wouldn't worry and probably stay put.
To others south of Houston -- where would you evac. to? SanAntonio is not a good idea after Erin, right? Would you go toward LA?

[Houstonia]

I am in the second zone to evacuate. After having spent 12 hrs. on the road to evacuate for Rita (and only getting to the other side of Houston), I am really not looking forward to doing this again. Ugh. NO ONE is going to follow those *new* evacuation plans. People will get on the road when it works for them so I sure hope the contra-flow changes make a difference this time around! If my house wasn't surrounded by huge trees, I wouldn't worry and probably stay put.
To others south of Houston -- where would you evac. to? SanAntonio is not a good idea after Erin, right? Would you go toward LA?

Finding a place to go is getting harder and harder... everyone from the south will be heading north - but following the gulf around to LA isn't an option - what if the storm turns at the last minute? Central Texas would be okay if Dean doesn't head that way after it lands (because if it does - central Texas will be in chaos). I say head Dallas, Abilene, Amarillo way. But what do I know? I'm staying in town.

[Sabanic]

Isn't it maybe just a tad too early for this thread. I know you want to be prepared, but we are 6 days out still, and things can change.

[JonathanBelles]

I think the title needs to be expanded to LA and all of TX.

[Hou~TX~Mama]

Isn't it maybe just a tad too early for this thread. I know you want to be prepared, but we are 6 days out still, and things can change.

Not too early at all. Come Monday, all hell will break loose around here. My company (large chemical company in Hou) is already in shutdown/evacuation plan mode and is talking about letting employees go by Monday.
2 yrs. ago I got the last hotel room in a crappy place in San Antonio...nothing else was available ANYWHERE. Like someone else said, reservations can always be cancelled at the last minute. I'd rather do that than figure out somewhere to go at the last minute.

[Sabanic]

Isn't it maybe just a tad too early for this thread. I know you want to be prepared, but we are 6 days out still, and things can change.

Not too early at all. Come Monday, all hell will break loose around here. My company (large chemical company in Hou) is already in shutdown/evacuation plan mode and is talking about letting employees go by Monday.
2 yrs. ago I got the last hotel room in a crappy place in San Antonio...nothing else was available ANYWHERE. Like someone else said, reservations can always be cancelled at the last minute. I'd rather do that than figure out somewhere to go at the last minute.

You are right. Better safe than sorry particularly when dealing with a storm like Dean

[JenBayles]

Hubby is out right now getting plywood. We had a "discussion" after the Rita threat that we really needed to have panels pre-cut and ready to go for the next blow. Did it ever get done? No.
Even if we never us it for boarding up, at least that's one item off the checklist. Other than that, we're in good shape.

The biggest problem in Houston is that so many houses are surrounded by huge trees - lots of tall pines in eastern and northern areas of the city. Then there's the ubiquitous live oak trees that have a tendency to uproot and fall over even in a minor blow when the soils are as wet as they already are now. Talking to people after Rita, it was the multitude of looming trees that convinced so many people to evacuate.

Harris County Judge Emment touched briefly on a possible Dean evacuation yesterday, and tried to put a bug in citizens' ears to NOT evacuate every last car in their driveways. That was another problem with the Rita evac: way to many single occupancy vehicles on the roads.

[jabman98]

Hubby is out right now getting plywood. We had a "discussion" after the Rita threat that we really needed to have panels pre-cut and ready to go for the next blow. Did it ever get done? No.
Even if we never us it for boarding up, at least that's one item off the checklist. Other than that, we're in good shape.

LOL. That sounds like us. One problem we have is that we don't have a large enough vehicle to get the plywood home. I think we might take advantage of Home Depot's delivery option. We'll be heading over there tonight when husband gets home from work. We could wait and borrow a truck, but by the time we got that sorted out I can easily see the plywood being gone.

Went to Kroger today. Plenty of water still on the shelves, but the store employees said it was flying out the store.