After riding out Rita in a travel trailer with 12 people, 3 dogs and a cat three years ago, I swore I'd never be unprepared again.
To this end, I set up hotel reservations in Tyler, TX, in case of evacuation due to Gustavo. As I noticed the rooms filling up quickly, I decided that my 67 year old dad needed to go ahead and get one as well, so he and my sister along with her 4 kids ended up at the Ramada in Tyler. This credit card confirmed reservation was made Wednesday morning.
My dad got a call from the Ramada today, telling him that "the government" had taken over the hotel (FEMA, I assume), and that he no longer had a room, since the rooms were now needed for New Orleans evacuees! He was given no other explanation, no alternate plan for lodging, nothing. What???
Since we do not know where the storm is going, how is it that these Louisiana residents need our reserved hotel rooms worse than Texans do? I have my own opinions as to why this happened, since SETX was in the shadow of New Orleans back in 2005 even during hurricane Rita, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.
My dad is talking about riding it out here now, and my sister has no clue what to do. There's not a hotel room left in the state. I am upset beyond belief right now and you'd better believe every media outlet I can think of is going to hear about this.
Am I wrong to be upset? And what can be done this late in the game? If worse comes to worse and Bmt/PA takes the hit, I hope "the government" can live with the results of my father riding it out alone, at home.
Somehow I think that as long as FEMA gets the glowing press they're looking for, it really won't matter. I'm sorry if I sound bitter, because yes, I am.
If anyone has any advice on how I can secure two hotel rooms in the state of Texas tonight, I'm all ears.
