Traffic scenario not good...

[charleston_hugo_veteran]

There are people @ a stand still in areas on the fl/ga highways....seems to be another sc floyd fiasco...

[janswizard]

I watched news reports during the afternoon and evening last night showing traffic bottlenecking up in the Vero Beach area on both I-95 and the Turnpike. I don't understand why they didn't open one lane of the southbound lane to northbound traffic. I thought one of the emergency preparations was changing the way traffic flowed. At one point, there was a 30 mile backup - and if the storm had come along a little earlier, these people would have all been sitting ducks. I just don't understand this...anyone care to comment?

[Guest]

That is why I am a independent voter. It is wrong. Put Bush in a traffic jam let him experience sitting there flying around in his helicopter I dont think he has a grasp of what he ordered.

[birdwomn]

they wanted to make sure all the news folks got down there to cover the storm after the convention in NYC?? Beats me.
I-4 doesn't lend itself to that type of thing, nor does the Tampa area, but I-95, the Beeline and the Turnpike should have had no problem...

They also have been a bit slow to open shelthers on the West Coast for those that evacuated fromt he East Coast...should be happening later today I expect, meanwhile, people are driving around with no palce to go.

[cswitwer]

On the positive side-- I'm sitting in downtown Charleston, SC, and I keep seeing motor homes and pickup trucks with luggage/boxes in the back and Florida plates. Some folks have made it this far already.

The SC evacuation plan calls for trucks to cruise the evacuation routes with extra gas for those who run out. Does anybody know if that's happening in Florida? Cantori said people are running out of gas out on I-95.

[charleston_hugo_veteran]

some n.fla towns are limiting gas to 10 gallons per vehicle.

[Innotech]

seeing those gridlocks for miles is hilarious.

[seahawkjd]

Is the bad traffic reaching up into Virginia? I'm getting ready to hit I-95 heading north to Maryland and just wanted to know how far north the evacuation gridlock is going. If its bad I will stay home and not add to the problem.

[hibiscushouse]

In the Tampa Bay area, all our schools are closed as of last night. This to allow shelter for the evacuees.
A news conference yesterday morning stated that the FHP was prepared to open the Beeline as all West bound if I-95 warranted it. Does anyone know if that was ever done?