Posted on 09/20/2005 4:15:29 PM PDT by anymouse
Officials have called for mandatory evacuations ahead of Hurricane Rita. The order is for every one living in Galveston County.
People in medical centers and nursing homes to start at 6 a.m. Wednesday. Residential evacuations start at 6 p.m. The county's evacuation plan calls for the evacuation of residents in phases.
Several of the cities within Galveston County had called emergency sessions of their councils and commissions Tuesday evening to make declarations of emergency. Under an emergency declaration the mayors of the cities can impose a curfew, restrict access to areas of the community that may suffer storm damage as well as order the removal of debris even from private property.
All of the school districts in the county canceled classes and extra curricular activities until further notice. Texas A&M-Galveston, College of the Mainland and Galveston College also canceled classes starting Wednesday. UTMB announced it too had canceled classes until at least Monday.
The petrochemical industries in Texas City were also making plans for the storm. BP officials had suspended all non-essential operations and directed work to secure the company’s refinery and chemical plant.
Dow, Valero, Marathon and Sterling Chemicals all reported similar actions. None indicated if they planned to shut down any units or operations within their facilities.
People in medical care and other facilities needing special help are scheduled to begin evacuations at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Zone A of the evacuation plan that includes the southern portions of the county including Galveston Island, Tiki Island and Bayou Vista begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Zone B of the plan that includes the central portions of the county’s mainland as well as the bay front communities of Kemah, San Leon and Bacliff are to start evacuation at 2 a.m. Thursday.
Zone C that is the northern reaches of the county including League City and Friendswood will start evacuation at 12 p.m. Thursday.
Tropical force winds from Hurricane Rita are expected to hit the county by early Friday.
Galveston County residents began preparations Monday evening for the first major storm to strike since Hurricane Alicia in 1983.
The line at the Murphy USA gas station at FM 518 and State Highway 146 had long lines at 11 p.m. Monday.
Long lines again that started at 7 a.m. were the scene at the Kemah Hardware store along State Highway 146 where owner Jim Clawson said it was the busiest he has ever seen his business in the 46 years he has operated.
“There’s no comparison, and I’ve seen plenty of storms,” he said. “People are taking this one serious.”
As is Clawson, who owns a waterfront home in Kemah.
“If it’s a Category 3 or bigger, I am out of here,” he said.
EVACUATION ZONES and main routes
ZONE A – 6 PM Wednesday, Sept. 21
Galveston Island (I-45) Jamaica Beach (I-45) Tiki Island (I-45) Bayou Vista (Hwy. 6) Clear Lake Shores (Hwy. 146) Kemah (Hwy. 146) San Leon-Bacliff-Bayview (Hwy. 146) Bolivar Peninsula (Hwy. 87 and Hwy. 124)
ZONE B – 2 AM Thursday, Sept. 22
Texas City (Hwy. 146) La Marque (I-45) Hitchcock (Hwy. 6) Dickinson (I-45)
ZONE C – 12 NOON Thursday, Sept. 22 (Use Highway 6)
League City (I-45, Hwy. 146) Friendswood (I-45) Santa Fe (Hwy. 6)
A little early? All those people can go to Dallas and then when Brownsville has to evacuate in three days they can all go to San Antonio. Maybe that way there'll be room at the inn.
NautiNurse Rita ping
That's a strange evacuation plan. Why doesn't the Mayor just leave town and leave those without transportation to sink or swim. < /sarcasm>
Well, I think it's smart to get the people from medical centers and nursing homes out early. Residential people then begin evacuating Wed evening. That way it isn't one big traffic jam with the neediest people left behind. The worst that could happen is that they spend money needlessly evacuating people. Beats having a bunch of dead people.
That's just down-right MEAN ; )
"Why doesn't the Mayor just leave town and leave those without transportation to sink or swim. < /sarcasm>"
Looks like Mayor Thomas is the type who knows what she's doing...
http://www.cityofgalveston.org/city_council/thomas.cfm
Ok. Anyway, I can remember my dad having this particular discussion with Lt. Russell Williams (long dead, I suspect) of the Friendswood PD back around mid 70’s. “City/county don’t have the legal authority to force you out. We can ask/beg/warn/cajole though – and can arrest or detain if you’re not “in place” and on your property during the event.” That’s how I remember it.
Unless it’s greater than a cat 4 most of old town Friendswood/Pearland/Alvin, etc will do fine. Old timers scouted the land before they built “permanent” structures on them. Bacliff, Kemah, Dickinson, La Marque, Clear Lake Shores – you takes your chances. Some of those places literally have driveways with standing water in them twice daily (at high tide). Same goes to those that have built on (what was historically) pasture land and fig orchards since the late 70's. Lots of that land was orchards for a reason - because it floods periodically. Live and learn.
Been there, seen that. Long time ago though.
Smart move.
Not only do they have a plan but they are even using it.
It's a shame that the local officials in New Orleans never read theirs.
MOVE THE BUSSES TO HIGH GROUND.
Counts how much rain they get, too.. I had more than my share of street floods in Pearland back in the day from heavy rain.
Well lets see how my Bayou Vista beach house holds up.
Cant talk .. time to pack
>>>A little early?
Not all. You're seeing something here that NOLA and LA didn't have. It's called a plan. And it's being executed - properly...
One Block from Taylor Lake/Clear Lake/Galveston Bay/Gulf of Mexico.
Looks like the adults are in charge in Texas.
"Evacuation Maps"
KPRC News
http://www.click2weather.com/hurricanes/4589609/detail.html
Southeast Texas Evacuation Corridors
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/tropical/workshop05/SETXEvacCorridors.pdf
Brazoria, Galveston and Harris Counties Evacuation Zone Map
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/tropical/workshop05/HurricaneEvacuationMap
.pdf
Galveston County Risk Map
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/tropical/evac_map/gifs/galveston.gif
Evacuation and Risk Maps Explained
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/tropical/more.htm
Good luck!
I went thru Alicia in Houston (Katy), pregnant. It was my first hurricane. We were fine, in a ranch, the 2 stories in the next neighborhood weren't quite so fine. I watched a piece
of waffle roofing float all the way down our street, all the way, about 7' off the ground. Took me forever to get the duct tape off the windows. Somebody lied and said mayonnaise would do the job. Gross.
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/huricane/history/walicia.htm
Quick question for those of us currently in the eye-path of this bad girl.
Can anybody give a brief summary of Texas law regarding mandatory evacuation? If we are forced to leave, can we come back the next day? Two days? What are the guidelines?
I am looking for information typical to rural areas, as I do not live in or near Houston for a hundred miles or so.
BTW - VERY cool hurricane forecast link:
http://hurricane.methaz.org/hurapak/
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