They should have done a staged evacuation, 3 days before move out those in low lying areas subject to flooding, next day infirm or vulnerable. Then sections at a time.
In the age of cell phones and the internet there’s no such thing as a “staged evacuation” anymore. That’s one of the things they learned with Rita. As soon as the announcements are made for the first stage of the evacuation, everyone in EVERY evacuation area — along with a lot of people who would be better off staying in place — leaves their home to get on the road as fast as they can.
That’s EXACTLY WHAT they planned for Rita. Get the 3/4 true coastal counties out. THRU Houston because there is no other path for most of them.
THEN tell Houston to go. And about an hour after that started for Rita — much of Houston jumped out their doors, onto the closest freeway, and the entire region gridlocked.
My parents left Wharton in a big camper. Taking 59 South to El Campo / Hwy 71 to old 90A, and that further west Towards San Antonio. They were never within 50 miles of the city limits of Houston.
It took them 11 hours to get past Columbus before the traffic broke loose a little. And they never went through a town bigger than about 5000 people.
If U had 100,000 National Guard troops enforcing your way at the point of a gun it might work. But not on a voluntary basis.