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Evacuation
Preparation Overview
Many of us who endured the mass evacuation before Hurricane Rita
don't necessarily have fond memories of that experience.
That event was the largest mass evacuation in the history of the
nation!
Personally, I'd rather not
relive that event. However, given the information I had at
the time--a major hurricane predicted to hit Harris County dead
on--I'd probably make the same decision again. City,
County and State officials are claiming that they have a much
better plan in place should this occur again.
It's a sad but noteworthy
statistic that the vast majority of fatalities associated with
Hurricane Rita were related to the evacuation. Many
persons died from the heat as they tried to flee the city.
Most of those deaths could have been prevented if those persons
had followed the tips on this page.
To
Stay or Go?
One of the most difficult
decisions you will be faced with is whether or not you should
stay put and ride out the storm at home, or to evacuate and take
your chances on the freeways. As you decide to either stay
or leave, there are several factors that should help you make
your decision:
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How big and powerful is the storm?
There's a huge difference in a small, Category One hurricane
and a monster Category Five!
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Do you have a place to
go should you choose to evacuate? Do you even know
where the shelters are along your evacuation path?
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How secure is your
home, and how safe do you believe you will be if you don't
evacuate? Are you in an old home, in a low-lying area
prone to flooding?
-
How prepared are you
to care for yourself before, during, and after a storm and
possible protracted power outage?
-
How far are you from
where the storm will make landfall? The inland winds
from a hurricane may be much greater than you think.
Use the software at this National Hurricane Center's High
Wind Risk Area web page to view the computer models for
where you live.
As you make your
decisions based on the size and Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Scale, remember that a hurricane can strengthen a
full category just twelve hours before landfall. So if a
Category Three hurricane is more than think your residence
can sustain, you might want to be prepared to evacuate if it is
predicted to be a Category Two at landfall.
Evacuation
Routes
The Texas Department of Transportation
has designated several evacuation routes away from the coast and
low lying areas. This also includes plans to contra-flow
several of the freeways to move more vehicles in less
time. An set of informational videos has been provided at
the following link
Hurricane
Evacuation Information Videos
Detailed plans for the various
evacuation routes can be found at the following links:
Freeway
Evacuation Information: Interstate 10
Freeway
Evacuation Information: Interstate 37
Freeway
Evacuation Information: Interstate 45
Freeway
Evacuation Information: US 59
Freeway
Evacuation Information: US 290
Freeway
Evacuation Information: Rio Grande Valley
Useful Links
Hurricane & Weather
Harris
County Office of Emergency Management
Harris
County Office of Emergency Management - Evacuation Information
National
Hurricane Center High Wind Risk Area
Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Scale
Evacuation
Checklist
| Item |
Comments |
| Back pack |
For
carrying items in case you have to leave the car. |
| Butane lighter |
|
| Candy and/or snacks |
|
| Cap with a bill to help keep the rain out of your
eyes |
|
| Cell phone with full battery |
Mobile
charger would be very helpful. |
| Change for pay phones |
|
| Duct tape |
For
miscellaneous repairs |
| Fix-A-Flat |
A
flat tire could be real trouble at a time like this. |
| Flares or light sticks |
|
| Flashlight |
Be
sure to have an extra set of fresh batteries. |
| Food and snacks |
|
| Gas--full tank |
You
may get stuck in traffic like the Houston Rita evacuation.
Many people were in traffic for sixteen hours or more! |
| Gloves: leather |
|
| Handkerchief |
To
wipe off face or clean glasses. |
| Hotel list for places to stay along route.
If you have pets, check for pet friendly hotels ahead of
time. |
|
| Insect repellant |
|
| Jumper cables |
|
| Kleenex |
|
| Leatherman universal tool |
Great
for making emergency repairs |
| Maps |
Maps
of local area, county and state.
The more, the better! |
| Paper towels |
You
may be eating in the car. Paper
towels are essential! |
| Power Bars or similar meal replacement bars |
|
| Radio: Portable battery powered |
If
you are unable to use your car radio, a portable may be useful. |
| Rain jacket or poncho |
|
| Reading material for yourself, family and kids |
If
you get stuck in a shelter, you may have a LOT of time on your
hands. |
| Rope: Nylon |
This
may be necessary to rescue someone from the water--or maybe you! |
| Shoes: Old shoes that you don't mind ruining |
|
| Small first aid kit |
|
| Socks |
Extra
socks in case you get wet feet |
| Toilet paper |
If
you can find a bathroom, the toilet paper will probably be long
gone! |
| Tools |
Various
tools for emergency repairs |
| Towels |
It
may be raining when you make your exit, and there's a chance you
may have to get out of the car at some point.
Also, if it's really hot, it may be good to be able to dry
off the perspiration. |
| Umbrella |
Preferably
a strong, dependable one |
| Wash clothes (wet) in zip lock bags |
|
| Water and soft drinks |
Many
people died of heat-related illnesses during Hurricane the Rita
evacuations. Be sure to stay well
hydrated |
| Whistle |
Whistles
will last longer and louder than your lungs |
| Zip lock bags |
For
sensitive items (such as wallet) if you have to get out in water. |
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