Houston Will Evacuation Problems if Hurricane Strikes Again

Taken from http://www.chinatownconnection.com/houston-evacuation-plan.htm, 14-hour traffic jams and gasoline shortages that accompanied last year's killer hurricanes led to improved evacuation plans for some hurricane-prone states. Hurricane Katrina killed more than 1,500 people, many of whom could not leave because they did not have cars, or who did not want to endure snarled traffic. "It's a simple equation: if you have too much demand, you're going to overwhelm your capacity," Wolshon said. "There's a limit, and we're stretching it about as far as we can go using contraflow." During a hurricane drill in Texas last month, emergency officials planned for everyone to leave and for some families to evacuate in two or more cars. To improve evacuations, Texas focused on fuel shortages and evacuating the elderly and those without cars. Plans are now in place to put external, rubber fuel bladders at gas stations to double fuel capacity. Officials say they have also lined up trains, each capable of transporting 1,600 people. Whatever happens, she just wants it to be quicker next time.
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