Big changes coming to local evacuation plan

(4/20/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- There were 2.7 million people all trying to get out of town at the same time last September. The evacuation before Hurricane Rita overwhelmed any attempt at an evacuation plan and now, we've learned new information about how area leaders hope to make the next evacuation run much more smoothly.

The problems with the Rita evacuation are no surprise to those of us who suffered through it. The plans were outdated. It never envisioned millions of cars and people on the roads and it was a directed evacuation which forced a lot of people into the path of the storm.

The changes you're about to read about are designed to correct the mistakes made during Rita.

Here's what's in place for the next time it's needed. For the first time, contra flow is part of a regional evacuation plan.

• Highway 290 would be opened up one way from Highway 6 in Houston to Highway 6 in Hempstead, heading to College Station.
• I-45 would be northbound from the San Jacinto Bridge all the way to Dallas.
• I-10 from Brookshire to San Antonio would be one way westbound.

The order to institute contra flow would come from the Department of Public Safety. TxDOT crews would implement it. However, the agency has an advance warning.

"If anyone believes that implementation of contra flow immediately upon calling an evacuation will keep traffic from becoming congested, then they're mistaken because you can't ask that many people to move and use select corridors to do that movement with causing a traffic jam," said Janelle Gbur with TxDOT.

Traffic around the city will be controlled. Access from the 610 Loop to evacuation corridors will be blocked except for east Houston. And 59 North will be reserved for evacuations from east Harris County and Liberty County.

In addition, the state will contract with wrecker services to remove disabled vehicles from highways. As for the gas shortage seen in Rita, a state fuel desk will be activated in Austin. Gas stations will be asked to remain open. Fuel trucks will be brought in before an evacuation and posted along routes.

There will also be state-positioned aid stations along evacuation corridors, providing water and restrooms.

Another problem during Hurricane Rita was there were no practice drills for a large scale disaster or evacuation. Next month, Harris County will conduct a three-day disaster training exercise.
(Copyright © 2006, KTRK-TV)

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