Congestion and contraflows
Listening to the stories of evacuees makes me glad I decided to stay. Yes, there’s a hurricane coming, but right now a little wind and rain doesn’t seem like much bother compared to the frustration of sitting in your car in the heat for hours on end, going nowhere. If I were to leave now and head for any decent-sized city, I’d probably be on the road for 12 hours or more.
The biggest problem is gas. Specifically, there isn’t any, and people are burning up what’s left real quick. Some folks are pushing their cars, not because they’re out of gas, but because it’s not worth it to fire up the engine every fifteen minutes to move three car-lengths. Personally, I’d rather ride out the storm in my house than spend the weekend in my car, possibly still in the hurricane’s path.
The latest news is that Rita is tracking farther to the east than previously expected, which is both good and bad. The current track has it making landfall slightly east of Houston, which would put most of the city on the “clean side” of the storm. If it swings back west, of course, we’ll be taking a direct hit. And it’s definitely bad news for Louisiana, which is on the “dirty side” and facing stronger winds as the hurricane turns north.
I’m just about packed and ready to leave my apartment. I know I said I was going to leave early in the morning, but really, any plan that requires me to wake up before dawn is wishful thinking at best. Bye, apartment, and good luck! Hope you’re still here when I get back!
Tags: Hurricane Rita