http://www.headsbunker.com/html/2005/09/hell-day-our-experiences-and-lessons.html
Many lessons learned at the bottom.
Many lessons learned at the bottom.
Story of the Houston bug out
- Thread starter balletto
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JamisJockey
member
This is what struck me the most
We left at 4 a.m. Thursday morning, our plan was to make it to Dallas where we had family. We never arrived there. We surveyed the traffic reports and the freeway, all was clear in our area. In fact, it appeared that my hope had come to pass- that all the Galveston evacuees had already come through. So we made the fateful mistake of all- we trusted the traffic reports and entered I-45. Huge mistake, and I beat myself up for days over it. We hit traffic just outside loop 610 in Houston and stayed in that traffic for 23 hours.....The freeways were channeled by the authorities, no exits allowed onto any other major roads, and like the overused cliche "sheep to the slaughter", we joined the ranks of those I swore I would never be among. We were now at the mercy of God alone, we couldn't go back (to face a storm like that? No way) so we decided to tough it out. Immediately I had visions of thousands of people running out of gas and overheating, clogging up the traffic even worse. This came to pass. As the day broke, we were still south of downtown Houston, just inside the Loop. Traffic was slow, we measured progress in feet rather than miles. People started having car trouble immediately, and as the sun came to 30 degrees above the horizon, the temperature began its typical morning climb to the 100s. We didn't run our air conditioning to save fuel, which proved to be a good move. I kept mine off most of the trip, but my wife and kids were in the van behind me with two dogs and two birds and couldn't go without air conditioning after 10 a.m. or so. We plodded along.
Lots of people talk about using the sideroads, but what if they don't let you?
We left at 4 a.m. Thursday morning, our plan was to make it to Dallas where we had family. We never arrived there. We surveyed the traffic reports and the freeway, all was clear in our area. In fact, it appeared that my hope had come to pass- that all the Galveston evacuees had already come through. So we made the fateful mistake of all- we trusted the traffic reports and entered I-45. Huge mistake, and I beat myself up for days over it. We hit traffic just outside loop 610 in Houston and stayed in that traffic for 23 hours.....The freeways were channeled by the authorities, no exits allowed onto any other major roads, and like the overused cliche "sheep to the slaughter", we joined the ranks of those I swore I would never be among. We were now at the mercy of God alone, we couldn't go back (to face a storm like that? No way) so we decided to tough it out. Immediately I had visions of thousands of people running out of gas and overheating, clogging up the traffic even worse. This came to pass. As the day broke, we were still south of downtown Houston, just inside the Loop. Traffic was slow, we measured progress in feet rather than miles. People started having car trouble immediately, and as the sun came to 30 degrees above the horizon, the temperature began its typical morning climb to the 100s. We didn't run our air conditioning to save fuel, which proved to be a good move. I kept mine off most of the trip, but my wife and kids were in the van behind me with two dogs and two birds and couldn't go without air conditioning after 10 a.m. or so. We plodded along.
Lots of people talk about using the sideroads, but what if they don't let you?
Thin Black Line
Member
People who can't get to sideroads at all are typically in modern subdivisions.
LOL, well I guess that's a lot of Americans nowadays.
LOL, well I guess that's a lot of Americans nowadays.
No4Mk1
Member
From this description the writer took two vehicles and also loaded up everything short of the kitchen sink.... Families taking multiple vehicles is currently being discussed as one of the major factors in the roads clogging worse than anyone expected.....
Kobun
Member
So now the DOT (department of transportation or what not) can decide to close main roads, and force you to go somewhere?
What happened to "The land of the free"???
I bet that if you get fed up driving along the concrete parkinglot, and then force your way through a roadblock not manned by police, others will follow. What are they supposed to do then?
What happened to "The land of the free"???
I bet that if you get fed up driving along the concrete parkinglot, and then force your way through a roadblock not manned by police, others will follow. What are they supposed to do then?
He drove into Houston to get out of Houston and he trusted to the TV/radio instead of calling the highway patrol to check on conditions first?
I75/40 through Knoxville is continuously torn up it seems and we've learned that you have to stay off sections of the Interstate if you expect to be able to move easily. I've been stuck in dead traffic looking longingly down on drivers happily moving along local roads after I pushed just one exit too far to escape so now I call if I need to use the highway to find out what THP says about conditions.
I75/40 through Knoxville is continuously torn up it seems and we've learned that you have to stay off sections of the Interstate if you expect to be able to move easily. I've been stuck in dead traffic looking longingly down on drivers happily moving along local roads after I pushed just one exit too far to escape so now I call if I need to use the highway to find out what THP says about conditions.
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