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Safe, After A Long Night
Sep. 23rd, 2005 09:19 amYou know it's going to be an exceptionally bad day when the first song you heard on the first attempt to leave Houston was (Don't wanna live like a) Refugee.
The back up on I-10 was tremendous. It took hours to go on a trip that would normally take one and it was frustrating to hear the mayor tell people that if they hadn't gotten on the roads, they should just stay and ride it out. It was telling not only of the changing nature of the storm, but also the tremendous failure the evacuation effort had become.
I saw cars pulled over on the side of the road, everywhere. Families and pets were playing in the medians as traffic inched along both sides of the highway. In the few towns along the route every gas station had become an encampment as people were hoping, waiting for gas tankers to arrive. Many of these people had left with a full tank of gas, but now many hours into their journey, it was just gone.
Overnight these towns tripled or quadrupled the number of people sleeping there. In Columbus police, some of the first I had seen actually blocked the exit (on in my case the actual entrance ramp) and shouted that there was no gas, no hotels.
In Columbus, it was almost midnight and I had to make a decision. Since the reports were that refueling tankers would be coming up I-10, sometime, should I stay on that road, or should I take Highway 71, the more direct route to Austin, unlikely to have gas or any assistance from the state. The state was just trying to work on the major highways, leaving many, many folks stranded on smaller roads to fend for themselves, according to the radio.
When I got to the Highway 71 entrance ramp, a few things went through my mind. I heard that 71 was just as backed up. It was unlikely to have gas, and I saw that I would have to cross the median and the westbound traffic lanes to get there, as the contraflow "entrance" ramp was closed. Still, since I didn't see many people going that way, and I saw a continuing stream of cars moving towards San Antonio on 10, I decided to take the chance. If nothing else, I could always sleep in my car in La Grange. (Yes, that town that used to have a whorehouse in it)
I stopped at a gas station, first one I saw, and tons of people were there, waiting. I purchased some food and a coke and used the bathroom for the first time since I left at 5:00. It was midnight and I think this guy had the best night of business he had ever had, and would have done even better if he had gas. I had half a tank, so I trudged on.
The great thing about my decision was, 71 was pretty much clear. We traveled on at speeds of around 55mph. I pulled off a couple of times at stations I thought has gas, but again it was just people camping out, waiting. I made it to Bastrop, about 35 miles east of Austin, and was worried that I wouldn't make it any further, so I decided to stop at a closed H.E.B. food store, and wait.
I called Chris and he agreed to find some gas and come out to get me (what a guy!) While I waited there was a couple of older ladies from Conroe that were there that I talked to about their experience. I'm sure that for a long time many Houstonians will be sharing their experiences of what they did in the great Hurricane Rita evacuation. May this be worse than the storm.
Chris called and asked if I could drive in closer, and meet him half-way. I did, and he spotted an open station along the route that I could get to. I fill up partially, since all they had was premium, and my new friends from Conroe actually got the few gallons that Chris bought as a neighborly gesture. They were happy to have it.
I followed Chris to CJ and Charlie's place and was greeted by Will and Kevin at 4:30am, while the rest of the crowd was still asleep, as many still are now. My car still has much of my stuff in it, and I'll unpack it eventually, I guess.
I'm not sure when I'll go back to the city. It depends on what the storm does, now that it's turned a little more. Right now, I just hope to enjoy a few days with the boys, and some Austin City Limits Festival.
Thanks for your well wishes, words of encouragement, and text messages. They were much appreciated.
The back up on I-10 was tremendous. It took hours to go on a trip that would normally take one and it was frustrating to hear the mayor tell people that if they hadn't gotten on the roads, they should just stay and ride it out. It was telling not only of the changing nature of the storm, but also the tremendous failure the evacuation effort had become.
I saw cars pulled over on the side of the road, everywhere. Families and pets were playing in the medians as traffic inched along both sides of the highway. In the few towns along the route every gas station had become an encampment as people were hoping, waiting for gas tankers to arrive. Many of these people had left with a full tank of gas, but now many hours into their journey, it was just gone.
Overnight these towns tripled or quadrupled the number of people sleeping there. In Columbus police, some of the first I had seen actually blocked the exit (on in my case the actual entrance ramp) and shouted that there was no gas, no hotels.
In Columbus, it was almost midnight and I had to make a decision. Since the reports were that refueling tankers would be coming up I-10, sometime, should I stay on that road, or should I take Highway 71, the more direct route to Austin, unlikely to have gas or any assistance from the state. The state was just trying to work on the major highways, leaving many, many folks stranded on smaller roads to fend for themselves, according to the radio.
When I got to the Highway 71 entrance ramp, a few things went through my mind. I heard that 71 was just as backed up. It was unlikely to have gas, and I saw that I would have to cross the median and the westbound traffic lanes to get there, as the contraflow "entrance" ramp was closed. Still, since I didn't see many people going that way, and I saw a continuing stream of cars moving towards San Antonio on 10, I decided to take the chance. If nothing else, I could always sleep in my car in La Grange. (Yes, that town that used to have a whorehouse in it)
I stopped at a gas station, first one I saw, and tons of people were there, waiting. I purchased some food and a coke and used the bathroom for the first time since I left at 5:00. It was midnight and I think this guy had the best night of business he had ever had, and would have done even better if he had gas. I had half a tank, so I trudged on.
The great thing about my decision was, 71 was pretty much clear. We traveled on at speeds of around 55mph. I pulled off a couple of times at stations I thought has gas, but again it was just people camping out, waiting. I made it to Bastrop, about 35 miles east of Austin, and was worried that I wouldn't make it any further, so I decided to stop at a closed H.E.B. food store, and wait.
I called Chris and he agreed to find some gas and come out to get me (what a guy!) While I waited there was a couple of older ladies from Conroe that were there that I talked to about their experience. I'm sure that for a long time many Houstonians will be sharing their experiences of what they did in the great Hurricane Rita evacuation. May this be worse than the storm.
Chris called and asked if I could drive in closer, and meet him half-way. I did, and he spotted an open station along the route that I could get to. I fill up partially, since all they had was premium, and my new friends from Conroe actually got the few gallons that Chris bought as a neighborly gesture. They were happy to have it.
I followed Chris to CJ and Charlie's place and was greeted by Will and Kevin at 4:30am, while the rest of the crowd was still asleep, as many still are now. My car still has much of my stuff in it, and I'll unpack it eventually, I guess.
I'm not sure when I'll go back to the city. It depends on what the storm does, now that it's turned a little more. Right now, I just hope to enjoy a few days with the boys, and some Austin City Limits Festival.
Thanks for your well wishes, words of encouragement, and text messages. They were much appreciated.
