HOUSTON,
TEXAS
Sept. 21, 2005
99 miles
Responding to warnings about Hurricane Rita's approach -- and no doubt haunted by the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina just one month before -- an estimated 2.5 million Texans hit Interstate 45 in an attempt to evacuate Houston. The resulting traffic jam was so bad that many chose to return home rather than take their chances with 140-mile-per-hour winds on the open road.
The jam was largely fueled by widespread fear: Texas officials never asked all Houston residents to evacuate their homes. And in the end, after the storm lost some momentum and shifted course, Houston ended up avoiding major damage. Nevertheless, the bottleneck on the interstate did cause some residents to question how Texans would fare in the event of an actual mandatory evacuation. And, as the New York Times reported, one Harris County official did admit that the massive congestion was "not in the plan."
Indeed, when some motorists manage to travel only 10 miles in nine hours on a designated evacuation route, it might be time to rethink your emergency planning.
STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images
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