Originally Posted by Epoch
Obviously. But what I'm saying is this: Maybe, somewhere, there is a guy who understands the highway dynamics much better than us, and could formulate a plan so people aren't stuck riding out a freaking Cat4 hurricane in their cars. So, at this point, unless an act of god occurs to stop this storm altogether, things are going to go from bad to worse for these people. I'm just saying it's something we should ponder, because of little other possible alternatives.
And to the people protecting FEMA: Goddamnit it's FEMA's job to direct the local gov'ts. They're the central player in managing the event both before and after the disaster (If you don't believe me, read their charter), and while we have yet to really see how the local governments are preparing for the event and it's aftermath, this hurricane will really be the litmus test for this organization's ability.
And what I'm saying is that the way American cities are structured pretty much prevents a mass exodus. No matter what FEMA or anybody does, evacuating millions of people from a city is always going to look the way it does now. We are too dependent on personal transportation in the United States; an evacuation depends on individuals moving themselves out since there is not enough public transportation infrastructure to move people out more efficiently.