Letter
Cheryl Sawyer

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

Obviously, the lessons learned from Rita and Katrina indicate that we need a new evacuation game plan.

Trains: We have train tracks in place; we should use trains. Perhaps the city could buy several freight cars and keep them loaded with supplies during hurricane season. When the gulf coast is threatened, the government could halt all freight train activity and divert passenger trains to the island. Passenger trains are equipped with bathrooms, airconditioning, food cars, and reclining seats. Pets could be housed in an airconditioned freight car. A couple of emergency medical and police personnel should accompany each train. This should lessen the strain on the freeways.

Planes: Ellington Field should be used to evacuate seniors via plane; each plane seat is already equipped with oxygen. The government should halt air travel, divert all available small planes into Ellington, and load our seniors on the planes. Airports in safe areas (Lubbock, Amarillo, Austin, etc) should be manned with paramedics and medical staff. This should lessen the strain on the freeways.

Automobiles: AS SOON as an evacuation is eminent, the National Guard should construct military tents with water, extra gas, port-a-potties, emergency medical personnel & food along all major evacuation routes. Trucks loaded with fuel should be stationed at major gas stations.

THANK YOU to those who graciously allowed me to change lanes. THANK YOU to the man who took the remainder of the ice in his chest and rubbed it on our Labrador retriever who collapsed with a heat stroke after sitting in traffic for 15 hours. He saved her life. THANK YOU to the lady in Rosebud who stood beside her house with her water hose and refilled our water jugs. THANK YOU to the police and volunteer fire fighters who waived the traffic through the small towns so that the evacuees did not have to contend with red lights. THANK YOU to the small town emergency crews that DID set up tents with water along the back roads. Thank you to the local police that guarded our homes from looting and kept the town safe. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

SHAME ON YOU to the self centered jerks that skirted the freeway traffic by jetting along the feeders at a high rate of speed, kicking up dirt and ramming their way into an already stressful situation. SHAME ON YOU to the arrogant politician who saw fit to use police motorcycles to wedge your “important” black limo motorcade and ensuing stream of reporters/camp followers in between my car and that of my son as we attempted to enter I 10W from Beltway 8. My 16-year-old son (who only has a learner’s permit) was driving his elderly relative who was gasping the whole way on oxygen. He was forced by one of your police officers onto I-10 while I was blocked by the other officers on the beltway. They had to manage that horrendous traffic mess without support. It was hours before we made contact again. SHAME ON YOU.

And a note to our emergency planning officials: you did the best you could with what we had. However, please learn from the lessons of Katrina and Rita, think “outside of the box” and find a better way.

Dr. Cheryl Sawyer
Dickinson, Texas

Table of Contents