Our esteemed governor, pausing from his empty-headed efforts to micromanage our local public schools (thank you, Rita), has issued a heartwarming statement.
Gov. Rick Perry today requested that media make the following public announcement:As Texas coastal areas continue to evacuate, many Texans are experiencing traffic delays and gridlock on major routes leaving Houston. Texans are urged to stay calm and patient. Those who are evacuating have done the right thing by leaving well before Hurricane Rita makes landfall.
[blah, blah, blah...]
Those who are about to run out of gas should pull to the side of the road. Fuel trucks are being positioned along major evacuation routes, including I-45, I-10 and U.S. 290 to get fuel to those who are low or out.
Again, Texans are urged to stay calm and patient as they evacuate.
However, the state's preparation seems to be lacking in important details.
The Texas National Guard plans to depart Austin at daybreak on Friday with two 5,000 gallon tankers to deliver gasoline to motorists stranded on major highways along the Hurricane Rita evacuation route.The trucks will depart Camp Mabry with a law enforcement escort in search of motorists in need of gasoline along U.S. 290, Interstate 10, U.S. 59 and Interstate 45, said Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Manconda, a National Guard spokesman.
A site in Sealy on Interstate 10 where hundreds of motorists are stranded without gasoline was a high priority destination, said Manconda.
“As they see vehicles that are stopped because they ran out of gas, they will be able to service those vehicles,” said Manconda. “I don't know how long it will take to get to catch all of those folks on the four highways.”
Manconda said the National Guard attempted to begin the emergency fuel distribution earlier, but found the nozzles on the tankers were too large for civilian automobiles.
“They had to be flown in from San Antonio,” Manconda said of the smaller nozzles. “I don't know why we didn't have the right ones.”
Meanwhile, the governor's hair is still perfect...
Posted by Alan at September 23, 2005 08:09 AM