GALVESTON — Galveston’s mayor said Friday that she would “not accept the blame” for the evacuation fiasco last week and called on residents to complain directly to Gov. Rick Perry.
“The state of Texas is at fault here,” Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas said before outlining some changes the city was making to its own evacuation plan.
In response, a Perry spokesman called the Hurricane Rita evacuation successful, but said some improvement is needed.
“We evacuated the equivalent of the entire population of Kansas — some 2.5 million people,” said Ted Royer.
Fleeing Hurricane Rita last week, evacuees ran into traffic jams on every major escape route. Shelters filled up, motorists were stranded without gas and at least 30 county residents died, according to county funeral homes.
In response to problems statewide, Perry, Houston Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Robert Eckels formed a task force to review the evacuation and recommend changes.
Former Kemah Mayor Bill King, who has studied evacuation routes for Galveston County, and University of Texas Medical Branch Vice President Karen Sexton were asked to sit on the task force, which begins meeting this month.
Thomas said she wants the governor to make some changes sooner rather than later. One of the city’s suggestions is to dedicate the Houston area HOV lanes to Galveston buses during evacuations.
Thomas said she’d also like Houston to hold off on its evacuation until Galveston County residents have cleared out.
Rep. Craig Eiland, a Galveston Democrat, who attended the press briefing, said he would take the city’s message back to the state capital.
“We will have to rework this state plan,” he told Thomas and the council.
Thomas is also making changes in the city’s evacuation plan, which includes busing those without transportation to shelters off the island.
At least 15 buses carrying Galveston residents were turned away at shelters in Huntsville last week. Some found refuge in Humble, but the majority sheltered in or near Fairfield, a city south of Dallas.
Thomas wanted to contract with that city for designated shelters in the future, but officials this week said they don’t have the room.
The city has a population of 4,000. Galveston evacuated 3,400 residents on buses before Hurricane Rita.
