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This has definitely cemented a concept into my mind. Don't be the last one to try to leave!


Actually, I think it depends. From what I've read in the past, normally, evacuations occur in stages. Coastal areas get the word first, then maybe 12-24 hours later the next inland area gets the nod, and so on. Obviously, the idea is to give the most vulnerable people a clear shot at evacuating. According to this model, the last people ordered to evacuate are/may be the least at risk, relatively speaking. Also, in the interim, the hurricane very well may have veered off in another direction.

It's unclear whether this staggered evacuation occurred for Rita because it sure seemed like a simultaneous stampede inland by 2-3 million all at once. Has anyone heard any estimate of how many people on the road are from areas that were NOT encouraged to evacuate? I imagine that a ton of people are fleeing "just in case".