Katrinas Effect On Travelling Through Mississippi?

I recently posted this in the EOM section of the forums.

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=1986

But it was recommended that I should post this out in the main area where it would get a bit more visibility. So I’ve copied/expanded my posting in the other thread and posted it here. (Sorry if this seems a bit long and rambling)

------------------

As we get closer to EOM rally on Sept 16-19 I would be interested in hearing about status reports on traveling across the area from Atlanta to Texas.

My Dad and I are going to be attending the EOM rally. Following the rally we are planning a rather large 3 week trip by bike. The first leg is to travel from the rally to my sister’s place near Brownsville Texas. The original plan had us heading south to the gulf coast then following the coast as closely as possible to her place. Obviously that plan is gone now. We are now planning on just getting on the interstate and buzzing across till we are clear from the area affected by Katrina. The last thing we want to do is do the "tourist" thing in an area that is desperately trying to deal with the aftermath of this storm. The people down there have been through so much the least we can do is not get in the way.

But as the situation has developed this week I am getting concerned that the bubble from all the refugees from the storm is pushing further and further out. Tonight they were talking about Houston straining from the extra 10-20,000 people. I've even heard about them sending people as far as San-Antonio. Obviously living up here in Canada all my information is via CNN. So in other words I have no idea what’s really going on down there.

So I am interested in hearing from people living along the I-10 and I-20 corridor. Are they passable? Can we reliably get gas?

Our first alternate plan would be to take I-10 across (I-12 in New Orleans area) to Beaumont Texas then head south to the coast and take the ferry across to Galveston. But now it looks to me like I-10 (and I-12) from Mobil to Lafayette will be emergency vehicles only for the next while. So I doubt this be feasible? Not to mention all the hotels and campgrounds that are still standing would probably be packed with people displaced from Katrina.

So our next alternate is I-20 all the way across to Shreveport Louisiana. Normally I avoid interstates like the plague, but at the moment it looks to be the most effective way of getting straight across this whole area without to many problems. I am looking at timing the trip so we can get all the way across in a single day to Shreveport so we don’t need to stop and look for lodging on the way.

I am even considering a route that stays even further north. Take I-20 to just past Birmingham Alabama, at that point pick up US-82 and ride it all the way across to Texarkana. Same as above we would try to do the whole thing in one day.

What I am concerned about is lodging, gas and traffic congestion. I think if we stay I-20 or above we wont have any overt problems with traffic congestion. Doing it all in one day avoids problems with lodging in the area that Katrina when through. My main concern is gas. Don’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere. And even if we make it to Shreveport or Texarkana, would they have lodging available or are they suffering the effects of this bulge of refugees as well? Sometime in the next week as our plans firm up I will probably make a few phone calls to hotels in areas we expect to stop.

To wrap up, I would love to hear from anybody with first hand experience in these areas. Feel free to post them here, I appreciate any info that can be provided.

- Colin

I can almost throw a rock from my house and hit IH 10 at Lake Charles Lousiana.

I have heard some horror stories of people being stopped at gunpoint and money and fuel taken on many highways to the east of us. There was debris on all highways until a day or two ago. We had heard I 10 had some damage. I would definitely avoid I 10 corridor unless you are up to nightmare conditions. There are NO rooms available from Tallahassee Florida to San Antonio Texas. Imagine almost 1 million people being displaced. I have heard that as far north as I 20 Jackson, Vicksburg, Monroe Shreveport to Dallas is very crowded. Many have had to go all the way to Arkansas and North Texas and Tennessee to find lodging. Overnight our crime shot up in this area, 3 rapes by black men on white women in two days. That is average for 6 months here. Children kidnapped, black men taking white children, car jackings and robberies. This is wild. I dont leave home without a gun now. We will have to start killing some of the trash to put the fear in them. I am not exaggerating these condtions in the least. I see many fuel stations without fuel here today. There is definitely going to be shortages of fuel here and probably long lines as well. You may be ok traveling the I 20 corridor, but not I 10. Hope you have a safe trip.

allan

Just passed thru the I20 corridor yesterday on our way back to Houston after spending a week in NC. Gas shortages were very evident in Meridian (1hr wait in line) with a $75 max purchase but saw many ignoring it (go figure). Gas situation improved starting in Bastrop and was normal heading west from there. We came home via Highway 59 once we hit Texas. I would expect the situation to improve in that area in the coming days as they get some of infrastructure back on line. My heart goes out to those that are living in those areas.

PS

While riding the Blue Ridge, Deals Gap areas gas shortages widespread but I think by the time you all head out there things will be back to normal but you should expect to pay the price. We paid $3.19/gallon as a max for regular in the days following Katrina.

There's just some pieces of sh%t that need killing in this world. JB :assasin:

Collin: have you given it much thought about going furthernorth than head west say through INDIANA \, iLLINOIS MISSOURI,colorado than drop down? Food for thought ,good luck on your trip :assasin: :assasin: If you were to go the original way you may need to bring along the assain as an escort/protection

PSWhile riding the Blue Ridge, Deals Gap areas gas shortages widespread but I think by the time you all head out there things will be back to normal but you should expect to pay the price.  We paid $3.19/gallon as a max for regular in the days following Katrina.

Click to expand...

I was just all over that area today. No problems down there now. At least not in Maryville, Knoxville, or Tellico Plains. And the roads are in excellent conditions. I even got a room without a res!! I was thinking it might be a problem, being Labor Day weekend, too, but it wasn't (I stayed near McGee/Tyson airport).

Sounds to me like you should change your plans and just go I-40 from Knoxville until you get out West. I think I'd just skip the entire southeast. Where's that Mason Dixon line? Stay north of that until Oklahoma.

Colin: have you given it much thought about going furthernorth than head west say through INDIANA \, iLLINOIS

Click to expand...

I have been talking to my Dad and re-evaluating our route on a daily basis. We are moving our route further north, but I dont want to move it quite that far north. We are visiting my Sister the weekend following the EOM rally. So that gives us 5 days to get to the southernmost point in Texas.

At the moment we are looking at heading due west from the rally through Memphis and Little Rock and then through to Oklahoma before turning south. Even though it seems a long way out of the way it only adds around 300-500 miles to this leg of the trip.

Of course we are going to be keeping an eye on things and see how the situation develops. We still have two weeks before we will be heading through the area.

- Colin