Parts of Houston join evacuation

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/avantgo.hts/topstory2/3363238
Sept. 21, 2005, 5:50PM

Parts of Houston join evacuation
From staff and wire reports

Traffic crawled along Houston's freeways today as officials ordered the mandatory evacuation of vulnerable areas in advance of Hurricane Rita, which was chugging toward the Gulf Coast as a dangerous Category 5 storm.

Mayor Bill White and County Judge Robert Eckels said today that some mandatory evacuations would begin at 6 p.m. They encouraged residents to leave voluntarily if possible before the evacuations become mandatory, and it was clear that thousands of residents were heeding the advice.

I saw the local hyway earlier today-grid lock.