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 » 2006 Forecast  | Saffir-Simpson scale  |  Your stories

Texas evacuees, told to stay away, returning

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Vehicles travel toward Galveston, Texas, in the early hours of Sunday on Interstate 45.

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RITA'S REMNANTS

As of 11 p.m. ET
Latitude: 33.0 North
Longitude: 93.9 West
Movement: North 10 mph
Winds: 35 mph

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HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- Taillights and headlights illuminated rain-slicked roads of Gulf Coast Texas in the pre-dawn hours Sunday as residents jammed the roads to return after evacuating for Hurricane Rita.

Authorities had urged evacuees not to return, warning that conditions might not be safe at home, emergency crews needed to move quickly on the highways and fuel trucks still needed to re-supply gas stations.

Still, early Sunday, traffic tie-ups snarled Interstate 10 into Houston and Interstate 45 into Houston and beyond to Galveston. (Watch authorities warn Texas evacuees to delay return -- 1:37)

So far, the return of 2.5 million people into the area has not caused the 15- to 20-hour delays caused on the way out. Lines at gas pumps, however, grew as the morning progressed.

In Houston -- where 350,000 power customers remained without electricity -- officials divided the city into quadrants and asked residents to return to each section one at a time. There was no penalty for ignoring that request.

"This traffic thing is a big problem," said Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, at a Saturday afternoon news conference in Austin on relief efforts following Rita. He said he saw trucks from the Texas Department of Transportation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other agencies stuck on the clogged streets.

He called on residents to heed the warnings "out of good citizenship."

At an earlier news conference Saturday in Austin, Gov. Rick Perry expressed relief that Houston and Galveston -- cities that were largely evacuated in advance of Rita's arrival -- "were spared the worst of the storm."

But, he said, "I can't say in strong enough terms to those who evacuated the coastal region that they should not begin to return for the time being."

Houston Mayor Bill White issued the same warning about a dozen times during a later news conference in Houston. He said "water is rising in the bayous," officials were still assessing damage from the storm, and further bad weather could cause new problems.

"It is dangerous," he said. "But most important, people need to hold back so those emergency supply providers can get in."

White said that Houston-area schools would be closed on Monday and Tuesday and that law enforcement was in place to prevent looting.

Jack Colley, Texas emergency management director, told CNN Saturday night, "Our problem now is to get into these counties ... and make contact with local officials" so his agency can help with rescues.

Colley said that so far, damage was less than expected, and he had heard of no storm-related deaths.

"I'm very encouraged by what we're finding," he said.

President Bush also urged caution.

"A lot of people have left the coastline and headed into east Texas and parts of western Louisiana. It is important for them to listen carefully to the local authorities about whether or not it is safe to return back to their homes," Bush said in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he was observing the Northern Command's response to the hurricane.

"It's going to take awhile for the authorities on the ground to fully understand the impact of the flooding."

Bush travelled to San Antonio on Sunday, where he met with military officials to discuss the disaster response. (Full story)

Perry also had a message for those who did not flee coastal areas.

"It appears that Houston and Galveston were spared the worst. But I want to re-emphasize to Texans currently in that area to remain in their homes, remain in their places of safety. There are still concerns over flooding, over fallen trees, debris, all of which pose a danger.

"So people should remain in their safe locations and listen to their local officials."

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