KENNER, La. (AP) – The five Gulf Coast states have good evacuation plans in place for tropical storms, but more work is needed to prepare for another major hurricane, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Friday.

“I feel the region has more work to do to ensure that all groups would know where to go, when they should leave and whether they should go by plane, train or bus if they cannot drive,” Mineta said

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida all have contraflow plans to turn inbound highway lanes into outbound lanes during storm evacuations, Mineta said.

But he said there needs to be better coordination between local governments and between the states to avoid the kind of traffic jams seen in Texas as Hurricane Rita approached last September. Drivers spent hours amid traffic that was stopped or barely moving on the highway, some running out of gas as cars crept along.

Mineta stopped at New Orleans’ international airport to announce his evaluation of the region’s evacuation plans. He said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., had asked for the evaluation before Hurricane Katrina hit on Aug. 29.

The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season started Thursday.