Caravans of buses filled with nearly 5,000 state prisoners were stuck in the same traffic meltdown Wednesday with hordes of others fleeing the Texas coast. The inmates, cuffed in leg irons and watched by armed guards, were being moved from five prison facilities that authorities decided were dangerously close to the path Hurricane Rita might take.

The massive relocation began at dawn Wednesday in white buses marked only with Texas seals. The inmates were being moved to other Texas prisons in Huntsville, Livingston, Woodville, Lovelady, Richmond, Sugar Land, Gatesville and Dayton.

The goal was to empty each prison and move the inmates together to their new homes at other facilities.

When inmates arrive, some will receive individual cells, but most will sleep on mattresses "dormitory style" on the floors of recreational spaces, chapels and day rooms, a spokesperson said.

Besides Clemens prison, others evacuated included:

•1,098 inmates at Scott facility in Angleton
•1,572 inmates at Terrell facility in Rosharon
•1,082 inmates at Jester III facility in Richmond
• 400 inmates at Young facility in Texas City

Only minimum to medium security inmates were involved in the evacuations.