Evacuee transfer in Texas on hold

[TexasStooge]

AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - While the airlift of Hurricane Katrina refugees out of Texas appeared to be on hold, plans to move some to cruise ships in Galveston have also been postponed.

The delay was announced in a statement issued Tuesday by the Unified Command in charge of the shelter in and around the Houston Astrodome. No new relocation date was mentioned.

Planes carrying evacuees had been expected to leave the state Sunday night when the airlift was under the direction of state officials. Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the state's refugee shelters had reached their limit.

Then federal authorities took over the operation and by Monday planes still weren't taking off. At the same time, for the first time in days, there were no buses or planes in the official evacuation effort carrying evacuees into Texas, the governor's office said.

It was unclear when any flights might actually leave.

Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Dean Cushman said Monday, "We are not coordinating it as of right now."

Perry announced the airlift Sunday to ease the pressure that nearly a quarter million refugees had placed on Texas shelters.

Originally set up under the Texas National Guard, Perry's office said FEMA took over the operation Sunday night.

The airlift plans were still in place and could be executed if needed, the governor said.

"We're ready when they are," Perry said.

Perry, speaking to reporters in San Antonio, said he agrees that FEMA is the appropriate arm of the government to be in charge of the effort to relocate evacuees to other states.

But he said that if he were in charge, those planes might be in the sky sooner.

"If I were a dictator, I might do things on a different timetable, but I'm not and I understand and I respect that," said Perry, who toured emergency shelters set up on the former Kelly Air Force Base. "We're going to do everything we can to have these individuals ready to go when the call comes in."

Officials had planned to begin moving about 4,000 evacuees on Tuesday to cruise ships docked on the Gulf of Mexico. Perry has told federal officials that more ships could be stationed in Beaumont and Corpus Christi, his office said.

However, officials with the Hurricane Katrina Houston Response said Tuesday that the planned move to the cruise ships had been delayed. The refugees in the Astrodome said they prefer to stay there than move to the ships, Incident Commander Joe Leonard said in a statement.

The dome's residents are still struggling with the profound dislocation of their lives since the hurricane struck Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama last week. Since then, many of them have lost or become separated from loved ones and spent days in the increasingly squalid Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans before they were bused to the relative comforts of the Astrodome.

Leonard said some residents also want to stay where they are to concentrate on locating lost loved ones. Others want some stability so they can ponder their future lives.

"The 'Dome is home for them," he said. "For residents, another immediate relocation is simply too much, too soon."

Perry said Sunday that Texas needs other states to help manage the refugee crisis. Officials at Texas relief centers say they are simply running out of room.

Since Thursday, Perry's office has been in contact with several states, including the governors of Utah, Oklahoma, Michigan, Iowa, New York, West Virginia and Pennsylvania about providing shelter for Louisiana evacuees.

Texas officials estimate about 100,000 Louisiana residents are staying in hotels and motels across the state and another 139,000 are being temporarily housed in 137 shelters throughout the state from the Houston Astrodome to El Paso.

[themusk]

Looking at this, coupled with today's news reports that requested aid from Europe hasn't been able to get into this country because the Feds haven't gotten around to either clearing the arrival of the aircraft or granting Europe permission to deliver the goods to US military bases in Europe, coupled with other reports of the Feds taking long to act, I hope this isn't becoming a pattern.

[Stormtrack]

It's hard to believe people would turn down their own private suite on a luxury cruise ship and sleep on cots in the Astrodome. Meanwhile there was a local story about evacuees who saved Houston residents from an apartment fire.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/090605_local_aptfire.html

[Persepone]

The shelters here on Cape Cod (Massachusetts) and in New Hampshire (near Portsmouth) are ready and waiting, as are others around the country, according to several broadcast news stations in Boston.

There is a lot of activity being organized to make evacuees welcome and to settle the children in at school, etc. There was a call today for basketballs and other sports equipment because the Cape Cod shelter has a great gymnasium and playing fields, etc. that they believe kids/grownups will enjoy... Some restaurant association (?--caught only part of this announcement) is planning to throw a "clambake"--one of the local specialties--for evacuees... New Hampshire is making similar arrangements to welcome evacuees welcome in the community...

What we are being told is that the plans are pretty flexible--the goal is to see that people have a safe and fairly comfortable base of operations but the idea is that over time people will move into apartments, houses, etc. rather than stay in "shelter"-type situations. The assumption is that some evacuees will want to go home fairly quickly, but that others may want to stay longer--or even settle here permanently.... So there is an effort to make all sorts of arrangements.

If anyone is going to either MA or NH or has friends who come here, please PM me. I'm about 2 miles from the MA evacuation center and have friends and family near the NH center...

[soonertwister]

I agree with those who don't want to go onto cruise ships. Sure, they are great. But their accommodations would not be equal to that of a typical cruise, and their location would make it much harder for them to look for jobs and do other things they think they need to do.

Plus, these people have undergone extreme trauma and have been herded like sheep. It's no wonder that they don't want to leave right now, their conditions are 1000% better than what they were before.

In a short while they will yearn for better conditions, this won't become a evacuee ghetto in the big city. People will want to restart their lives, and Houston absolutely cannot absorb them all.

[MBismyPlayground]

Wow, I have really just begun reading everyone's posts from today. been busy searching for some of the missing with no luck so far. (ring phone ring)
Anyways, upon reading this thread, about the slowness of moving these people......ect
I am wondering if this is not because the Gov of LA refused to sign the papers giving the Feds control?? She obviously wants to be in control......so maybe she should have her people organize it all.
I mean today I did hear her refer to the National Guard(allof them) as "MY NATIONAL GUARD". I could almost guarantee you, if the feds took over, there would not be this situation with so many chiefs and not enough Indians. And this total lack of communication. We saw how quickly things changed when Gen Honoree began issuing orders. Is Gov. Blanco really capable of organizing and maintaining all of HER citizens all over the country and at the same time, the continued coordination of evacuating more people??????? We have already seen her uumm skills at work this past week.

[gabrielle01]

Finger pointing is getting tiresome whether it is Nagin, Blanco or Bush. There are plenty of political forums for those kind of comments.

[MBismyPlayground]

Finger pointing is getting tiresome whether it is Nagin, Blanco or Bush. There are plenty of political forums for those kind of comments.

Hey, not pointing a finger here. Not blaming the situation on her. Nope not at all. But I am going to go on a limb here and say she may not have the citizens best interests in mind,with this specific decision. And that is not political or anything else. it is an opinion. Based on info we have been given thus far.