From Superdome to Astrodome: Katrina's refugees being moved to Houston in bus convoy

ap on San Diego Union Tribune ^ | 8/31/05 | Mary Foster - ap

[NormsRevenge]

NEW ORLEANS – A slow exodus from the smelly and sweltering Superdome began Wednesday as refugees boarded giant trucks and then buses for a trip to more comfortable surroundings in the Houston Astrodome.

The evacuation was kept almost secret to avoid a stampede. People were taken a few at a time through a garage, then to trucks that plowed through 4 feet of water and delivered them to the buses.

People with physical problems were evacuated Wednesday morning, loaded into a variety of vehicles and taken to a triage center in Baton Rouge. The evacuation of the more able-bodied began later.

Almost everyone carried a plastic bag or bundled bedspread holding the few possessions they had left after Hurricane Katrina decimated their city. Some hobbled on walkers, canes and crutches; others inched forward on wheelchairs. Women led children and carried babies.

"I don't care where they're taking us. Anywhere is better than here," said James Caire, 49, who had been at the Superdome only about six hours.

With no air conditioning and little electricity, the heat and stench inside the Superdome were unbearable. As the water pressure dropped lower and lower, toilets backed up. The stink was so bad that many medical workers wore masks as they walked around.

Most refugees jammed onto concourses because the heat and stench inside the Superdome were unbearable. But the heat on the brown-brick concourse was horrendous. One man took a paper bag, rolled up the rim and wore it as a hat.

Dr. Kevin Stephens Sr., in charge of the special needs shelter at the dome, described the Superdome and a nearby arena as a health department's nightmare.

"These conditions are atrocious," he said. "We'll take trucks, planes, boats, anything else, I have to get these people out of here."

By midafternoon, medics were hauling people off one after another because of heat-related problems. Even as the evacuation was going on, people walked through waist-deep water to get to the Superdome.

Tempers flared in the crowd. One woman yelled: "You're just lying to us! You had us standing all day in this heat, and you're lying to us. You're not taking us anywhere!"

The oficer yelled back, "Look, ma'am, do you think I'm in charge? Do you think I'm making decisions? I told you what they told me."

But overall, there was little trouble. People got angry and frustrated and occasionally screamed, but people generally seemed to get along.

The noise around the dome was constant. Helicopters took off and landed on the helipad outside. Generators ran. Trucks backed up and moved past. Every time one baby stopped screaming two more seemed to start. And there was the constant roar of thousands of conversations going on at once.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided about 500 buses to transport the refugees. It was not immediately clear how long the refugees will be in Houston, 350 miles from New Orleans. "We're buying time until we can figure something out," said William Lokey, chief coordinator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Astrodome's schedule has been cleared through December for housing evacuees, said Kathy Walt, a spokeswoman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The building no longer is the home of a professional sports team – the Houston Astros left in 2000.

Phillip Triggs, 40, wasn't keen on the idea of being forced to Texas.

"As far as the idea of going to another state, no, man, this is my home," he said while catching a breath of fresh air. "My family is here. My home is gone. For us to be going through what we're going through, we're just not ready for this."

Cots and blankets for up to 25,000 people were being set up on the Astrodome's floor. Knowing that the people would arrive tired, frustrated and disheartened, shelter organizers began planning activities that might help take the evacuees' minds off their troubles, such as free trips to museums and amusement parks.

Organizers plan to use Astrodome kitchens and locker rooms to keep refugees fed and clean, but they realize it won't be easy because the arena was not built to handle so many people.

"I'm ready to get away from here. Anybody in their right mind would be," said David Ellis, a construction worker who was on the ramp outside the Superdome, escaping the oppressive conditions.

[Texasforever]

Houston will rue the day. I know this is tragic BUT to make this type of open ended commitment for this many people will come back to haunt us. The Astrodome is just the Superdome with air conditioning and putting this many people in one location will become a nightmare after 2 weeks.

[shield]

It'll not be forever...Once Louisiana gets things put together better...they'll be placed in temporary housing close to home in Louisiana.

[nhoward14]

My understanding is we are supposed to house several thousand at Reunion Arena in Dallas as well.

Somebody needs to have some hard conversations with these people when they arrive. They might as well start looking for jobs and plan on starting life over either here or someplace else.

Meanwhile, we need the zeroist of zero tolerance when it comes to behavior in these refugee camps. I'm not in any mood to put up with bussed-in criminals. We've got enough grown in our own backyard.

[NormsRevenge]

Buses loaded with stranded New Orleans residents head out of the city August 31, 2005. Authorities began to evacuate about 23,000 refugees from the New Orleans Superdome arena on Wednesday, and U.S. President George W. Bush said it would take years to recover from the flooding and devastation sown by Hurricane Katrina. REUTERS/Jason Reed

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A New Orleans police officer looks at a semi-truck loaded with people evacuated from flooded areas in New Orleans East August 31, 2005. The people were to be transported to buses that eventually would leave New Orleans. Authorities struggled on Wednesday to evacuate thousands of people from hurricane-battered New Orleans as food and water grew scarce and looters raided stores, while U.S. President George W. Bush said it would take years to recover from the devastation. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

[Tall_Texan]

I wonder if anybody has an update on Jackie and her family. She was interviewed on Fox when the lines were outside the Superdome before Katrina hit. It would be an interesting story to see how she has managed, whether her spirit is still upbeat and how she feels about relocation.

[Texasforever]

It'll not be forever...Once Louisiana gets things put together better...they'll be placed in temporary housing close to home in Louisiana

Get real. Look, LA will be in o shape to take people back for at least a year and we already have half of New Orleans here as we speak.

[NormsRevenge]

The fellas on their bellies in this shot probably won't be going very far in the hear future, except to jail somewhere, hopefully.

Armed Texas game wardens surround a group of individuals who stole a mail truck to escape the flooded areas of New Orleans East August 31, 2005. The people were freed but forced to continue on foot. Authorities struggled on Wednesday to evacuate thousands of people from hurricane-battered New Orleans as food and water grew scarce and looters raided stores, while U.S. President George W. Bush said it would take years to recover from the devastation. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

[NormsRevenge]

near=hear

[38special]

Lakewood Church in Houston used to be the Compaq Center and is opening their doors as well.

[ladyinred]

What a mess. Am I naive' to think that the people should be grateful they had a place a go to keep them safe? It seems we have a large group of them who are just plain angry, and it is sad to me.

[HairOfTheDog]

My understanding is we are supposed to house several thousand at Reunion Arena in Dallas as well. Somebody needs to have some hard conversations with these people when they arrive. They might as well start looking for jobs and plan on starting life over either here or someplace else. Meanwhile, we need the zeroist of zero tolerance when it comes to behavior in these refugee camps. I'm not in any mood to put up with bussed-in criminals. We've got enough grown in our own backyard.

Sorry your entire city and everything you had was destroyed, but buck up now, and don't be a pain in the ass to us, cuz we don't want you here?

Real lovely attitude, that.

[ordinaryguy]

Did you read the caption you posted? "The people were freed but forced to continue on foot."

[ordinaryguy]

Do they even understand what has happened to their city? Have they had access to any news? I'd heard that announcements weren't being made inside the dome.

[flashbunny]

Boy, you really love to jump into threads and accuse other people of saying something they didn't say!

But you're probably just hear to get information, not to start any fights, right???

[HairOfTheDog]

No, that one want to argue about.

[Graybeard58]

They might as well start looking for jobs

Maybe these Americans can replace some illegal aliens.

[Tall_Texan]

What a mess. Am I naive' to think that the people should be grateful they had a place a go to keep them safe? It seems we have a large group of them who are just plain angry, and it is sad to me.

I think many deep down inside are grateful that they could flee to the Superdome but after three days of standing around and not being told anything while stuck in a dark, dank place that smells like s**t, not knowing if they have a house to come home to and what was stolen from it, I can understand their disgruntlement. I'm sure some of them think their homes are just fine and that they really don't want to be taken anywhere else - they rather go back to their home that they don't realize is no longer habitable.

Many, I bet, are still in denial that they are essentially homeless.

[flashbunny]

"No, that one want to argue about."

Klatu... baradu.... necktie????

[HairOfTheDog]

Just ~talking~ about the conditions in that city for the past few days has made lots of FReepers cranky.... I sympathize with those actually ~living~ it.