Oprah tours the Ninth Ward.
Posted on 09/03/2005 8:49:17 PM PDT by SolidSupplySide
HOUSTON — With more than 220,000 hurricane refugees camped out in Texas and more coming, Gov. Rick Perry warned today that his enormous state was running out of room.
"Texas is committed to doing everything it can to help our neighbors from Louisiana, but we want to make certain that we can provide them with the medical care, food, shelter, safety, education and other services they need to start getting their lives back together," Perry said in a statement. "Local officials are beginning to notify us that they are quickly approaching capacity in the number of evacuees they believe they can assist."
About 18,500 survivors were housed in Houston's Astrodome and an adjacent meeting hall. More than 120,000 refugees were in 97 shelters in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and dozens of smaller cities across the vast state, Perry's office said, with another 100,000 in hotels and motels. Uncounted more were in churches or private homes.
Buses continued to arrive at the Astrodome, where many were redirected to other evacuation centers after people were processed and evaluated for medical conditions.
"We have notified FEMA and Louisiana officials that we are nearing capacity," said Robert Black, a spokesman for Perry.
More than 50 military and commercial flights deposited more than 7,000 evacuees at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. At Dallas' luxurious Wyndham Anatole hotel, a few guests looked forward to a quieter evening, compliments of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, after spending Friday night on the roof of New Orleans' Baptist Memorial Hospital ferrying patients to safety.
Hospital worker James Bell felt guilty.
"I could be down (at a shelter) and have a couple families here," he said.
Evacuees also were housed at Reunion Arena in Dallas. As a few people smoked cigarettes outside, a plane emerged overhead trailing a sign that read, "Shame on You George Bush."
Oprah tours the Ninth Ward.
After the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, millions of poor people, most of them black, moved to Detroit and Chicago, and never left.
And we all know how well that turned out.
I've heard Texas and New Mexico could house the world's population.
But that's assuming the entire land mass of both states was developed to the density of the typical suburb. Either you are wholly ignorant that the state of Texas is not fully developed or you are willfully deceitful. There are not enough buildings to house what was, at the height, 200,000 refugees in Houston.
I see you missed school on the day they taught sarcasm.
hey you're back!
Glad you and yours are ok. How are the dogs?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.