Astrodome to the rescue!

[sereneorange]

Thousands Of Refugees To Go From Superdome To Astrodome

NEW ORLEANS -- The evacuees from Hurricane Katrina who've been housed at the Louisiana Superdome will be headed to Houston -- where shelter is being set up for them at the Astrodome.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing nearly 500 buses for a convoy that will begin Wednesday, traveling the 350 miles to Houston.

A spokeswoman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the Astrodome's schedule has been cleared through December to serve as a shelter for evacuees.

An emergency management official in Houston told The Associated Press that plans are in the works to provide a "full shelter operation for 25,000 people." Most of them will come from the Superdome. Conditions there have deteriorated rapidly since the storm came through. It knocked out the air conditioning and tore holes in the roof. And toilets there are broken.

Rising floodwaters in New Orleans prompted Gov. Kathleen Blanco to order the Superdome and the city abandoned. She said that all evacuees in New Orleans would have to be moved out of the city. The Astrodome was a first-of-its-kind indoor sports arena when it opened 40 years ago, but it hasn't been used for professional sports events in years.

 

very cool! Also, I hear Mattress Mac originated in NOLA and was almost finished building a warehouse there. Apparently, he is going to get it finished, fill it with beds and let people stay there.

 

Comments

[antigone-ks.livejournal.com]

If I were them, I'd be about sick of anything ending in -dome. Bless their hearts.

[serene-orange.livejournal.com]

I feel for them. Luckily dome is air conditioned, no holes in the roof and is full of working potties. Also, it is right on the bus line and train, so they have access to banks and other services.
Unfortunately, they get to look out the entrance to see Astroworld and people having fun on weekends because they don't have to worry about the fact their house is demolished.

so sad. The whole situation...

[emyrs.livejournal.com]

my fear here is that they will become permanent houston residents. According to the news (ok, so credibility on this is in question), a large portion of the people sheltered in the superdome were the homeless and indigents of new orleans with no place better to go. Houston doesnt exactly have the best system for dealing with the homeless to begin with (ie force them to "less high class" areas). I hope our social services respond well to this.

[serene-orange.livejournal.com]

well, that makes sense. Wonder if there is any chance they will bus them back when it is ready? I would guess that they will stay where the food and shelter is as long as they can.

Hrm...wonder how they are going to keep our homeless out ( and you know they will)

[emyrs.livejournal.com]

I say let our homeless in, then bus them back to NOLA in a couple months when the are more rebuilt than now :)

[serene-orange.livejournal.com]

What? Sneak them in on the buses going back? Don't think they will notice that they have increased by a couple thousand?
Clever idea though

[serene-orange.livejournal.com]

hell....the one's that are employable would be able to get work rebuilding the city

[antigone-ks.livejournal.com]

Ooh, but it's their punishment! Cause, cause the map of the hurricane? It looks like an 8-week fetus! It's BABY STRIKES BACK.

*shakes head*

[serene-orange.livejournal.com]

ok...I have reread this twice....huh?

[antigone-ks.livejournal.com]

Oh, you haven't stumbled across this bit of wingnuttery yet? Lucky you.

The idea is that if you look at a map of the hurricane as it makes landfall, the orange bit looks like a someodd-month fetus. And since New Orleans has abortion clinics, the hurricane is clearly god's punishment for killing the babiez.

I give it two days before Fred Phelps weighs in with his theory that it's not the babies, it's teh gay!

And here I thought it was just, you know, weather. Silly me.

[serene-orange.livejournal.com]

sweet chocolate christ that is stupid

[omegaxl.livejournal.com]

I'm glad they're going to use the Astrodome but what are they going to do with the other people that fled & got out of town but are now running out of $ & have no home to go back to?

[serene-orange.livejournal.com]

apparently tell them to fuck off

[smalltownhero.livejournal.com]

Thats awesome!