Afternoon Rita Update

This afternoon’s call:

• Hurricane upgraded to category five. From the reports this will be an unprecedented event and the largest Hurricane to hit the coast if it keeps growing. In the Houston area there is a 20+ foot surge expected in the bays. This storm surge will be at the 10+ foot range on the far east and west reaches of the Texas coast line. The storm surge is expected Friday ahead of the main body.
• The Hurricane is expected to produce an eye wall that will be between 70-90 miles wide and will be producing sustained winds in excess of 195 mph. Everything within the eye wall is expected to be destroyed.
• They are still trying to evacuate special needs folks (hospitals, nursing homes, State hospitals, correctional facilities). A valiant effort is under way and there will more than likely be helicopter evacuations involved tomorrow. The Texas Department of Health services representative came in to town today and told me that Pittsburg Nursing Center is already expecting to receive from sister facilities. The South Wind assisted living center (Old Moore’s nursing home) was asked to sign a memorandum of understanding so they could help as well.
• The bulk of this afternoons call was the coordination of transportation, evacuation routes etc on the gulf coast.
• Here locally, the City and County are communicating and coordinating efforts in anticipation of a severe weather event that may strike our area.
• To reiterate an earlier post. The Division of Emergency management in Tyler does know that we still have a shelter standing ready at Emmanuel church. In addition I have notified them of the other sites designated in our emergency plan. I have contacted the ministerial staff at each of the churches listed on the plan and made them aware of the situation. I have recommended to the state that we utilize the shelter at Emmanuel first and the others only if needed so that we may better support the situation. We already have folks in the area or will have that are self-evacuating. Most of these will be staying with family, there are ten self evacuees heading towards the Emmanuel shelter.
• There is no need at this time for supplies or donations of goods, please do not take anything to the shelter site or other locations in town.

Martin A. Pessink
Chief of Police
Pittsburg Police Department