Rita Evacuation Update

Summary From the 10am conference call

• Tropical storm winds are predicted to arrive on the Texas Coast Friday AM hours
• Rita is being plotted as a category 4 Hurricane and the current model predictions show landfall on the Texas coast somewhere between Beaumont and Corpus Christi during the AM hours Saturday
• The hurricane will not only cause significant storm damage if it makes landfall but will also produce severe flooding in the Houston metro area as well as the Texas hill country.
• The State is at a Level one Emergency Response Level (Highest) and allocating the State’s fullest resources to deal with this situation. Search and rescue personnel have been recalled from the Katrina sites and the State is staging relief supplies to be directed to the Texas coast. By noon Thursday a complete logistical network will be in place.
• Today there will be an emergency pre-disaster proclamation from the Governor and an official request for the same from the President.
• There is a process under way to airlift Katrina evacuees from Houston, San Antonio and other areas to military bases out of state. There is a quick movement to reduce the number of out of state evacuees to make room for Texas residents.
• Special needs individuals ( Nursing home, hospitals etc.) are being evacuated now to nursing homes and other medical facilities in other areas such as Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth etc.
• The State is procuring busses and other means of transportation to take care of those who do not have their own means of travel.
• As for sheltering, as David pointed out before there is a tried and true method for hurricane evacuations and pre-determined routes. That is one reason Katrina evacuees are being moved as they are in these shelter sites. On the conference call I heard Huntsville was already set up as were other South east Texas shelters out of the storm impact area.

I am waiting on a call from David Abernathy and will send another update soon there after.
Martin A. Pessink
Chief of Police
Pittsburg Police Department