Three busses turned away from Astrodome

[Anonymous]

Just (seconds ago) reported on CNN's Newsnight with Aaron Brown. Officers at the Astrodome have turned away three busloads of Superdome refugees stating the facility was full.

Wow. Aaron Brown was pretty much outraged. No information on where those people were told to go.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Originally posted by Anonymous
Just (seconds ago) reported on CNN's Newsnight with Aaron Brown. Officers at the Astrodome have turned away three busloads of Superdome refugees stating the facility was full.

Wow. Aaron Brown was pretty much outraged. No information on where those people were told to go.

Not that it matters a lot, but both San Antonio and Dallas recently announced that they will accept up to 25,000 refugees. No doubt those busses will end up at one of those two locations.

 

[B Doss]

Doors are closed at the Astrodome.

 

[Anonymous]

CNN further reports. Texas fire marshall has declared no more people will be accepted at the Astrodome. People to be sent to "other cities." I guess San Antonio and Dallas.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Does anyone know how many did get into the stadium? They were expecting 24,000, but it sounds like far fewer have actually been "admitted".

 

[Bill Hamilton]

I can see that Fire Marshal looking for a job once the totals come out. :evil:
There have not been enough buses come through there to have 24,000 victims on them.

 

[jaceyman]

ugh

this is the worst planning ever. total lack of communication. horrible.

 

[Carrie Halliday]

I am on FOX and that is not reported yet.

There are at least 50k in Houston already, in motels, firestations, family homes, etc. They are opening shelters in SA, Austin and Dallas.

Lots of folks very worried about the criminal element being shipped here with those unfortunate folks. Many prisoners unaccounted for and are sure to be on the buses. Officials at the Astrodome plan to give bracelets to those who are processed to enter, so they can come and go as they please. Plans are to search them coming AND going. With the chaos in NO, wherever the refugees go has to be on guard that this does not follow. Sad but true.

Gas here jumped from $2.50 on Tuesday night to $3.32 Wedinesday morning. It is insane.

My group and other groups of Texans tailgaters are throwing a benefit during the Texans week tailgate in downtown Houston on 9/9, those of you who are in this area please come by and buy a $5 plate of food ($5 is the donation asked per plate) and ALL proceeds go to the Red Cross, Katrina fund. Bob McNair (Texans owner) is matching Texans fans' donations up to 1 million (he has already donated 1 million).

Greta Van Sustern is saying more coming to the Astrodome as of 11:45pm....

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Just to answer my own question... From WWLTV.com blog:

11:41 P.M. - (AP): After accepting more than 11,000 Hurricane Katrina refugees, officials said the Astrodome was full and began sending buses to other shelters in the Houston area Thursday night.

\"We've actually reached capacity for the safety and comfort of the people inside there,\" American Red Cross spokeswoman Dana Allen said. She said people were \"packed pretty tight\" on the floor of the Astrodome.

Buses that continued to arrive were being sent on to other shelters in the area and as far away as Huntsville, about an hour north of Houston.

\"We're asking that people be patient. Ultimately they are going to be comfortable,\" Allen said.

The total of 11,375 inside the Astrodome was less than half the estimated 23,000 people who were expected to arrive by bus from New Orleans in Houston.

http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG...OG.ac3fcea.html

BTW Carrie, FOX is no longer on LIVE coverage. Hannity and Colmes that they are showing now is a few hours old. No cable networks are doing LIVE shows that I know of right now. I don't even think CNN Headline News is LIVE right now. Regardless, I always hate this time of night. All we really have to go off of for NEW information (within the past couple of hours) are either online news blogs (such as the one from WWLTV.com http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG...OG.ac3fcea.html ) or wait for the "news flash" type of LIVE updates every 30 minutes.

 

[Dan Robinson]

At the very least, it is somewhat reassuring to know those people are out of ground zero and in a place with food, water, medicine, law enforcement, etc.

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

Talk about another wonderful example of sterling-bright logistics. Hey, lets not bother to coordinate numbers before we begin the transfer. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Originally posted by Bill Hamilton
I can see that Fire Marshal looking for a job once the totals come out. :evil:
There have not been enough buses come through there to have 24,000 victims on them.

I'm sure this a liability issue. If the place isn't deemed safe for those inside, it isn't safe. Houston is taking refugees into the dome out of charity, so it's a huge liability should there, for example, be a fire that kills some of those inside. Can't blame the Fire Marshall for that! I'd peg it up to a lack of communication or planning between the Houston mayor (or TX Governor) and the local Fire Marshall.

 

[Carrie Halliday]

Originally posted by Jeff Snyder
Just to answer my own question... From WWLTV.com blog:

11:41 P.M. - (AP): After accepting more than 11,000 Hurricane Katrina refugees, officials said the Astrodome was full and began sending buses to other shelters in the Houston area Thursday night.

\"We've actually reached capacity for the safety and comfort of the people inside there,\" American Red Cross spokeswoman Dana Allen said. She said people were \"packed pretty tight\" on the floor of the Astrodome.

Buses that continued to arrive were being sent on to other shelters in the area and as far away as Huntsville, about an hour north of Houston.

\"We're asking that people be patient. Ultimately they are going to be comfortable,\" Allen said.

The total of 11,375 inside the Astrodome was less than half the estimated 23,000 people who were expected to arrive by bus from New Orleans in Houston.

http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG...OG.ac3fcea.html

BTW Carrie, FOX is no longer on LIVE coverage. Hannity and Colmes that they are showing now is a few hours old. No cable networks are doing LIVE shows that I know of right now. I don't even think CNN Headline News is LIVE right now. Regardless, I always hate this time of night. All we really have to go off of for NEW information (within the past couple of hours) are either online news blogs (such as the one from WWLTV.com http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG...OG.ac3fcea.html ) or wait for the "news flash" type of LIVE updates every 30 minutes.

Hmm, guess I will have to go and find some local blogs. Been keeping a blind eye on the boob tube and the other cruising my forums and answering the ton of PMs I have. Am trying to get food and items rounded up for a friend whose family is swelled by 11 by Katrina.
Thanks for the one up, Jeff.

 

[Bill Hamilton]

Originally posted by Jeff Snyder+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jeff Snyder)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-Bill Hamilton

I can see that Fire Marshal looking for a job once the totals come out. :evil:
There have not been enough buses come through there to have 24,000 victims on them.

I'm sure this a liability issue. If the place isn't deemed safe for those inside, it isn't safe. Houston is taking refugees into the dome out of charity, so it's a huge liability should there, for example, be a fire that kills some of those inside. Can't blame the Fire Marshall for that! I'd peg it up to a lack of communication or planning between the Houston mayor (or TX Governor) and the local Fire Marshall.[/b]

I can understand that but why would they offer to house 24,000 victims if the could only accept 11,000.
Lack of communication, I know.
Needless to say, they will still catch heck from other officials and the media. It isn't a situation I would like to be in.

 

[Carrie Halliday]

h

Originally posted by Bill Hamilton+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill Hamilton)</div>

Originally posted by Jeff Snyder@
<!--QuoteBegin-Bill Hamilton

I can see that Fire Marshal looking for a job once the totals come out. :evil:
There have not been enough buses come through there to have 24,000 victims on them.

I'm sure this a liability issue. If the place isn't deemed safe for those inside, it isn't safe. Houston is taking refugees into the dome out of charity, so it's a huge liability should there, for example, be a fire that kills some of those inside. Can't blame the Fire Marshall for that! I'd peg it up to a lack of communication or planning between the Houston mayor (or TX Governor) and the local Fire Marshall.

I can understand that but why would they offer to house 24,000 victims if the could only accept 11,000.
Lack of communication, I know.[/b]

What you don't realize (and OEM didn't until the situation arised) is that we have tens of thousands of folks who already fled ahead of Katrina here and they are broke, and as soon as they heard about the Astrodome, they came on down and were turned away at first....now they are being taken in on a case by case basis. Not sure what that means, but sure that is taking room that was originally intended for those coming in on the buses.