Evacuee Update

From today's Commercial Appeal...

Hurricane evacuees sheltered in Memphis area look forward to returning home
By Jody Callahan

Remembering the lengthy exiles caused by Hurricane Katrina, Brittany Crawford was worried she might miss her senior year of high school in New Orleans.

So it was with relief that she saw the news Monday: her city, it appeared, would be mostly spared any serious damage from Hurricane Gustav.

With that in mind, Crawford and her family were planning to leave the shelter at Bishop Byrne High on Thursday to head home.

"At first, I was anxious, but now that I know the house is all right, I'm OK," the 18-year-old said in a soft Cajun lilt. "(I'm looking forward) to the house still standing, and I'm a senior this year, so I want to finish."

Crawford's mood seemed to mirror that of other evacuees in Memphis, many of whom tentatively cheered the news that the Crescent City was mostly intact.

"We're just worried about property and stuff like that, so we want to get back and make sure it's safe," said Roy Duplessis, 53 and part of a caravan from the Algiers part of the city.

As of late Monday, there were about 2,700 evacuees in 15 area shelters.

Officials said more than 30,000 have taken refuge in hotels, although it's difficult to determine how many of those are from the Gulf Coast.

Local officials said they haven't received word on when evacuees will be able to return home. Those who drove themselves here can likely leave on their own time, but those evacuated on the Amtrak trains will have to wait until they're cleared to return.

"So far, they have not given us any word on when people can safely return to their homes," said Shelby County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Shular, who's serving as a liaison with the Emergency Management Agency.

Shular acknowledged that there have been some complaints with local shelters, particularly in terms of malfunctions and a lack of supplies.

Plumbing and air-conditioning problems plagued the Ed Rice Community Center in Frayser, which is housing evacuees with special needs. Also, an e-mail from a volunteer complaining about the conditions at Catholic High prompted a response from officials.

"We received that same e-mail and we immediately sent someone from the operations center to Catholic High. They did need some additional toiletry supplies and pillows and cots," Shular said.

Shular added that the shelters haven't experienced any security problems. The Shelby County District Attorney's Office said anyone charged with committing crimes against evacuees would be prosecuted under the "No Deals" policy, meaning no plea bargains.

One evacuee was carjacked in Memphis about 12:30 a.m. Monday, police said. The incident happened at Baltimore and Southern. Two males carjacked a Mitsubishi Galant with Louisiana plates. No one was hurt.

While many of the evacuees were looking forward to returning home, at least one family was enjoying what they called a vacation.

Arles Acsota, a construction worker from Metarie, spent the last three years working long hours building houses.

"Things like this happen," Acsota said. "As long as we're safe and I have (my dog) Gordo with me, we're OK. I told my family to think of this as a vacation because when we go home, after all this, I'll just be working hard again."

How to contact Emergency Management Agency

The Emergency Management Agency's Operation Center can be reached at (901) 515-2525.

Hope Presbyterian Church at 8500 Walnut Grove still has space available for evacuees.