http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8CBTDN87.htmlThe governor had announced that along with the 23,000 people moving to the Astrodome in Houston from New Orleans,
Dallas would host 25,000 at Reunion Arena and 25,000 refugees would relocate to a San Antonio warehouse at KellyUSA, a city-owned complex that once was home to an Air Force base. However, 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. 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.
The American Red Cross has opened about
20 other shelters, serving thousands seeking refuge in Austin, Beaumont, Lubbock and other Texas cities. The Lone Star state is a relatively close drive for Louisiana evacuees, many of whom headed into Texas on Interstate 10 and Interstate 20 before Katrina struck. Tens of thousands of survivors continued to fill hotel rooms across the state days after the storm.
Texas will open its
schools and hospitals to some of the hurricane's most desperate refugees, and find low-income housing for those who qualify for it. So far, 7,000 empty units have been identified east of Interstate 35, Perry said.