Houston shelters evict Katrina evacuees as Rita nears

HOUSTON — About 1,000 tired and angry evacuees of Hurricane Katrina — many pushing all their worldly possessions in shopping carts — were evicted today from major shelters here as officials prepared for another potentially deadly storm.

Some were given one-way plane or bus tickets to Arkansas, where more shelters had been set up. Others went to stay with relatives or friends, or simply hoped for the best.

The message from officials at Houston's Reliant Arena, which today still housed 976 evacuees: "Everyone must go."

Officials also cleared out Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center, which was housing 147 men, women and children on Tuesday.

"It's a mess, it's a big mess," said Kim Paul, 45, as she fanned herself in a lawn chair outside the Reliant Arena. "It's like something from a nightmare. I got no place to stay, my grandbaby needs to go to school, and I don't have transportation. I feel like a gypsy."

Emergency management officials ordered the shutdowns in advance of Hurricane Rita, which was upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane Tuesday as it struck the Florida Keys. It was expected to strengthen to a Category 4 storm — the same size as Katrina — before making landfall along the Texas coast Saturday morning.

Emergency officials said the Reliant Center and the convention center could not withstand such a forceful storm, although other non-government shelters would remain open.

They ordered everyone out during a hastily called town hall meeting Monday night at the Reliant Center, explaining that commercial aircraft and buses would be waiting Tuesday to take evacuees to Fort Chaffee, Ark.

All told, 209 evacuees accepted those flights, while 45 others went by bus. Emergency officials said the remaining hundreds either used federal airline vouchers to go to other cities, or sought refuge in private shelters, area apartments, or with relatives or friends in Houston.

At its peak, the Houston-area shelters provided refuge for 27,000 people, along with child care, health care, and help finding permanent housing and employment. The shelters — known together as the Hurricane Katrina Houston Response Unified Command — officially ceased operations as of 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Harris County Homeland Security Director Frank Gutierrez also called Tuesday for a voluntary evacuation of low-lying areas around Galveston and other coastal areas.

He said officials have begun helping with the evacuation of the handicapped and the infirm, and would call for mandatory evacuations if Rita continues heading toward the Houston-Galveston area.

Galveston had already ordered mandatory evacuations beginning Wednesday.

"We do expect a catastrophic storm to hit us," he said. "We hope it's not as bad as Katrina."

So far, however, the only mandatory evacuation on the mainland were for those already displaced by Katrina. Hundreds sat for hours outside the Reliant Center Tuesday as bus after bus pulled up and loaded passengers. Surrounding them were boxes, suitcases and trash.

One man said he would hitchhike back to Baton Rouge. Nearby, a woman said she found an open hotel room in Channelview, and hoped to find work in Beaumont.

And everywhere, it seemed, men and women told stories of high waters, devastated homes, violence at New Orleans' Superdome — and hardship upon hardship that seemed never-ending.

"Everybody here's got major problems," said New Orleans resident Lamark Pierre, 31, as he sat dejectedly on the pavement, his face buried in his hands.

Coast Guard Lt. Joe Leonard, director of shelter operations here, said that after some questions were answered during the meeting Monday night, most evacuees agreed with the wisdom of closing the Houston shelters.

Everyone, he said, has had enough of high water.

"A lot of people voiced concerns — but in Arkansas, they will receive very similar service to what they're receiving here," Leonard said. "Some (are also going) to Dallas. Others took opportunities to go with families and friends, others went to local hotels and local shelters."

Leroy Pratt, who has spent three weeks in the Astrodome and the Reliant Center, said he wasn't sure what would happen in Arkansas — but he had nowhere else to go.

He said he had received a debit card worth $2,000 from federal officials, and a separate card worth $360 from the Red Cross. But he said both were stolen, so now he's penniless. He's also lost contact with his brother, and now is alone.

"They said I could get on the bus, so I'm going," said Pratt, 55.

What happens when he gets to Fort Chaffee?

"I guess I'll find out when I get there," he said.

Johnnie Williams, 59, said she and her daughter will fly to Atlanta — even though they know no one there and have no place to stay.

But they said that's better than Arkansas.

"They called everybody to the auditorium (Monday night) and said everybody had to be out," said Williams, sitting on a heavy black suitcase.

"They were offering a free ride to Arkansas, but with no return. It's just sad. We've got a one-way ticket out of here. I've lived in New Orleans all my life, and I hope to get back there some day."

Gertrude Anderson said she was angry and tired.

"They're sending everybody to Arkansas — either you go there, or you don't," she said. "This is bad, but what can you do?"