Evacuee estimates for cities and states

mongabay.com

September 8, 2005

Below are estimates of the number of hurricane victims housed in various states and cities.

In Texas, about 250,000 Hurricane Katrina evacuees are sheltered in cities including Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Killeen, Beaumont, and Tyler. 139,000 hurricane refugees were in 137 shelters in Texas, and another 100,000 were estimated to be in hotels and motels, said Robert Black, spokesman for Gov. Rick Perry.

In San Antonio, the former Kelly Air Force Base began accepting people on buses that were turned away from the Astrodome. Up to 7,000 people could be accommodated in an air-conditioned office building and warehouse.

In Houston, the Astrodome has 17,500 evacuees, Reliant Center has 3,800, Reliant Arena houses 2,300 residents and the George R. Brown Convention Center holds 1,300 people.

In Alabama, Jeff Emerson, a spokesman for governor Bob Riley, said an estimated 25,000 displaced people were in the state Tuesday with more expected in days to come. Alba Rivera, an American Red Cross spokeswoman, said her group was housing 5,380 evacuees in 49 Alabama shelters. Brian James, spokesman for the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel, said 10,000 of the state's 59,000 motel rooms were occupied by emergency workers and evacuees.

In California, Governor Schwarzenegger said the state would accommodate at least 1,000 evacuees. San Diego will take 600; San Francisco, 300; and San Jose, 100, he said. Los Angeles County plans to accommodate 2,000 evacuees.

In New York, Long Island will host up to 300 evacuees.

In Arkansas about 60,000 are scattered at shelters across the state, although another 10,000 to 30,000 expected.

About 1,530 people were staying in hurricane shelters across Tennessee as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the governor's office said. Around 15,000 evacuees total are now in Tennessee.

In Georgia, the American Red Cross has reported assisting 14,000 affected families in the state of which 1,500 storm victims are staying in 17 Red Cross shelters across the state. Georgia health officials say they're preparing for as many as 25,000 more survivors from Hurricane Katrina to come to the Atlanta metropolitan area.

South Carolina is prepared to take in as many as 18,000 people.

North Carolina is ready to take about 1,900 evacuees. More than 1,100 are already in the state.

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