KBIA Local
(2008-09-03)
COLUMBIA, MO
(KBIA) -
There's a shelter in Columbia for evacuees from the area hit by Hurricane Gustav. It's at the Calvary Baptist Church. Originally the emergency shelter was told to prepare for approximately 120 evacuees. But according to the mid Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross that number has since been reduced. Red Cross Director, Mike Odneal says FEMA notified the shelter on Sudnay that evacuees were being directed to other states. Still, however, odneal says he was instructed to keep the shelter on standby. "So we kept the shelter on standby, just to be able to receive self-evacuees. These are the folks that drive themselves out of the affected areas. So we kept the shelter on standby for that reason, and we did start receiving self-evacuees yesterday."
Odneal says other Missouri shelters are on stand-by, but the Columbia shelter is the only one receiving evacuees. He says thirteen evacuees have checked in since Sunday, and ten were scheduled to stay Tuesday night. He advised potential volunteers to call Missouri's non-emergency 2-1-1 phone system. SHELTER0902 TRT: :16 OUT: evacuees yesterday. Odneal says other Missouri shelters are on stand-by, but the Columbia shelter is the only one receiving evacuees.
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