Summary: Hurricane Gustav Update as of 5:30 p.m. Sunday, August 31, 2008. Evacuees are beginning to arrive.

Community News about the Brazos Valley at LifeintheBrazos.com
 Community News Article

Community News Articles from the Bryan, College Station, and the Brazos Valley and beyond. These artices are submitted by various sources as indicated for publication by LifeintheBrazos.com, your source for community News.

SUBMIT an article for publication.

Related Links:

City of Bryan, Texas
Submitted by the City of Bryan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 31 , 2008

City of Bryan Contact:

April Avison

Communications Director

979.209.5120

aavison@bryantx.gov

 

 

Hurricane Gustav Update as of 5:30 p.m. Sunday

 

Gustav is a Category 3 storm and is expected to reach Category 4 or Category 5 by the time it makes landfall on the Northern Gulf Coast on Monday. Although the impact on the Texas coast remains uncertain, the National Weather Service has a high degree of confidence in the computer models and the track of Hurricane Gustav striking the coast of Louisiana.

 

Texas has agreed to support the evacuation of Louisiana with mutual aid.

 

In Brazos County, we have a total capacity of 2,250 evacuees. We’ve been informed that many Louisiana evacuees are going to Tennessee, therefore we don’t expect to see a massive influx.

 

As of 5 p.m. Sunday, there were 188 evacuees in shelter. Most are from the Beaumont/Orange/Port Arthur area. The goal is to return Texas evacuees to their communities after the storm makes landfall. All evacuees should go to the gateway area at Veterans Park to receive information and a shelter assignment.

 

About 30 officials representing Bryan, College Station, Brazos County, Texas A&M University, Texas Department of Public Safety, the American Red Cross and various volunteer agencies attended a 4:30 p.m. conference call briefing Sunday at the Emergency Operations Center in downtown Bryan. The EOC will be manned overnight.

 

Another conference call with the state emergency operations center is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Monday. The EOC could be de-activated at that time if deemed necessary.

 

Brazos County, Bryan and College Station officials said Sunday that currently the community should not expect a massive influx of people or an unmanageable weather event.

 

Other pertinent information:

 

·         Easterwood Airport is set up and staffed by volunteers for possible receipt of evacuees via air evacuation.

 

·         Baptist Men’s Field Kitchen is set up at First Baptist Church of Bryan.

 

·         American Red Cross emergency response vehicles are on standby for food distribution from the Baptist Men’s Field Kitchen to local shelters.

 

·         The Mass Evacuation Reception Center at Veterans Park is activated and processing evacuees.

 

·         Message boards were placed on local highways by the Texas Department of Transportation and College Station Public Works Department.