KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana |Mandatory evacuations in Galveston

Mandatory evacuations in Galveston

September 20, 2005

Officials are ordering a mandatory evacuation of Galveston County as Hurricane Rita threatens the Texas Gulf coast. That evacuation order takes effect tomorrow.

Calcasieu Parish Schools have been cancelled for Wednesday September 21 because the school buses are being used to evacuate shelters.

After less than 4 hours at Catagory 1, Rita has strengthened to a Catagory 2 hurricane with winds at 100 mph. At 4 pm Central time, the center of the storm was at 24.0 N 82.2W. The storm is moving at 14 miles per hour and headed into the Gulf of Mexico.

Governor Rick Perry has asked President Bush to approve a disaster declaration for Texas in anticipation of Rita. Bush has taken it under advisement.

Mandatory evacuation of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in Galveston County, where Rita could hit, begins tomorrow morning. The evacuation of the general population beginning 12 hours later -- at 6 pm tomorrow. 

Officials are taking advantage of a new state law permitting mandatory evacuations, which was passed after Florida endured four hurricanes in rapid succession last year.

Public schools and Texas A and M at Galveston have canceled classes for the rest of the week. Texas is evacuating Hurricane Katrina-weary Louisiana refugees from shelters in Corpus Christi, Houston and Beaumont.

Additional information will be posted to kplctv.com and included in the 7 Stormteam pinpoint forecasts as the National Hurricane Center releases further updates.