Just heard Dallas is going to take in 25,000 refugees. Yeah Dallas!

Astrodome filled up, so Houston making available more shelters. Reliant Center and George R. Brown Convention Center to be used. Info pulled from a Houston Chronicle Article:

"The City of Houston and this region will use its capacity to care for tens of thousands of families," the mayor said. "We will be making assessments daily of our community capacity. We do need other cities to be accepting busloads of people.''

Reliant Center can take 11,000 people, the mayor said.

"We want this exhibition hall open right now," the mayor said. "If it entails someone suing us, then OK.," the mayor said. "Then (they can) explain to the American public why.''

Buses today are not being turned away from the Astrodome, and there are still people onsite waiting to be processed. About 1,750 refugees who arrived on about 35 buses early this morning were initially told they would be turned away.

White said he's concerned about getting the people into a safe and comfortable situation where they can live with dignity. The city is searching local stores and other sources for cots, blankets and other supplies to house the evacuees.

Volunteers who pull into the parking lot to deliver supplies -- such as soap, towels and other items for personal hygiene -- are being mobbed by small crowds of evacuees.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rucker said because of limited mail delivery in some ZIP codes in Louisiana, mail that cannot be delivered there has been diverted to Houston and will be processed, sorted and held here until addresses in those ZIP codes are available for service.

On the Dome floor this morning, areas that previously had been used for clothing lines and other organizational purposes were cleared away for more cots. Breakfast was being served, with evacuees eating grits, waffles and sausage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also outside Reliant Arena the, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was checking in animals.

One of the animals checked in was a five-year-old golden retriever mix named Precious. She and her owner swam for two days to escape the flooding. She was being loaded into a carrier that will be taken to the SPCA, which has taken in 300-400 animals onsite.

"You can tell these past events have started taking a toll. Some people have realized they may not be able to care for them (the pets). That's the sad part,'' said Jim Boller, director of shelter and field services for the SPCA.

Most of the animals show signs of stress and dehydration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Douglas Hamilton of the Baylor College of Medicine said some people have died on the buses en route, and many are very ill. He said he has treated people with with renal failure, bipolar disorder, psychosis and congestive heart failure.

"They all need medication, and they did not have it with them," Hamilton said.

"Many people might think there are enough people here and there are not. We just need help. It's the kind of help doctors know how to give and we need it right now,'' said Dr. Steven Glorsky of Houston. "We have a crisis in there.''

Glorsky said doctors inside were having trouble keeping up the pace with the number of people coming through who need treatment. He said he had treated heart attacks, open wounds and people who shouldn't have been released from hospital care in New Orleans.

A medical team with the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center is providing services around the clock to Hurricane Katrina victims arriving at Ellington Field.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"As people were coming and supplies were coming and the cots were being laid out, we realized we could accommodate fewer than we earlier thought," said Liese Hutchison, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross said late Thursday.

Organizers said they wanted to prevent a repeat of the conditions at the Superdome.

"We're not going to take people from one miserable situation in New Orleans and put them in another one here," McDuell said.

Tired, distraught passengers got off the buses Thursday night and shouted angrily as police officers told them they could not stay.

"We've got sick people in here and this is how you treat us!" said Angel Alegria. "Welcome to Houston! I hope a hurricane comes to Houston!"


Par...