Sept. 4, 2008
Medical special needs evacuees to return home today
The City of Tyler Fire Department announced this morning that 323 medical special needs (MSN) evacuees from Hurricane Gustav will return to Beaumont today. These 323 evacuees have been sheltered in three locations where they have received medical care during the evacuation. Buses, ambulances and transport vans were staged in Tyler overnight in preparation of the repatriation of these evacuees.
Nearly 150 ambulance drivers spent the night at Harvey Hall last night so that loading of the MSN evacuees could begin first thing Thursday morning. The Texas State Guard will be dispatched to each of the shelter sites to assist with loading the evacuees and creating the manifests needed to begin the convoys to Beaumont.
A similar process that was utilized in the repatriation of the general population evacuees will be used today. After each vehicle is loaded, it will go to Harvey Hall where pets will be reunited with their families. State Guard troops will provide evacuees with food and water for the return trip. The vehicle will then be staged and grouped with other vehicles in a convoy that will be accompanied by a Department of Public Safety vehicle for the entire return trip.
Six evacuees from Louisiana still remain in Tyler and will return once their communities are able to receive them. They will be the last evacuees from the nearly 3,300 that were housed in shelters throughout the Tyler area.
Sept. 3, 2008
Tyler begins repatriating evacuees Wednesday morning
The City of Tyler Fire Department held a briefing Wednesday morning to review the process of loading buses to repatriate evacuees from Hurricane Gustav. The loading process will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue throughout the day.
Buses from San Antonio arrived in the area Tuesday night and have been staged in preparation for the loading. At 9 a.m. 19 buses will be staged at Fun Forest Park and 36 buses will be staged at Lindsey Park; The buses will then be dispatched to each shelter location to begin loading evacuees.
Each bus will be loaded and then go to Harvey Hall so that evacuees who have pets can pick them up before returning to Beaumont.
Buses will then be grouped in a convoy of five buses for the trip to Beaumont. Each convoy will be accompanied by a Department of Public Safety vehicle for the entire trip.
Evacuees with medical special needs will be evacuated beginning as early as Thursday, pending final planning. To return medical special needs evacuees takes particular care as confirmation that the care facility in their home city is prepared to receive them is necessary. Planning for this process will take place throughout the day on Wednesday.
Nearly 3,300 evacuees from Hurricane Gustav have been sheltered in Tyler at 21 shelters. The mandatory evacuation order in Beaumont was lifted at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Evacuees with vehicles began returning yesterday.
Sept. 2, 2008
1 p.m.
Tyler begins planning for repatriation of evacuees
At a media briefing held this morning, City of Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass reported that the City Emergency Management Team has begun planning for the repatriation of nearly 3,300 evacuees from Hurricane Gustav. The mandatory evacuation order in Beaumont was lifted at 6 a.m. today, which is where the majority of Tyler’s evacuees originate from.
Tyler is working closely with the Red Cross, the Texas State Guard, Smith County, and the Disaster District Committee (DDC) to coordinate the evacuees return to Beaumont. It is anticipated that evacuees who arrived in their personal vehicles will begin returning this morning. However, general population evacuees who arrived in buses are tentatively scheduled to return to Beaumont beginning Wednesday morning. Buses will be dispatched from San Antonio and staged locally for deployment to the 21 shelters in the Tyler area.
Logistics that are being planned for include reuniting families who are in different shelters and reuniting evacuees with their pets. The pets were cared for in an animal shelter managed by Smith County and staffed by local volunteers. Evacuees who arrived in personal vehicles may pick up pets after 9 a.m. at the Cattle Barn at the Texas State Fairgrounds. Pet owners must present identification that correlates to tracking information gathered at the time the animal was sheltered.
Throughout the night, the Tyler Fire Department delivered supplies to area shelters, including blankets, hygiene kits, ready to eat meals, and 12 cases of diapers and formula donated by Brookshires. Transit employees transported evacuees needing non-urgent medical care into the early hours of the morning.
Of the 21 shelters opened in the Tyler area, three were designated to provide for evacuees with medical special needs. Many evacuees were sent to these facilities upon arrival in Tyler; however, others were transported to these shelters after medical evaluation in the general population shelters. The Medical Operations Center (MOC), overseen by the North East Public Health District, has been coordinating with the Tyler-area medical community to provide for the medical needs of the evacuees.
The City of Tyler has continued their preparations for potential heavy rains and strong winds. City crews, as well as Oncor crews, are on standby to respond to storm-related issues. The Street Department will be closely monitoring the following streets which do have the potential to flood:
East Erwin, High Street to Fleishel
High Street Bridge, near East Erwin
Fleishel Street Bridge, near East Ewrin
Doouglas Street, Houston to Front
Bonner Street Underpass
These are low lying areas where creeks may exceed their banks and flood streets, if storms are intense enough.
Sept. 1, 2008
3 p.m.
The City of Tyler Fire Department has reported that they will close the Tyler Reception Center at 3 p.m. today.
Sept. 1, 2008
10 a.m.
Tyler shelters full; City prepares for storm
At a media briefing held this morning, City of Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass reported that at approximately 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening, Tyler-area shelters were officially declared full. Nearly 3,400 evacuees were processed by the Tyler Fire Department through the Reception Center at Faulkner Park and placed in one of 21 area shelters mobilized for this emergency.
Tyler shelters were staffed set up at area churches, City buildings, non-profit associations and colleges by the Red Cross and the Texas State Guard. Smith County was instrumental in securing additional shelter sites.
Tyler’s emergency management team is continuing to work with our Disaster District Committee (DDC) to divert buses en route to Tyler and to identify shelters in other communities with vacancies. The Reception Center will remain open, as weather permits, to provide maps, water and other services to individual evacuees presenting in Tyler.
The work of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will now focus on coordinating the continuing needs of the shelters and preparing for the storm that is anticipated to reach Tyler early Tuesday.
Activities underway to prepare for the storm include:
· The Tyler Police Department will continue providing security at shelter sites;
· The Tyler Fire Department will continue to staff the reception center until the storm reaches Tyler;
· City crews will be checking all major street crossings, bridges and culverts to ensure drains and creeks are clear to prevent flooding;
· All City crews have been placed on standby in preparation for responding to the storm;
· Oncor has staged crews in Tyler to be able to quickly respond once the storm hits;
· Testing of equipment (chainsaws and other hand equipment) in preparation for handling fallen trees; and,
· The Service Center, which has a back-up power generator, is being prepared as it will be the hub for dispatching crews to deal with storm related issues.
The emergency management team recommends that Tyler residents prepare for the storm by stocking up on food items, fuel, water, batteries for flashlights, etc. A recommended preparedness list can be found on the FEMA website at: www.ready.gov. Residents can expect heavy rains and high winds. Residents are also advised to store or secure outdoor items prior to the storm.
“We appreciate our citizens’ patience as we divert City resources to respond to this emergency,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass.
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Tyler Police Station is operating 24 hours a day to manage the response to the emergency.
The Salvation Army is preparing food for evacuees (not in shelters) and emergency workers at their location on 633 North Broadway; however evacuees needing this service must call the Salvation Army at (903) 592-4361 for a reservation for meals. The Red Cross is providing meals for many of the evacuees in shelters.
Tylerites who wish to volunteer are asked by the Red Cross to register with VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster). Volunteer registration will take place at Glenwood Church of Christ at 5210 Hollytree Dr. on Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Additional registration dates and times are to be determined.
Aug. 31, 2008
Tyler Fire Department requesting donations of pet carriers and cages
The City of Tyler Fire Department is requesting donations of pet carriers and cages to house animals presenting at the evacuee reception center. Pet carriers and cages should be brought to any City of Tyler Fire Department.
Aug. 31, 2008
Tyler has received more than 2000 evacuees overnight
At a media briefing held this morning, City of Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass reports that more than 2000 evacuees from Hurricane Gustav were processed through the City of Tyler reception center overnight. Eight shelters are at capacity and additional County shelters have been opened throughout the night. A total of 18 shelters have been identified and mobilized to date.
“From 11 p.m. last night, until this morning, it has been a constant flow of buses and drive-ups,” said Mayor Bass. “As buses have arrived, the emergency response teams have mobilized additional shelters.”
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Tyler Police Station is operating 24 hours a day to manage the response to the emergency.
In addition to the 2000 evacuees, at least 50 animals have come through the reception center. The animals have been kept at Faulkner Park through the night and have been cared for by a team of local veterinarian volunteers. Smith County is establishing a shelter for the animals today.
“We currently have buses waiting to be processed and anticipate the flow of evacuees to continue throughout the day,” said Mayor Bass.
Texas Military Forces are in Tyler and are assisting with establishing and managing new shelters. The Texas State Staging Area has been established to provide supplies to the shelters.
The Salvation Army is preparing food for evacuees (not in shelters) and emergency workers at their location on 633 North Broadway; however evacuees needing this service must call the Salvation Army at (903) 592-4361 for a reservation for meals. The Red Cross is providing meals for many of the evacuees in shelters.
On Saturday the Mayor signed an official Declaration of Disaster/Emergency Condition in response to the President’s Declaration resulting from Hurricane Gustav. Tyler is the designated evacuation location for Beaumont special needs evacuees. The number of total evacuees could be as high as 6000 people.
The Tyler reception center is located at Faulkner Park. Evacuees will enter the park via the Hwy 69 entrance. They will be greeted by the reception team who will process them and make assignments to local shelters. Evacuees as being asked to only present to the reception center, not directly to the shelters. This will allow the Emergency Management Team to accurately asses the availability of shelters and mobilize other resources as needed.
Tylerites who wish to volunteer are asked by the Red Cross to register with VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster). Volunteer registration will take place at Glenwood Church of Christ from 1-5 p.m. today, Monday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Tuesday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Aug. 30, 2008
Mayor signs Declaration of Disaster
At a media briefing held today, City of Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass signed an official Declaration of Disaster/Emergency Condition in response to the President’s Declaration resulting from Hurricane Gustav. The Declaration is in preparation for receiving special needs evacuees from the Beaumont area.
The City’s role in this emergency, as defined in the State of Texas and Federal Emergency Management Plans, is to provide shelter and relief for evacuees. The Declaration activates the City’s Emergency Management Plan. The President’s Declaration announced that federal aid has been made available to supplement state and local response efforts due to emergency conditions resulting from the hurricane.
“The City of Tyler is fully prepared to respond to the emergency situation,” said Mayor Bass. “We have activated our Emergency Operations Center as well as our reception center.”
The reception center is located at Faulkner Park. Evacuees will enter the park via the Hwy 69 entrance. They will be greeted by the reception team who will process them and make assignments to local shelters. Evacuees as being asked to only present to the reception center, not directly to the shelters.
Currently, the City has confirmed that one bus of special needs evacuees is in route to Tyler. It is estimated that up to 6000 evacuees may seek refuge in Tyler.
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