Lufkin VA Outpatient Clinic Closed on Tuesday, 1:26 p.m.

"In response to expected flooding and poor road conditions in the path of Hurricane Gustav, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) in Lufkin, Texas, has cancelled all outpatient appointments at the Charles Wilson VA Outpatient Clinic, located at 1301 Frank Avenue in Lufkin, on Tuesday, September 2, 2008."

Metro operating on normal Labor Day schedule, 1:00 p.m.

•Buses and METRORail are running on a regular Sunday schedule

•There is no Park & Ride service today.

•All HOV lanes are closed.   

•METROLift’s reservation and customer service offices are closed.

•All METRO RideStores and Lost & Found are closed

NOTE: Because of potential weather caused by Hurricane Gustav, the Katy HOV lane, originally set to close weekday traffic on Sept. 2, 2008, will remain open. Closing is now set for Sept. 8, 2008.  

Southeast Texas Emergency Management, 9:37 a.m.

"There is a rumor that the Rainbow Bridge and the Veterans Memorial Bridge are closed. That is false information. This verication has been confirmed through the Port Arthur E.O.C. and the Orange County E.O.C."  

Red Cross, Monday 9:30 a.m.

The Greater Houston Area Red Cross reports about 600 hurricane evacuees from Texas have taken refuge in Huntsville shelters. Of those, about 400 are staying at Huntsville High School. They welcomed four busloads from the Beaumont area Sunday night.

T-Mobile, Monday 4:40 a.m.

T-Mobile is making Wi-Fi Internet service available to evacuees for free.

The company is opening its hot spot Wi-Fi network in areas of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

The network is available in places like Starbucks, Borders, FedEx-Kinkos stores and certain hotels.

You don’t have to be a T-Mobile customer to access it.

AT&T, Sunday, 10:45 p.m.

AT&T said it would donate at least 2,000 of its GoPhones and $15 of air time for evacuees who are 16 and older. The devices are available on a first-come, first-served basis at AT&T stores in Houston as well as San Antonio.

Christus St. John Hospital, Sunday, 10 p.m.

Officials with Christus St. John Hospital in Nassau Bay said they expect to fill up their empty beds with patients from St.Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont. The Beaumont hospital is a part of the Christus hospital network.

The Nassau Bay hospital said it had 32 beds available and expected the patients from Beaumont to arrive overnight.

Greater Houston Area Red Cross, Sunday 4:13 p.m.

"The Greater Houston Red Cross is supporting the State of Texas Shelter Hub in Huntsville, Texas with three Red Cross shelters in the Huntsville area, currently housing 275 residents. (The majority of these residents are from the Beaumont area).

The Greater Houston Red Cross will also ramp up its efforts as part of a large-scale Red Cross mass-care operation—feeding and sheltering families and providing emotional support, as needed.

With a Hurricane in the Gulf,  NOW is best time to make sure your Family Disaster Plan and Disaster

Supplies Kit are up-to-date.  If you are evacuating, let family members and loved ones know your plans and register with the American Red Cross Safe and Well Website. This site keeps families connected

during disasters. Family members can check the website to locate loved ones forced from their homes.

To visit or register, go to www.houstonredcross.org or www.redcross.org."

From TxDOT, Sunday at 4 p.m.

"Emergency officials have just opened westbound US 90 at SH 146 to traffic. Traffic is no longer being diverted north on SH 146 as per the evacuation plan. This will significantly improve US 90 traffic flow and help eliminate delays. Also, the traffic light in Ames on US 90 is in yellow flash mode for US 90 traffic."

From Kroger, Sunday at 3:22 p.m.

"As a result of the mandatory evacuations due to Hurricane Gustav of residents in Louisiana and Southeast Texas, many displaced families may seek shelter in our local community. Kroger would like to inform these families that all its stores in Texas will temporarily accept the Louisiana WIC card as well as the Louisiana Food Stamp card to ease the economic burden on them during this difficult time."

From Governor Perry's Press Office, Sunday 3:10 p.m.

“I urge Texas residents to heed the warnings from local leaders to keep their families and themselves safe as this hurricane heads toward the Gulf Coast,” Governor Perry said.  “Texas has pre-deployed substantial resources and stands ready to respond to either a direct hit or serious flooding as a result of Hurricane Gustav. We will continue to work with our local leaders, federal partners and neighbors in Louisiana throughout this storm.” 

Today, Gov. Perry joined President George W. Bush, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour on a video teleconfercence to discuss preparations for Hurricane Gustav.  

A tropical storm warning and hurricane watch remains in effect from west of Cameron, La., to just east of High Island, Texas.  A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours.  A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 36 hours.

The state of Texas assisted local leaders and emergency responders in successfully evacuating and sheltering nearly 10,000 special-needs Texans from Chambers, Orange and Jefferson counties.   Hardin, Jefferson and Orange counties have issued mandatory evacuations, which include the cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur. 

Following the mandatory evacuation of the city of New Orleans beginning at 8:00 a.m. this morning, Texas state resources began mobilizing aerial resources and personnel to support the evacuation of an estimated 1,000 medical special needs evacuees from Louisiana to Texas.

Currently, 27 buses transporting Louisiana residents who cannot evacuate themselves are en route to shelters in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area.  Texas is also preparing for an estimated 45,000 general population evacuees to Texas from Louisiana.

The Emergency Management Council and State Operations Center are fully activated. The State Operations Center is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Gustav and holding twice daily conference calls with federal, state and local officials, private industry partners, volunteer organizations and the National Weather Service.

To date, Texas has taken the following actions:

Texas Military Forces: Up to 7,500 guardsmen, 15 aerial resources, and six C-130 aircraft have been activated, some of which have begun deploying to transport medical special needs evacuees from New Orleans to Austin today.

TexasEngineering Extension Service: Texas Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2 are preparing assets and will be mobilized today to provide search and rescue capabilities as needed.  A team of 40 members of Texas Task Force 1 are deploying to Louisiana today to assist evacuation efforts.

Department of Public Safety: Commercial Vehicle Enforcement troopers have inspected buses that are being used for evacuations.

Texas Department of State Health Services: The agency is providing oxygen tanks at each of the temporary fueling stations in East Texas for evacuees. A respiratory therapist is at each of the stations.  DSHS is providing health-related evacuation suggestions on its website ( www.dshs.state.tx.us)

Health and Human Services Commission: The state’s 2-1-1 information and referral network has responded to thousands of calls for information about shelter locations and evacuation routes.

Department of Family and Protective Services: The agency has provided information to foster parents in the evacuation areas and activated a hotline, 800-252-5400, where caregivers can report their new locations once they reach a safe area.

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs:  Hurricane housing resources for communities are on the agency’s website ( www.tdhca.state.tx.us). TDHCA is reminding all affordable housing rental owners statewide to keep their apartment vacancy information current as they supply information to TDHCA. TDHCA will contact community action agencies in the projected path of the storm and advise them that they may be called upon to serve additional persons based on the events transpiring. 

Texas Department of Criminal Justice: The TDCJ LeBlanc Unit in Beaumont completed the evacuation of 1,100 inmates to units in Huntsville and Livingston.  TDCJ Gist State Jail in Beaumont also completed the evacuation of 2,080 inmates to units in the Palestine and Huntsville areas. 

Texas Department of Agriculture: The agency has identified commodities that are available for distribution, and is coordinating with the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross.

TexasAnimal Health Commission: TAHC is coordinating with its member agencies and other animal care agencies to shelter animals.

TexasCommission on Environmental Quality: TCEQ is authorizing fuel waivers as necessary and is prepared to respond to impacts from Hurricane Gustav.  A strike team capable of handling hazardous materials is on standby.  TCEQ is working with local agencies to be prepared to address any environmental impact issues that may result from Gustav.

TexasPublic Utility Commission: The Public Utility Commission is prepared to coordinate a significant response into potential affected areas in order to restore power in a timely and effective manner.

Texas Education Agency:  School districts in the interior part of the state are making preparations to open as shelters, if needed.  The TEA webpage, www.tea.state.tx.us/gustav/, is providing school officials with the latest school-related hurricane information.

TexasDepartment of Information Resources: A DIR Texas Computer Security Incident Response Team remains on standby.

Texas Department of Insurance: TDI continues to monitor Hurricane Gustav and remain in contact with its insurance stakeholder group, the Texas State Disaster Coalition. TDI is also encouraging Texas consumers to prepare for the storm and offering insurance tips ( www.tdi.state.tx.us). TDI has contacted the Louisiana Department of Insurance to begin coordinating assistance to Louisiana insurance consumers who may be heading to Texas.

Texas Department of Transportation:  Previously planned lane closures for I-10 in the Houston area have been cancelled through Monday, Sept. 1. All previously planned lane closures in the Houston and Beaumont area are currently suspended.  Major construction on U.S. 59 entering the city of Lufkin from Houston has been suspended.  Dynamic message signs are being used to urge residents along the coast to fuel up their vehicles. TxDOT personnel are also sweeping roadside shoulders and patching pavement along potential evacuation routes.

Fuel Team: The Fuel Team has ensured the availably of fuel in the evacuation areas and potential impact areas of Gustav.  

Volunteer organizations throughout Texas are working with local officials to shelter evacuees from Texas and Louisiana."

From Harris County Flood Control District, Sunday at 1:49 p.m.

"The Harris County Flood Control District is taking steps in preparation for and in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav making landfall.  As of Friday, August 29^th at 2:30 PM the report is as follows:

The primary open drainage channels and their tributaries are in good functioning condition with assessments being made to remove any obvious potential debris from falling into and blocking the flow of water. The first seasonal mowing cycle was completed in June with the second mowing cycle starting on July 21^st. District project construction sites, buildings and equipment are being secured and District vehicles are being fueled for use in the coming days.

District management and essential staff are checking and verifying communications plans and are positioning themselves to support District operations and the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

While our offices will be open during normal working hours, essential staff will be monitoring and working various aspects of the storm around the clock. Citizens are advised to call the District office to report concerns they may have about area drainage ways. The District office telephone number is 713-684-4000.

The District’s jurisdiction is over the primary drainage channels in the county and the District implements projects to reduce the risk of flooding along the major drainage channels and their tributaries. Projects include widening and deepening channels, constructing large regional stormwater detention basins to store flood waters and buying flood prone houses and relocating residents to hire ground. The District also maintains more than 2,500 miles of drainage channels in the county with maintenance activities including mowing, vegetation establishment and repair of collapsed and eroded portions of the drainage system. Harris County Flood Control District Web site:  www.hcfcd.org."

From Texas Associated of Private Campground Owners, Sunday 1:41 p.m.

"Many private campgrounds and RV resorts from eastern Texas to the northern areas of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia can readily accommodate people who have evacuated their homes as Hurricane Gustav advances toward the Gulf Coast, according to campground industry officials.

“Quite a few private parks have both campsites and cabin rentals available this weekend, so it makes sense for evacuees to consider staying in campgrounds as they wait out the storm,” said Brian Schaeffer, executive director and CEO of the Texas Association of Campground Owners.

Schaeffer urges Gulf Coast evacuees to log on to TexasCampgrounds.com and GoCampingAmerica.com to make their campground reservations or to gather the phone numbers of campgrounds and RV resorts where they’d like to wait out the storm.

“When Hurricane Katrina hit three years ago, Texas campgrounds close to the Louisiana border filled up quickly, but we still had campgrounds with plenty of availability further to the west. In fact, we had some refugees staying in parks as far north as Dallas and west to Austin, and even along the I-10 Corridor into San Antonio,” Schaeffer recalled.

Texas alone has nearly 400 private campgrounds, many of which also offer cabin rentals."

Carnival Cruise Lines, Sunday 12:06 p.m.

"Due to the path of Hurricane Gustav, Carnival Cruise Lines has announced that the current five-day voyage of the Carnival Ecstasy scheduled to end in Galveston, Texas, on Monday, Sept. 1, will now end in Galveston, on Wednesday, Sept. 3.   The ship will remain at sea at a safe distance away from the storm.

Additionally, the Carnival Ecstasy next voyage – originally a five-day cruise - has been modified and will now operate as a three-day cruise departing Wednesday, Sept. 3 and returning Saturday, Sept. 6.

Guests sailing on this departure will receive a 50 percent refund of their cruise fare and a 50 percent discount on a future three- to five-day Carnival cruise.  Guests also have the option of cancelling and receiving a full refund.

Carnival sincerely apologizes for this disruption of our guests’ vacation plans but this itinerary change was made in the interest of the safety and security of our guests and crew – our number one priority."