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Red Cross Shelters on Alert
08/28/08 - 06:07 PM
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The Central Louisiana Chapter of the Red Cross is fully activated bracing for the evacuees Hurricane Gustav might bring. 

News Channel 5’s Joel Massey has more on how the Red Cross is preparing.
As Hurricane Gustav approaches the Central Louisiana Chapter of the Red Cross is getting ready for a flood of evacuees.  Director Leann Murphy said they are on alert.

“So we’ve been contacting shelters facilities volunteers we’ve been working with our offices of emergency preparedness and preparing for a sheltering event.”

Murphy says that the chapter will be busy no matter where Gustav makes landfall.

“If it comes to Louisiana this chapter serves everything from the Texas border to Mississippi we would activate shelters all across Central Louisiana in virtually every parish.”

People fleeing affected areas will go to checkpoints throughout the state to be directed to an available shelter.  The Med Express building on Hwy 71 serves as the shelter checkpoint for Alexandria.

“Once an evacuation is ordered they can get information at that information point for the shelter that is nearest to them that has capacity for people to come into as you can imagine shelters open very quickly but they also fill up very quickly.”

Murphy says that the Red Cross is always looking for volunteers.

“If you’re not a volunteer there’s always a place for you we need people to answer phones and answer simple questions to make copies of things so there’s a role for everyone but now’s the time to contact the red cross and get involved.”