Holy crap -- breaking news on CNN. They are out of room in the Astrodome and are turning away new refugees. New buses have been turned away. CNN reported that a death in the Astrodome is being investigated.
Original reports were the Astrodome could hold 24,000. But they are maxed out now at under 10,000. No word on where the new refugees will go.
Story breaking now on CNN.
Update [2005-9-2 0:10:33 by pontificator]: The Federal government needs HELP from international relief organizations with experience administering massive refugee situations in countries like Rwanda, Ethiopia, etc.
Update [2005-9-2 1:22:20 by pontificator]: The story is now
online:
Officials at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, saying the facility has reached capacity, have stopped accepting refugees from flooded New Orleans.
Exhausted evacuees who had traveled more than 300 miles on buses to be housed at the Astrodome were turned away late Thursday and diverted elsewhere.
The city of San Antonio, about 200 miles from Houston, has agreed to take in refugees.
A police spokesman told CNN that the fire marshal informed Houston authorities late Thursday that the Astrodome had reached capacity and, for safety reasons, must stop accepting further refugees.