More than one thousand evacuees, most of them from the New Orleans area, have arrived in Louisville to watch and wait as Hurricane Gustav approaches the Gulf Coast.
The evacuees began arriving late Saturday on FEMA-chartered flights. They’re being housed in a shelter in the South Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center, where officials say they could stay for at least five days, depending on the ferocity of the storm.
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear said during a visit to the shelter that the state is also sending help to the Gulf Coast. He’s activated more than 300 National Guard troops to help with storm relief in Louisiana and Texas.
“We (also) have Fish and Wildlife people that have been activated along with some state police who are actually on standby and may end up going down to help with the law and order part of this,” Beshear said.
Officials at the Louisville shelter says local citizens who want to offer assistance to the evacuees should not bring items to the expo center. They say the best way to help is to make a donation to the Red Cross.
HomeGrown moves further into the environment this week with stories on the “slow food” movement locally, and how changes in our lifestyles and climate are affecting the great bird, animal, and insect migrations around the world. Brown-Forman chef Mark Williams explains the philosophy and purpose of Slow Food Bluegrass. Princeton biologist David Wilcove talks about his book “No Way Home,” which details the slow death of the migratory habits of many species across the globe, on land, sea, and air.
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At least one airplane full of Gulf Coast evacuees will stay in Louisville Saturday night.
They’re fleeing Hurricane Gustav, which has the potential to become a Category 5 storm. It’s expected that at least 200 people will arrive Saturday evening, but officials are planning for more.
“It’s changing literally on an hour by hour basis as the hurricane moves and people evacuate out of New Orleans,” says Mayor’s Office spokesperson Chris Poynter.
The Red Cross has set up a shelter in the Kentucky Exposition Center. The city is prepared to accept 5,000 evacuees, but 2,000 of them would be moved to Lexington and other cities.
Louisville Metro Police say Sunday’s Ironman Triathlon won’t interfere much with fans trying to get to the University of Louisville’s football season opener.
Portions of Third Street and Southern Parkway west of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium will be closed for the competition. Football fans will still be able to use the Watterson Expressway ramps at Third, but not the Taylor Boulevard ramps.
Meanwhile, several downtown streets will be closed for the race, but LMPD Lieutenant Curtis Flarity says they can be easily avoided.
“The best way to get around the entire run is to use the interstates,” he says. “If you can avoid using the surface streets, I’d do that. I’d use the interstates to get around.”
The Ironman Competition starts just before 7 AM on Sunday and ends at midnight.
Louisville Metro Government officials say the city is poised to provide shelter to thousands of evacuees from the path of Hurricane Gustav along the Gulf Coast.
Mayor Jerry Abramson says the first evacuees could arrive as early as Saturday.
“There may very well be airplanes flying in to the Air National Guard facility with citizens from the New Orleans area to take residence with us for five to seven days,” Abramson said Friday.
Abramson says the evacuees would be housed in a Red Cross shelter set up in the Kentucky Exposition Center’s South Wing.
He says the city is equipped to handle the arrival of up to five thousand evacuees. Two thousand of them would be transported to Lexington and other cities.
Hurricane Gustav is expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast Tuesday, with the potential to be a Category Five storm.
