As many as 75,000 refugees from Hurricane Katrina are or will be headed to Texas.

Gov. Rick Perry issued an emergency disaster declaration for Texas late Thursday over the growing number of refugees.

The move frees up resources to deal with tens of thousands of
evacuees from Louisiana and elsewhere that are expected to seek
help in Texas.

Perry also asked the U.S. government for federal help.

Perry wants the Texas Department of Housing and Community
Affairs to identify all vacant income eligible housing units for use by refugees.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be asked to
distribute vouchers to victims needing housing.

The state has agreed to provide temporary shelter for 25,000 evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston, 25,000 evacuees at huge warehouse at the former Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio and 25,000 in Dallas.

San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger says the first evacuees likely would stay at the Joe Freeman Coliseum. The air-conditioned arena is near the SBC Center.

The refugees are leaving chaos and increasing anarchy behind as New Orleans disintegrates into lawlessness and violence three days after the hurricane made landfall.

There were reports Thursday of rapes, beatings and fights in the city’s convention center where at least 15,000 people have sought safety.

One refugee says the victims have been left "like pure animals" with no care.

The New Orleans Superdome reflects the near-anarchy prevailing elsewhere in New Orleans.

The last of the 100 buses that arrived at the Superdome Thursday morning has been filled and pulled out and people in long lines waiting to be taken to the Houston Astrodome are sitting down, as they await their next chance to get away from the hot, smelly arena.

Heavily armed police are standing by to keep order among exhausted and angry refugees.

At one point, a crowd broke through a line of National Guard troops and rushed the glass doors into the adjoining Hyatt Regency complex, but they were stopped by 19 armed state policemen wearing bulletproof vests.

Trooper K. W. Miller told a reporter to move to the back of the crowd, adding that the situation "is getting worse and worse."

The first busloads of refugees arrived at the Astrodome early Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans airport today looked like a military scene, with helicopters flying in and out and transport planes landing to pick up the sick and injured.

Members of the 433rd Airlift Wing from San Antonio arrived to help with recovery efforts.

Houston's Ellington Field has turned into a gateway for evacuees sick and otherwise who have been flown out of hurricane-ravaged areas.

One hangar has been turned into a makeshift clinic.

Other evacuees who were flown in and determined to be in good health were released to waiting family members.

Theadore Hunter and his mother Henrietta were two of about 50 evacuees who were flown in Thursday to Ellington.

Hunter and his mother spent two days on the roof of their flooded apartment complex before being rescued Wednesday by a helicopter crew.

They were taken to the New Orleans airport, where they were loaded with other survivors into a military cargo plane for Texas.

Some hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth areas also have been receiving patients from Louisiana.

Doctors at two public hospitals in New Orleans have called The Associated Press to plead for rescue.

The physicians say they are nearly out of food and power and have been forced to move patients to higher floors to escape looters.

Dr. Norman McSwain says he and his colleagues at Charity Hospital have turned to The AP as a last resort.

McSwain says he tried calling the mayor and the governor, using any "inside pressure" possible, to no avail.

McSwain says there's minimal water. The food amounts to fruit bowl punch. The scene is similar at University hospital.

Another doctor, Lee Hamm, says somehow the two public facilities have been forgotten or ignored.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: HURRICANE ASSISTANCE WEB SITES

Click Here For Information About Ten Cares, Central Texas Shares Drive To Help Hurricane Victims

Click Here For Information On Disaster Relief Appeals From The Better Business Bureau

Click Here For Reports On National Charities From The Better Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance

Click Here For Charity Tips From FEMA

Click Here For American Red Cross Web Site

Click Here For Salvation Army Web Site

Click Here For Second Harvest Web Site

Click Here For Catholic Charities Web Site

Click Here For National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Web Site

Click Here For Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Web Site

Click Here For United Methodist Committee On Relief

Click Here For Episcopal Relief & Development Web Site

Click Here For Information On Southern Baptist Relief Efforts

HURRICANE INFORMATION RESOURCES

Click Here For WWL-TV Survivors Web Forum

Click Here For National Hurricane Center Web Site

Click Here For National Weather Service Web Site

Click Here For Hydrologic Information Center For Information On River Flooding

Click Here For Federal Emergency Management Agency Web Site

Click Here For Louisiana Homeland Security Web Site

Click Here For City Of New Orleans Web Site

Click Here For Louisiana Governor’s Web Site

Click Here For State Of Mississippi Web Site

Click Here For Mississippi Emergency Management Web Site

Click Here For Alabama Governor’s Web Site