Texas Officials Urge Evacuees To Stay Put
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Texas Officials Urge Evacuees To Stay Put
Some residents were beginning to trickle back into southeast Texas Monday, but emergency officials are urging them to stay put.
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(September 1, 2008)--Southeast Texas residents who have become impatient with a weakened Hurricane Gustav began to filter back into the area Monday morning, but emergency officials are pleading with for evacuees to stay put.

Gustav slipped to a Category 2 storm as it made landfall on the Louisiana coast this morning.

Tropical storm force winds aren't expected along the upper Texas coast until Monday evening.

Southeast Texas Emergency Management Office spokeswoman Crystal Holmes said that means mandatory evacuations started Sunday remain in effect.

She said those who do return to threatened areas may have to sustain themselves unaided for at least a week in case the storm hits hard.

A hurricane warning for the Texas coast west to High Island remained in place Monday morning.

Rainfall of 6 to 12 inches was forecast for Northeast Texas where Gustav could stall and cause flooding.

Southeast Texas emergency officials staged National Guard trucks and hundreds of ambulances within easy reach as they waited for Hurricane Gustav to make landfall somewhere along the northern Texas Gulf Coast Monday.

In Tyler, where officials are not only busy helping evacuees settle in a shelters, but also preparing for the possibility of heavy rain from the remnants of the hurricane.

At least 4,300 evacuees were staying at shelters in Smith County.

Pastor Mike Massar said the church gym at the First Baptist Church is filled with a "sea of people."

Heavy rains are expected in the area by early in the week.

Tyler Mayor Barbara Ross said officials are anticipating the worst and praying for the best.

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Latest Comments

Posted by: Ricky Location: Waco on Sep 1, 2008 at 09:31 PM

GREAT! More of THEM, HERE. YOU BETTER LOAD YOUR GUNS AND STAND THEY WILL STEAL EVERYTHING. WE STILL HAVE SOME OF THE LEFTOVERS FROM KATRINA AND RITA LURKING AROUNDS.
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