Evacuees seek shelter in Texas
Aug 29, 2017, 8:25 AM | Updated: 8:27 am
DALLAS — As more Utahns make their way to Texas to help with relief and recovery from Hurricane Harvey, many evacuees are being brought to places like the Dallas Convention Center, which has set up a shelter ready to accommodate up to 5,000 people.
Last night, more than 210 people were brought by bus to a smaller shelter in nearby Irving, Texas. Among them was Laurie Morrow and her family. Their Dennison home was flooded Saturday, sending them to the rooftop to wait for help.
“I don’t know how to describe it,” Morrow said. “There was just so much rain.”
Morrow said she and her family have seen other storms, like Hurricane Camille, but the water didn’t even come close to their homes.
Weather officials in Texas say Hurricane Harvey produced enough water to cover the entire state, more than 250,000 square miles, in four inches of water.
The post-hurricane flood is being joined by a flood of help from Utah. Emily Deserae Egelund is a Red Cross volunteer from Midvale who expects to be sent directly to Houston after flying into Dallas on Monday.
“My biggest thing will be sheltering,” Egelund said. “There will be mass shelters and we’ll be bringing in families who’ve been affected, and we’ll make sure they get the things they need, such as medical attention.”
A disaster medical assistance (DMAT) team has also been called up from Utah.
A disaster search and rescue team, Utah Task Force One, has already been at work in Texas, as have two helicopters from the Utah National Guard.
