Galveston County evacuees flown to Irving shelter
IRVING, Texas - Evacuees from Galveston County, including children and the elderly, were flown into Dallas Love Field Monday afternoon on military planes.
The Lively Point Youth Center on O'Connor Road right across the street from Irving High School started filling up Monday night. There are now about 130 people staying there.
On Monday evening a total of four C-130 military transport planes landed at Dallas Love Field carrying evacuees from Dickinson and other towns around Galveston County.
There were men, women, children, elderly and about a dozen pets on board. Dallas Fire-Rescue evaluated those who were considered medically compromised. Once they were checked out they were checked out they boarded buses and carrying what little possessions they could save to the Irving shelter.
Kelli Morrow evacuated from Dickinson with her family. The 17-year-old talked to FOX 4's Dan Godwin about the ordeal of watching floodwaters engulf her home. She was unable to do anything about it.
"Basically, my house was about waist deep. Just walking around and I had to get on the roof with my family and my friends. They seem to be doing okay given the circumstances. But I think once they settle in, it's going to not be super great," she said.
Evacuees were given hamburgers and other food items as they got inside the shelter Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
"We have 202 cots set up," explained Jason Carriere with EMC Irving. "And we're able to handle that many people here at this facility to provide basic needs such as shelter, first aid, food, water and any other needs those individuals may have."
The American Red Cross and the City of Irving are staffing the shelter. All employees and volunteers are being vetted through criminal background checks. The same is being done with all of the evacuees as they are checked into the shelter.
Officials are preparing for the shelter to be "long term" option. The city of Dallas also plans to house more than 5,000 evacuees in a mega shelter at the convention center.