Galveston Calls for Voluntary Evacuations

Galveston Calls for Voluntary Evacuations

By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press Writer

September 20, 2005, 11:01 AM EDT

GALVESTON, Texas -- Taking a cue from the suffering in New Orleans, officials called for a voluntary evacuation of this island city as Hurricane Rita threatened to slam into the Texas Coast by this weekend.

Officials also took steps to fly some Hurricane Katrina refugees in Texas shelters to Arkansas.

This month marks the 105th anniversary of the hurricane that wiped out Galveston in one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history. An estimated 8,000 people were killed.

Rita, approaching the Florida Keys, was upgraded to a hurricane Tuesday morning when sustained wind reached 75 mph.

Gov. Rick Perry on Monday recalled all emergency personnel helping with recovery from Hurricane Katrina to prepare for Rita, including almost 1,200 Texas National Guard members.
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