McClatchy DC Logo

Many towns turned away evacuees, leading to days-long bus trip | McClatchy Washington Bureau

×
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Subscriber Services

    • All White House
    • Russia
    • All Congress
    • Budget
    • All Justice
    • Supreme Court
    • DOJ
    • Criminal Justice
    • All Elections
    • Campaigns
    • Midterms
    • The Influencer Series
    • All Policy
    • National Security
    • Guantanamo
    • Environment
    • Climate
    • Energy
    • Water Rights
    • Guns
    • Poverty
    • Health Care
    • Immigration
    • Trade
    • Civil Rights
    • Agriculture
    • Technology
    • Cybersecurity
    • All Nation & World
    • National
    • Regional
    • The East
    • The West
    • The Midwest
    • The South
    • World
    • Diplomacy
    • Latin America
    • Investigations
  • Podcasts
    • All Opinion
    • Political Cartoons

  • Our Newsrooms

Latest News

Many towns turned away evacuees, leading to days-long bus trip

Aron Kahn - Knight Ridder Newspapers

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 26, 2005 03:00 AM

SAN ANTONIO—A group of Hurricane Rita evacuees were forced to remain on buses for most of a bewildering, days-long trip to San Antonio because they were denied shelter in several cities, passengers said.

The exhausting trip also was extended because the evacuees were returned to Beaumont, their starting point, halfway through under the mistaken belief that it was safe to go back.

Though accounts from the fatigued passengers sometimes conflicted Monday, this general picture emerged:

Evacuees from several Gulf Coast cities—including some Hurricane Katrina evacuees—boarded Beaumont city-transit and school buses Thursday night. Along the way, some found shelter, and remaining passengers were consolidated.

SIGN UP

As they headed northwest, they were turned away from shelters in several small towns, said David Jones, a 39-year-old Beaumont construction worker who made the trip with his pregnant wife and 2-year-old son. In some cases, fire marshals said the buildings were full.

Water and a few snacks were offered along the way, Jones said. The bus tried to return to Beaumont early in the weekend, but was stopped outside town. At one point, the manager at a motel that had no vacancies allowed passengers to sleep on the dining room floor for a few hours.

The trip was grueling for the elderly, the ill and young who were aboard. When they arrived in San Antonio on Sunday morning, 41 passengers were transferred to a shelter for people with medical problems.

The shelter sent two to a hospital immediately: a man who needed kidney dialysis and Jones' wife. Eight others were treated for severe dehydration.

"These people zigzagged all over south Texas," shelter director Robert Marbut said.

———

(c) 2005, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

Need to map

  Comments  

Videos

Nervous about hackers? Here’s what to do after a data breach

Democrats announce Green New Deal

View More Video

Trending Stories

Fatalities from police chases climbing, could be higher than records indicate

February 21, 2019 12:00 AM

Vice President Mike Pence will go to Colombia to demand Maduro step down

February 21, 2019 10:07 AM

Mitch McConnell pitches Kentucky’s Kelly Craft as Trump’s UN ambassador

February 21, 2019 11:50 AM

Gov. Matt Bevin dismisses his low poll numbers, welcomes Trump’s help

February 22, 2019 11:06 AM

‘Wide open race’ and open wallets in Kansas after Pompeo rules out 2020 Senate run

February 21, 2019 05:00 PM

Read Next

Gov. Matt Bevin dismisses his low poll numbers, welcomes Trump’s help

Congress

Gov. Matt Bevin dismisses his low poll numbers, welcomes Trump’s help

By Lesley Clark

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 22, 2019 11:06 AM

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin says polls that show him unpopular as he runs for re-election don’t matter because there’s never been polling that shows him ahead

KEEP READING

MORE LATEST NEWS

Mitch McConnell pitches Kentucky’s Kelly Craft as Trump’s UN ambassador

Congress

Mitch McConnell pitches Kentucky’s Kelly Craft as Trump’s UN ambassador

February 21, 2019 11:50 AM
Fatalities from police chases climbing, could be higher than records indicate

Investigations

Fatalities from police chases climbing, could be higher than records indicate

February 21, 2019 12:00 AM
Republicans rally around Trump after McCabe asserts DOJ discussed removing the president

Congress

Republicans rally around Trump after McCabe asserts DOJ discussed removing the president

February 20, 2019 04:53 PM
Massive public lands bill expected to receive easy approval in the House

Congress

Massive public lands bill expected to receive easy approval in the House

February 20, 2019 12:54 PM
‘You’re my guy’: Top Senate Dem urges Jaime Harrison to challenge Lindsey Graham

Elections

‘You’re my guy’: Top Senate Dem urges Jaime Harrison to challenge Lindsey Graham

February 20, 2019 12:12 PM
VP Mike Pence plans visit to South Carolina to tour Opportunity Zones with Tim Scott

Congress

VP Mike Pence plans visit to South Carolina to tour Opportunity Zones with Tim Scott

February 19, 2019 05:22 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

McClatchy Washington Bureau App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Newsletters
Learn More
  • Customer Service
  • Securely Share News Tips
  • Contact Us
Advertising
  • Advertise With Us
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story