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Evening Update: Hurricane Relief Operations Command Center-Status Report

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Release Date: August 31, 2008

SHELBY COUNTY OFFICE OF PREPAREDNESS

MEMPHIS & SHELBY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER

(901) 515-2525

Evening Update

Shelter Command/Coordination: Shelby County Office of Preparedness-Memphis and Shelby County EMA Emergency Operations Center (901) 515-2525.  Bob Nations, Director

Current number of evacuees sent to Memphis by FEMA for shelter:  1250.

More mandatory evacuees are expected:  Another 1000 will arrive in Memphis by Amtrak train about 3 o’clock in the morning.  About 400 will be sent to shelters throughout West Tennessee operated by the State of Tennessee.  The other 600 will remain in Memphis.  As with other mandatory evacuees, these persons will be taken to one of (9) shelters open at Memphis Park Services community centers.  A health department nurse and Memphis Police Officers are at each site.

Hotel and Motel Rooms are full:  The Memphis Convention and Visitors urge voluntary evacuees to proceed to other areas for lodging.  There are, however, shelters open.

Shelter Sites for Voluntary Evacuees:

• World Overcomers Outreach Ministries Church-6655 Winchester Road at Kirby Parkway-Space is available
• First Baptist Church of West Memphis, Arkansas-200 Missouri Street (870) 732-4694-Status-Space is available
• Memphis Catholic High School 61 North McLean-Status-AT CAPACITY (Approximately 200)
• Bishop Byrne High School-1475 East Shelby Drive-Status-AT CAPACITY (Approximately 200)
• Cummings Street Baptist Church-250 East Raines Road-AT CAPACITY (Approximately 200)                 

Those wishing to open a shelter: Contact the EMA Operation Center at (901) 515-2525.  It is recommended a representative from the Red Cross visit the facility before it is opened to ensure the building is safe and can accommodate evacuees.

Volunteers:  Volunteers are NEEDED to help during the relief effort.  Some may work at Red Cross shelters.  The Red Cross will provide a one hour training course for shelter workers. Other volunteers may assist the Memphis City Schools Food Service Department serving meals at shelters.  People who want to volunteer should call the volunteer hotline (901) 324-8799 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. for information.

Pets:  Not allowed in the shelters.  Boarding arrangements can be made by calling the EMA Operations Center.

Food: Provided by Memphis City Schools

Transportation:  MATA Buses

Donated Goods: None are needed at this time

The Shelby County Office of Preparedness/Memphis Shelby County Emergency Management Agency is open 24 hours a day.

Representatives of Shelby County and Memphis City Government divisions and various community agencies are at the center monitoring hurricane “Gustav” and “Hanna.”
For questions, call the Emergency Operations Center at (901) 515-2525.

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