Thursday Evening Update...

IH45 in Houston This Evening

Hurricane Rita This Evening

• This afternoon San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger stated during a news conference that, since the storm appears to be moving away from its previous course, there should be fewer evacuees seeking shelter in San Antonio than originally projected. There are approximately 5,000 Katrina evacuees remaining in all of the area shelters.
  
  Mayor Hardberger said, "Clearly if their homes are wiped out here and they have nothing to go back to, then you can expect them to stay around here till things are sorted out."


• The following information comes from the San Antonio Red Cross:
  
  Volunteers: The Red Cross has had about 12,000 people register to volunteer for Hurricane Katrina relief. Since the enormity of Hurricane Rita the need for volunteers over the next 5 day period is critical. The volunteer need is about 6,000 a day which will cover 7 or more shelters. We are asking those that signed up and registered to volunteer for Hurricane Katrina to go to Freeman Coliseum from 8am-8pm starting Wednesday September 21 and get information on the immediate volunteer positions that need to be filled for Hurricane Rita. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.
  
  
• It would appear that Hurricane Rita will make landfall around 5:00 a.m. Saturday. Many of our very own church family and staff still have loved ones and friends who reside in the projected path of Hurricane Rita - somewhere around the Beaumont/Port Arthur area of Texas.
  
  Please continue to pray and participate.