08.31.2008 0938 CDT
FROM FRANK WEBSTER MD Medical Director, Psychiatric Emergency Services, Parkland Memorial Hospital/UT Southwestern & Medical Director, Integrated Crisis Services, Green Oaks Hospital
Hello all,
As of 0800 today, Hurricane Gustav is a Category 3 storm after passing over Cuba. It is forecast to become a Category 4 or 5 storm over the next several hours. The probability line has shifted slightly east today, pushing it closer to New Orleans. Mayor Nagin of New Orleans has ordered the city to be evacuated.
The storm is due to make Landfall on midday Monday (it has accelerated). It is still forecast to keep a northwesterly track after landfall and the remnants are forecast to travel over East to North Central Texas, possibly staying between Dallas and Houston.
Dallas has officially agreed to take on 4100 evacuees, the actual total may be much larger. They should start arriving this morning. See the list below for the shelter sites.
We have access to Adapt Crisis Services and Transicare, who will be able to go onsite and help direct resources to the varied sites, or in the case of Transicare, provide transportation from site to site.
We also have access to the excellent Dallas MetroCare Crisis Clinic, which includes pharmacy and is open from 1700-2400 Mon-Fri and 0900-1400 on Sat.
ValueOptions NorthSTAR will be onsite at the various sites enrolling people and making sure that they have access to services and can fill prescriptions.
I would anticipate we are going to be called to provide services starting today or tomorrow. Please be aware of that, and again, I appreciate your flexibility. I will forward to you a schedule from Janie Metzinger of the MHA.
SHELTER SITES PER Dallas Morning News 08312008
CARROLLTON
•Rosemeade Recreation Center, 1330 Rosemeade Parkway
DALLAS
•Convention Center, 650 S. Griffin St.
•Samuell Grand Recreation Center, 6200 E. Grand Ave.
FORT WORTH COMMUNITY CENTERS
•Worth Heights, 3551 New York Ave.
•Highland Hills, 1600 Glasgow Road
•Greenbriar, 5200 Hemphill St.
•Handley/Meadowbrook, 6201 Beaty St
•Eugene McCray, 4932 Wilbarger St.
IRVING
•Senter Park Recreation Center, 901 Senter Road
LEWISVILLE
•Fred Herring Recreation Center, 191 Civic Circle
RICHARDSON
•Huffhines Recreation Center, 1500 Apollo Road
Please forward this as needed, as I realize my list of names may be incomplete.
If you wish to monitor the storm’s progress, the National Hurricane Center/NOAA link is http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?5day#contents
