Hurricane Harvey evacuees describe ‘chaos’

CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: Here at the Salvation Army’s emergency family shelter in san antonio,
relief efforts are less about what happened as the storm made landfall, and more about
what’s still to come.
MARYANN GAYTAN: To get ready, we had to pre-plan in the last 72 hours and even before that.
And it was hard to plan, but we did plan for things like ordering extra food.
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: Maryann Gaytan is a case manager at the shelter.
MARYANN GAYTAN: We're in need of towels, things like deodorant, toothpaste, the basic essentials
for the clients who come in who don't come in with anything, who have had to abandon
their immediate place of habitation.
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: Even before the storm, this shelter -- primarily for homeless and
at-risk women and families -- was already at full capacity.
The salvation army brought in trucks filled with extra food and supplies.
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: Are you are you worried about what the fallout will be from this storm?
MARYANN GAYTAN: The worry really comes more from the make sure everybody is safe and secure
here in our building, and then the local community coming in from the places of non-habitation.
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: A few miles away, at one of the Red Cross centers in San Antonio, a
a large volunteer effort is underway.
Among the volunteers are three college students, who evacuated their home in Corpus Christi
-- 140 miles away -- yesterday.
BRIDGET DELEON: We boarded up the house, we tried to push everything, and it was hectic.
It was chaos in Corpus, because all the stores were getting rammed out and, I mean, we were
just focused on, let’s get the house ready and let’s get out of here because we don’t
want to hit traffic.
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: Today they learned their house in Corpus Christi had been damaged in
the storm.
JANIQUE PATTERSON: One of our friends from back home -- our coworker--sent us pictures.
ARLENE ZUNIGA: Our trees in front, like, my room, window, in front of the house has been
uprooted. The damages could have been a lot worse and we’re thankful for just the minor
things and thankful for us coming all the way over here and not being stuck in there.
JANIQUE PATTERSON: I’m a little bit worried to see what we go back to. We don’t know
what to expect really.
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: Henry van de Putte is executive director of the greater San Antonio
Red Cross. He says he’s not sure what aid will be needed next.
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: How many people are currently in need of shelter?
HENRY VAN DE PUTTE: Right now currently in San Antonio we’re right around 1,000 people.
The need could be increasing or decreasing based on the situation on the ground, which
you know is changing.
HARI SREENIVASAN: Chris you’ve been in and around sa all day, this is the city that people
have evacuated to from the coast but it’s also a city that’s in preparation mode for
the rain that’s coming.
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: That’s right, we spent the day visiting numerous places. The Red
Cross, the Salvation Army, and we spoke with a number of people who are bas getting ready
for an unknown number of people who have left the coast basically who are at the forefront
of Harvey’s arrival. We went to one of the main staging areas where the state has hundreds
of buses and emergency vehicles that every now and again will leave and 10 to 15 bus
convoys. We spoke with a police officer at the gate who said they’re heading south
toward the coastline.
HARI SREENIVASAN: What about the flooding that they’re expecting to have?
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: Right now there’s been some flooding, it’s largely just standing
water in San Antonio. We visited areas in the city that are known to flood and some
of the roads were indeed closed but the flooding itself wasn't v high. We saw a mail truck
delivering mail, cutting through the streets. It really didn’t seem to be cutting into
the activity of the city.
HARI SREENIVASAN: Chris Booker, thanks so much.
CHRISTOPHER BOOKER: Thanks.
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Hurricane Harvey evacuees describe ‘chaos’

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