Katrina Reaches Greenville Part 2

This is the center where my company has its Christmas party. I'm glad it's being put to good use for these people who need help.

Preparations For Katrina Evacuees Continue
Up To 1,500 People Expected At Expo Center
POSTED: 8:08 pm EDT September 5, 2005
UPDATED: 11:08 am EDT September 6, 2005

GREENVILLE -- The city of Greenville is about to grow by several hundred temporary citizens.
As many as 1,500 people are expected to arrive in the Upstate beginning Tuesday afternoon.

Many will be transferred Gulf Coast medical patients and their families, while others will be evacuees.

Red Cross volunteers were setting up cots and preparing plans to house hundreds of people at the Palmetto Expo Center Monday night.

"The best expectation we have is a week to two weeks, maybe as long as a month," Greenville City Manager Jim Bourey said. "FEMA and the federal agencies want to provide more permanent housing, rather than stay in the convention center on the floor."

Bourey said that the city has set up a toll-free hotline for people wishing to get information or volunteer: (866) 313-0081. Bourey said the shelter has sufficient volunteers for this week, but needs more people for the following weeks.

The shelter will be a combined effort by the Upstate chapter of the American Red Cross, the city of Greenville and the Salvation Army, though the city will be in overall charge.

Bourey said that the shelter does not need any items yet, but that the city will compile a list of needed items, then release that list and drop-off locations to the public.

Costs of running the shelter will be reimbursed by FEMA.

The Greenville County School District said that any child that comes to the shelter will be assigned to a school and bused from the Expo Center to that school each day for classes.

Greenville Memorial Hospital is also preparing for the medical cases it will receive.

"Dysentery, and cholera, and typhoid, and those could be conditions we will see. But we anticipate seeing a lot of chronic illnesses, diabetes, high blood pressure, maybe in need of dialysis," nurse Suzanne White said.

"We really want to do what we can, play our part in what really is a national disaster, a national tragedy," Bourey said.

The first non-medical evacuees are expected at Greenville-Spartanburg airport sometime Wednesday.

Medical evacuees and their families will arrive separately after flying to Columbia for evaluation and assignment, and could arrive Tuesday.

While no one knows how many evacuees will come to South Carolina, officials say it could be as
many as 18,000 over the next few weeks.

Officials said most will be housed in the Midlands and Upstate because of the potential for hurricanes in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee.

Officials said it's likely that at least some of the evacuees will become permanent Upstate residents.