| NEWS
| SEPTEMBER 23, 2005
Temporary housing in discussion
Students’ families evacuate
Southern Texas, officials talk of housing options.
By Nathan
Sauerhage
Contributor to The Shorthorn
As some students wait to hear from family members evacuated by Hurricane
Rita, housing officials prepare for any potential situations.
Mari Duncan, assistant director of housing for residence life, said
she and other housing officials are meeting today to discuss if
any precautions are needed. She said one possible problem anticipated
is the housing of students’ parents. Residence halls are nearly
full, and rules limit the stay of same-sex guests to three days
and two nights. Officials are ready to forgo the limit if necessary.
“We are willing to work with people,” Duncan said. “Right
now we haven’t heard from anyone needing a place to stay.”
Duncan said all residence halls have weather radios, flashlights
and other supplies.
“We require every residence hall to be prepared in case of
an emergency,” she said. “This is a standard requirement,
not a special precaution. If the hurricane causes flash floods,
tornadoes or power outages, we will be ready.”
Undeclared freshman Ray Greer said his family decided to stay in
the Houston area.
“My parents are from Katy, which is located just outside of
Houston,” he said. “Wednesday around 10 a.m., they left
for their lake house in Lake Livingston, a town 85 miles north of
Houston.”
Traffic in the area is extremely congested said Greer.
“My girlfriend’s parents are staying put and waiting
the storm out because the traffic is so bad,” he said. “They
can’t even go to the grocery store. Everything in Houston
has stopped.”
Others spoke of similar difficulties. Business senior Marcus Johnson
said he has been unable to reach his father since the start of the
evacuation.
“My dad works at the Air Force base in Corpus Christi,”
he said. “I still haven’t been able to get through to
him on his cell phone. He’s not answering his house phone,
so I’m hoping that means he’s gotten out.”
Graphic design sophomore Megan Wellspring has family in Baytown,
which is about 25 miles east of Houston.
“My mom and brother waited until Thursday before they left.
They left at 6 a.m. and got out of the area at 3 p.m.,” she
said. “They were stuck on the highway so long that they left
the engine of their car off for two hours.”
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