Katrina evacuees moved from Texas to Tennessee

SMYRNA — Two groups of refugees totaling 120 from Hurricane Katrina were flown into Smyrna on Wednesday and will be housed in shelters here and in Milan, a state spokeswoman said.

The evacuees were relocated from Beaumont, Texas, in advance of Hurricane Rita, which was moving toward that state’s coastline.

Tennessee state officials told Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel on Monday that Tennessee could take up to 3,000 new refugees and provide them shelter.

Two flights arrived at Smyrna Airport where they were greeted by about 60 volunteers to offer them medical care, refreshments and transportation to Red Cross-run shelters.

The first flight Wednesday carried only 14 passengers. The second had 106 people aboard, most of whom were taken by bus to Milan.

Red Cross spokesman Sid McLaughlin, based in Kingsport, said there could be a total of four flights of refugees on Wednesday, all coming into Smyrna with as many as 600 evacuees aboard.

Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency Director Roger Allen said late Wednesday afternoon that no word had come on whether other flights would be coming in.

The shelters in Smyrna and Milan are at Tennessee National Guard facilities. A center was set up at the airport where evacuees could use telephones and meet with Red Cross personnel.

Before Wednesday’s flights there were 424 Katrina refugees in eight Red Cross shelters, McLaughlin said.

Tennessee Emergency Management officials estimated Tuesday there were about 20,000 Katrina evacuees in the state, mostly in hotels or other living arrangements in the Memphis area.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s office said Tuesday about 4,000 evacuees from Louisiana would be moved to Fort Chafee, Ark. About 250 evacuees were being moved to Nebraska.