Houston rises to Katrina challenge

By Michael Buchanan
BBC News, Houston

Thousands have found refuge at Houston's Astrodome stadium

Houston gave the US the chance to catch its breath.

That was the considered opinion of Robert Eckels, the man in charge of the city's relief effort as he sat on the edge of a stage that had been graced just minutes earlier by the presence of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush senior.

They are the most famous, but by no means the only, celebrity or political big-shots who have visited Houston, Texas, over the past few days.

The city became a processing centre for dishevelled survivors of Hurricane Katrina, all of whom had made the 350-mile (560km) journey there from New Orleans.

US STATES TAKING REFUGEES More detailed map

All Texas-bound buses came through here and seldom can the smog-caked downtown high rises have been such a welcoming sight for visitors.

This was their guarantee of water, food, medical care and shelter. So appealing did Texas become that almost 250,000 Katrina survivors headed here.

Those who could filled hotels and motels, while those who could not found refuge in sports complexes and convention centres.

'Dome City'

The centre of the relief effort is of course the Houston Astrodome, a former American football stadium turned communal bedroom.

Houston help: Volunteer story

Along its concrete floor sit long lines of green cots where the survivors sit, eat, talk and even occasionally sleep, when the noise from the other evacuees or the stadium tannoy is not too loud.

For 16,000 people, "Dome City", as it has been dubbed, is now their home.

Add in the neighbouring arena and a convention centre about three miles (5km) away and you have a town with a population of around 25,000 which has sprung up in days.

Coping with the influx has presented Houston with both challenges and opportunities.

Now that the immediate needs of the evacuees have been met, the city is moving to open up its schools and hospitals to the survivors as well as urging residents to allow the evacuees to use their spare rooms and empty properties.

Long-term issues

It is a burden the city's residents appear to relish. They have whole-heartedly welcomed their fellow Americans in a wholly impressive display of support.

Around Houston, residents have clubbed together to help evacuees

For days, traffic on Kirby Drive, the main road that runs alongside the Astrodome, was packed nose to tail and thousands of Houstonians came out to volunteer their help.

Others came along with carloads of toiletries or toys or clothes, while two of the occupants of one vehicle in front of me jumped out and simply handed money to evacuees who were walking along the kerb.

It has been that sort of time in Houston, people pitching in as they can, officials trying to solve problems they had not even imagined.

But now that the evacuees' immediate needs have been met, attention is shifting to longer- term needs. And though Houston has devised plans to send some of the evacuees to other parts of the country - including onto cruise ships - many are reluctant to move on just yet.

Many do not want to make firm decisions about where they want to live. As a result many evacuees may remain in Houston longer than planned.

That would undoubtedly put pressure on the abilities of officials to devise new solutions as well as asking far bigger questions about the effect that the influx of tens of thousands will have on the social fabric of the city.