Gulf Coast residents flee advancing hurricane

LaFITTE, Louisiana — Thousands of Gulf Coast residents fled inland from an approaching storm deemed “unsurvivable” by forecasters, heeding warnings from leaders in two states, but leaving some without help as available space in hotels and shelters filled quickly.

Evacuees arrived as far as Ennis, Texas, a city south of Dallas that’s roughly 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the coast, as the approaching Hurricane Laura grew in power hours before its expected landfall.

James and Samantha Bison evacuated from Jasper, about 200 miles away, and eventually made their way to Ennis by early Tuesday morning after being directed there by a 211 information line. Hoping for a place to stay, they ended up sleeping in their car. When they called 211 again, an operator told them to drive to San Antonio, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) in a different direction.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the state has 200,000 hotel rooms across the state for evacuees. But as of Wednesday afternoon, the couple was waiting for a call from the Red Cross amid hopes the agency would have a hotel room for them somewhere. Samantha, 30, said the couple and their two dogs, Buffy and Girl, remained outside in the heat due to concerns about the coronavirus.

Inside the hall, evacuees in face masks waited at tables and on hold with Dallas County Case Management, whose number was being given out at the entrance. Some munched on free bags of Cheetos and drank from plastic water bottles.

In Lake Charles, La., the National Guard was picking up residents in school buses and taking them to a local coliseum. Many of those evacuated were families with small children. The National Weather Service evacuated its office in Lake Charles, transferring its forecasting duties to the service’s office in Brownsville, Texas.

Leaders in both Texas and Louisiana urged residents to flee in the final hours before landfall made it too dangerous to travel.