Galveston declares state of emergency, orders mandatory evacuation

Galveston officials have now called for mandatory evacuations ahead of Hurricane Rita beginning Wednesday. The order is for every one living in Galveston County.


People in medical centers and nursing homes will start evacuating at 6 a.m. Wednesday. Residential evacuations start at 6 p.m. The county’s evacuation plan calls for the evacuation of residents in phases.


Galveston also declared a state of emergency late Tuesday. That means the city council will step aside and the mayor and city manager will call the shots. Basic city services will continue for the time being with the exception of public transportation. That will stop after the last bus runs Tuesday because the buses are being used to evacuate people.


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