Texarkana shelters quickly made ready for Hurricane Ike evacuees Thursday after receiving word Port Arthur, Texas, was calling for a mandatory emergency evacuation.

Port Arthur is Texarkana’s sister city in the state’s point-to-point evacuation program for special-needs evacuees like those without transportation. During the evacuation for Hurricane Gustav recently, Texarkana cared for about 1,400 Port Arthur evacuees.

“The state is saying we may get 500 to 600 people,” Dave Hall, Texarkana Emergency Management director, said during a planning meeting Thursday morning. A...

Log-In to view full story or view our Registration Guide.