Camp Shelby (MS) no longer a hurricane evacuation center (b/c of Iraq war)

[Maddy McCall]

Camp Shelby, which has traditionally been used as a hurricane shelter, will not be open to evacuees if Hurricane Ivan forces residents on the Mississippi coast to flee their homes, military officials said.

Thousands of Tennessee and Mississippi National Guardsmen will sit tight at Camp Shelby, a sprawling 136,000-acre training facility south of Hattiesburg, if a hurricane threatens Mississippi.

When the storm clears, they will resume their training for service in Iraq, while other Mississippi National Guard units provide storm assistance.

"We're no longer an evacuation center,'' said Maj. Doril Sanders, spokesman for Camp Shelby. "Our plans are not to evacuate, unless higher headquarters told us to.''

Though Camp Shelby has been used to house hurricane evacuees in the past, the barracks are now otherwise occupied.

"The facilities are being used to house and train troops,'' said Sanders.

more at: http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=2293198&nav=6DJHQqKI

This is so sad. Many evacuees from the Gulf Coast, in the past, have stayed at Shelby. Not this time, though--and I haven't heard of any other evacuation centers being opened to accomodate evacuees.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. It's a ploy to leave all the poor of southern Miss homeless right on time

for the election

[merh]

2. Yes, isn't that lovely for those of us in Mississippi - we can't

evacuate to shelters which we used in the past because of the Iraq War. Too many guards are using it for training purposes!

Hope Ivan goes some place else!

[Rowdyboy]

3. Where will those poor people go? Jackson fills up quickly and....

there's little north of there until Memphis. A few years ago (I forget which hurricane) much of New Orleans evacuated and our local high school gym (15 miles north of Jackson)was full. Many locals took in refugees and I hope Michael and I can this time, if needed...

[gratuitous]

4. Another triumph for Bush's homeland security!

No security for the homeland. Why don't all those Mississipians just move to their summer homes up north? Or didn't they choose to be wealthy enough to have summer homes? Well, then it's no concern of Chimpy's!