**
*This is a NEMRC Update – TX – with a focus on medical/special needs.*

 The hospital in Galveston is being used by FEMA Disaster Medical Assessment
Team (DMAT).

 All Texas State Veterans Homes have resumed normal operations.

 Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS):* *Statewide
intake evacuation hotline is up and taking calls.

 The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is coordinating status
of hospitals in the impacted counties with the Texas Hospital Association
(THA), including the FEMA mobile hospitals.

 DSHS Repatriation Team continues to return Medical Special Needs (MSN)
patients to their home counties or temporary medical facilities. Additional
assets have been requested.

 The DSHS Disaster Mortuary Team (DMORT) has deployed refrigerated trucks to
affected counties upon request.

All ten FEMA supplied refrigerator trucks have been deployed to assist in
body storage.

• Orange- arrived, 1 unit

• Beaumont- arrived, 2 units

• Crosby- arrived, 5 units. One unit may be deployed to Galveston

• Galveston- arrived, 2 units.

 DSHS MACC continues to track all medical needs in impacted area and has
deployed vaccines, trucks, equipment and supplies to impacted counties as
requested.

 Animal Bite Case Standard Operating Procedures and information on co
sheltering and bus cleanup has been prepared by DSHS veterinarians. Texas
federal assets total 921 personnel in 26 DMAT/Strike Teams (plus 3 DMORT)
deployed statewide.

 Resource requests: Dialysis

 Requests for additional resources for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
patients are being handled by DSHS at the Multi-agency Coordination Center.

 Medical Special Needs shelters in El Paso, Amarillo, and Lubbock have been
demobilized.

 Requests for oxygen bottles/tanks are being processed as they come in to
the ESF-8 desk. Other governmental agencies may be executing contracts for
these resources as well.

 TCEQ is working with water districts regarding boiled water notices and
with DEAFLINK for issuances of boiled water notices for the hearing
impaired. TCEQ is working with TAHC (Texas Animal Health Commission) on
management of animal carcasses.

 TCEQ Strike Team Investigated large bulk above ground storage tank that was
observed to be smoldering by surveillance teams. Tank appeared to be venting
possible hydrogen sulfide from a molten sulfur processing facility. Further
investigation will be conducted to ensure tank is functioning properly.

 The following cities are currently on a boil water notice due to Hurricane
Ike: Sacul, Houston, Port Neches, Dickinson, Highlands, Raywood, and Groves

 Public Utilities Commission (PUC): The PUC has been fielding calls with
requests for when power will be restored in the affected counties.
Currently, we have information on outages by counties and for Oncor and
CenterPoint's service areas by zip code. However, utilities are still
assessing the damage, and we only have just started to receive some
information on estimated restoration time. We hope to have more information
tomorrow on estimated restoration time for affected counties. Utilities have
been working hard and outage updates reflect that restoration is ongoing;
however, currently we still have approximately 2.3 million customers without
power.

 American Red Cross (ARC): At this time the ARC is operating 145 shelters
with a population of 19,995. There are 105 vehicles providing feeding,
served 36,238 meals, 68,284 meals have been served to-date. There are 1,230
disaster workers providing these services.

2-1-1: September 14, 2008, the 2-1-1 system handled 14,435 calls. Since
September 9, 2008, the 2-1-1 Texas system has handled 96,823 calls.

 Three gulf coast Area Information Centers (AICs) remain closed due to storm
damage. Callers from those impacted areas are being assisted by AICs across
the state. AICs across the state are contributing 100% of total staff and
volunteers to respond to information and referral calls related to Hurricane
Ike. All have extended business hours as needed. AICs will continue to work
throughout the weekend with extended hours.

 The 2-1-1 Texas system continues to receive volunteer support from
individuals and multiple entities. At 10:30 a.m. today, our call volume was
5,549. The top caller needs identified for Hurricane Ike are as follows:
Re-entry Information; shelter; FEMA assistance; Special Medical assistance;
financial assistance; hotel availability; Search and Rescue; food; gas
money; ice; curfew; debris removal and evacuee location.

 Deaflink: Deaf Link has added the capability of for all Deaf evacuees to be
able to place Video Relay Interpreter (VRI) phone calls to friends and
family through all our Shelter Link systems that are installed in the
shelters and at the reception points.

Deaf Link continues to utilize the Accessible Hazard Alert System for all
Warn2 weather alerts, PSAs for affected areas, sheltering areas and the
state, such as, boil water notifications, travel restrictions, contact
numbers to find family and weather updates. Deaf Link Volunteers are
coordinated to assist with the San Antonio reception center and shelter.

 Access to Galveston Island remains restricted to emergency responders only.

 *DDC 3B San Antonio: *The ARCC is receiving post impact evacuees and
implementing the re-entry plan for evacuees from non-affected areas. DDC San
Antonio is preparing to receive 1500 General Population and 900 MSN evacuees
from Galveston. The reception center has processed a total of 6837 General
Population and 461 MSN evacuees from the post-landfall areas. DPS regions 3A
and 3C have requested the repatriation of citizens from San Antonio
shelters, 64 evacuees have returned to the City of Robstown.

 MASS CARE: Shelter operations continue throughout central and eastern areas
of Texas by the American Red Cross and local jurisdictions. There are 252
Shelters remaining open with a population of 38,764. The Salvation Army has
35 canteens with 1 kitchen. The Baptist Men and Southern Baptist Men are
responding with 7 kitchens currently and are deploying 5 more. The Latter
Day Saints are continuing to provide clean-up kits, hygiene kits, and food
boxes.

SHELTER INFORMATION: Anyone requesting a shelter can phone 2-1-1 and the
shelter information number, 214-653-7629, will be given to them. This number
goes to the Dallas County Homeland Security Office which is maintaining the
a-list of open shelters, space and rotation for receiving evacuees.

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