Texas And NM Relief Workers To Arrive Where Hurricane Katrina Comes Ashore

SOUTHERN LOUISIANA — Relief workers from around the region are getting ready to help Louisiana residents who stand to be affected when Hurricane Katrina blasts onto the mainland.

Contingents from New Mexico and Texas prepared to depart to where the Category 5 storm was on track to hit. A hurricane of that magnitude hasn’t hit the state since 1965, analysts said.

Some of the people volunteering their help are from El Paso and Las Cruces, ABC 7 has learned. The teams are trained to rescue victims trapped by flooding, collapsed structures and confined spaces.

One city that stands to bear the brunt of the storm — New Orleans — could face major destruction, as 60 to 80 percent of the homes there could be demolished by high winds and flooding.

Other hazards the city may contend with include the possibilty of coffins washed up from cemeteries (the city is actually situated below sea level) and various toxic elements, such as chemical and human waste.

The American Red Cross said they are preparing its largest response to a single disaster in many years. “This is really an all-hands-on-deck scenario for the Red Cross right now,” spokeswoman Carrie Martin said.

The Red Cross urged people, even those who think they are outside the storm’s path, to prepare for an emergency. “It could shift at any point. It’s really a matter of not taking any chances, having the supplies in place,” Martin said.