Late Friday is when the Greater Charlotte area chapter of the American Red Cross established a emergency shelter operation at the Charlotte Coliseum on Tyvola Rd.
Throughout the weekend, dozens of self evacuees made their way to the coliseum to begin the steps to the road to recovery for Hurricane Katrina. It was early Sunday morning when the much anticipated call was received that an air evacuation mission from New Orleans was due to land in Charlotte.
Just after 3:30 am Charlotte Firefighters, The America Red Cross, and area public safety agencies gathered in anticipation to receive and welcome the charter Boeing 737 aircraft. This ATA charter aircraft had 155 passengers on board along with a few dogs and a cat.
All the disaster victims safely deplaned and were transported by CATS buses to the nearby coliseum with in 90 minutes after arrival. A new shift of Charlotte
Firefighters were ready when a USAF C-17 evacuation flight with a crew based out of Charleston, AFB arrived from New Orleans airport arrived at the NC Air National Guard base at 9:30 am.
This military flight had 49 disaster victims along with 3 dogs. As Charlotte Firefighters and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officers continue the dedicated work in the Mississippi area, their co-workers respond to the needs of the many evacuees that have made their way to the Carolinas.
