NM emergency workers prepare for Gustav

WAITING FOR THE WORD GO AT ANY HOUR NOW — AS HURRICANE GUSTAV PLOWS TOWARD THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AND THE CUBAN CIGAR BELT FORECASTERS FEAR HE S HEADING FOR THE U-S GULF COAST - WHERE KATRINA STRUCK THREE YEARS AGO TONIGHT STUART DYSON IS HERE WITH TONIGHT S DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE NEW MEXICO TEAM MEMBERS GEARING UP TO GO THEY RE DOCS AND NURSES - COPS AND FIREFIGHTERS - MEDICS AND NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS AND MORE - AND TONIGHT THEY RE WAITING ALL OVER THE STATE FOR PHONES TO RING AND EMAILS TO BING - KATRINA SEALED THE DEAL FOR THESE NEW MEXICANS THREE YEARS AGO - AND TEAM LEADERS SAY THEY ARE GOOD TO GO OUT Q GUSTAV EVACUEES NEW ORLEANS - GETTING READY FOR THE BIG ONE - AGAIN - HOPING GUSTAV VEERS AWAY - BUT NOBODY COUNTING ON IT - NOT IN LOUISIANA - NOT IN MISSISSIPPI WHERE SOME EVACUATIONS ARE ALREADY UNDER WAY - AND NOT IN NEW MEXICO WHERE DISASTER TEAMS ARE READY TO GO No one has left the state but we do have units preparing at their home stations around the state - at the armories - so - preparing vehicles - power generating equipment - tentage - so we can respond to the needs of Louisiana - or wherever it may hit The most important thing is to get your business and your family affairs in order - because our deployments are gonna last from 14 days on - and almost everybody that does this job has other responsibilities and career issues NEW MEXICO SPECIALISTS LEFT THOSE FAMILIES AND JOBS BEHIND THREE YEARS AGO - HEADING TO NEW ORLEANS AND THE GULF COAST TO HELP IN THE AFTERMATH OF KATRINA - THOUSANDS LEFT HOMELESS THEN ARE STILL LIVING IN FEDERAL TRAILERS NOW - EASY PREY FOR GUSTAV IF THEY DON T GET OUT OF HIS WAY The citizens in that area are very sensitized to the effects of a hurricane - and there s lots of warnings - so hopefully there will be evacuations that will occur and minimize the risk to humans JUST LIKE WE DID IN KATRINA - GOVERNOR RICHARDSON SAYS SHELTERS IN NEW MEXICO WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR GUSTAV EVACUEES NEW MEXICO DISASTER TEAM LEADERS SAY THEY EXPECT TO BE ON THE MOVE BEFORE READY TO DRIVE TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO INTO ACTION ALREADY HAS HIT WHILE GUSTAV MAY HIT NEW ORLEANS — IT ALREADY HAS HIT JAMAICA THE ISLAND NATION IN THE CARIBBEAN TOOK A BEATING TODAY GUSTAV TORE OFF ROOFS AND KILLED AT LEAST FOUR PEOPLE AS HEAVY RAINS TRIGGERED LANDSLIDES AND WIDESPREAD FLOODING THE CAYMAN ISLANDS ARE NEXT UP IN GUSTAV S PATH GUSTAV KILLED DOZENS OF PEOPLE AS IT SWEPT THROUGH HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC