NM begins efforts to help Hurricane Gustav victims

HURRICANE GUSTAV LOST SOME INTENSITY — IT STILL HAS THE ABILITY TO BATTER AND BRUISE THE GULF COAST THE STORM IS SET TO MAKE LANDFALL WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND NEW MEXICO SAYS IT S PREPARED TO HELP OUT IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE VALERIE CASTRO IS LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM WITH HOW THE STATE IS GEARING UP TO LEND A HAND IT S A MYSTERY RIGHT NOW JUST HOW POWERFUL GUSTAV WILL BE WHEN IT MAKES LANDFALL BUT GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON IS READY TO SEND ANY RESOURCES THAT MAY BE NEEDED AND SAYS THE STATE IS SET TO HANDLE ANY EVACUEES THAT COME OUR WAY GOVERNOR RICHARDSON HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE STATE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IN SANTA FE IS NOW OPEN AND READY TO COORDINATE DISASTER RESPONSE TEAMS ONCE GUSTAV DOES MAKE LANDFALL THE STORM THAT IS HURLING TOWARDS NEW ORLEANS HAS SENT THOUSANDS PACKING AFTER A MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER WAS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THE HURRICANE ALREADY STRUCK THE WESTERN HALF OF CUBA FLOODING THOUSANDS OF HOMES IN PREPARATION FOR THE ONCOMING DESTRUCTION A NEW MEXICO DISASTER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TEAM LEFT FOR THE GULF COAST YESTERDAY AND TODAY HAS BEEN DIRECTED TO MARSHALL TEXAS WHERE IT WILL SET UP A FIELD MEDICAL CENTER GOVERNOR RICHARDSON HAS PLACED SEVERAL OTHER AGENCIES ON STANDBY LIKE THE NATIONAL GUARD AND A TEAM OF 20 STATE POLICE OFFICERS ARE WAITING TO BE CALLED UPON NEW MEXICO TOOK IN EVACUEES AFTER KATRINA HIT AND MANY STAYED AT THE ALBUQUERQUE CONVENTION CENTER GUSTAV HAS NOT SENT ANYONE HERE JUST YET BUT THE RED CROSS SAYS MORE THAN 17- HUNDRED PEOPLE COULD CALL NEW MEXICO A TEMPORARY HOME IF THE NEED ARISES COMING UP TONIGHT AT 10 HEAR WHAT MAYOR MARTIN CHAVEZ SAYS THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE IS DOING TO PREPARE FOR THE STORM ON EYEWITNESS NEWS 4 AT 10 LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM VC EWN 4 THROUGHOUT THE DAY — THE EXODUS CONTINUED OUT OF NEW ORLEANS NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS BECAME ABOUT THE ONLY PEOPLE ON THE CITY S STREETS AS THEY PATROLLED EVACUATED NEIGHBORHOODS JAY GRAY HAS THE LATEST ON THE EVACUATION FROM NEW ORLEANS THERE IS AN EMPTY EERIE FEELING IN NEW ORLEANS RIGHT NOW natural sound national guard troops SOLDIERS HAVE REPLACED THE REVELERS THAT THIS CITY IS SO FAMOUS FOR BOURBON STREET AND THE FRENCH QUARTER ARE BARREN Natural sound THE 9TH WARD HAS BEEN ABANDONED ENTIRE COMMUNITIES ARE BOARDED UP ALL THE RESIDENTS HAVE MOVED TO HIGHER GROUND Sound Ray Nagin New Orleans Mayor We are getting good reports all throughout the city that for the most part neighborhoods are empty natural sound Resident leaving Everybody is out everybody is safe ALONG WITH THE INEVITABLE MAJOR HIT FROM GUSTAV COMES A NEWLY ACTIVATED DUSK TO DAWN CURFEW Sound Ray Nagin New Orleans Mayor This is still a big ugly storm and it is still strong THE CURRENT FORECAST IS FOR LANDFALL MONDAY AFTERNOON THE CURRENT TRACK LEAVES LITTLE DOUBT SOUTH LOUISIANA WILL BE HARDEST HIT Sound William Harper Resident It is like a nightmare almost like a nightmare Natural sound A BIG PART OF THAT BAD DREAM THE REALITY THAT THE LEVEE SYSTEM HERE MAY NOT BE READY FOR THIS STORM Sound Gov Bobby Jindal Louisiana Nobody should assume those levees are back to where they need to be HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS AREN T WHICH IS WHY THEY VE LEFT TOWN AND TURNED TO A HIGHER SOURCE Sound Audrey Martin New Orleans Resident I am praying and trusting in God that the levees will hold up AND PRAYING THAT THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO COME HOME TO THEY SHOULD BEGIN TO GET A BETTER FEEL FOR THAT TONIGHT AS GUSTAV INCHES CLOSER AND THIS AREA BEGINS TO FEEL THE OUTER BANDS OF THIS MASSIVE STORM I M JAY GRAY IN NEW ORLEANS NOW BACK TO YOU ANOTHER SIGN NEW ORLEANS IS BETTER PREPARED FOR THIS STORM GETTING PETS OUT OFFICIALS IN NEW ORLEANS URGED RESIDENTS TO TAKE THEIR ANIMALS WITH THEM BUT LOADS OF PET CARRIERS WERE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE NEEDING A PLACE TO PUT THEIR ANIMALS AS THEY LEFT TOWN ANY ANIMALS THAT DON T FIT ON BUSES WITH THEIR OWNERS WILL BE PUT IN CLIMATE CONTROLLED TRUCKS AND TAKEN TO SHELTERS AWAY FROM THE COAST