By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – St. Louis area leaders and Missouri Governor Matt Blunt say the region's resources are available to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Mayor Francis Slay is urging St. Louisans to offer any extra housing to refugees. And he says the St. Louis Public Schools can take extra students and may even offer housing in unused buildings.
Governor Blunt has issued an executive order that allows doctors from the affected states to treat their patients in Missouri.
And he also says a thousand Missouri National Guard troops are on their way south.
"Even without the global war on terrorism, I believe we would similar requests for assistance from our National Guard. I can tell you that I think the esprit de corps and morale of the National Guard is high," Blunt said.
"They want to help. They're like any other Missourian, if there's an identified need, they want to meet it."
Missouri National Guard Adjutant General King Sidwell says about 40,000 national guard troops from around the country will be needed in the Gulf Coast.
And the Missouri Guard will help set up command and control operations.