By Rachel Lippmann, KWMU
St. Louis – Hurricane Gustav was not as damaging as many people along the Gulf Coast had feared. But even though it was downgraded to a tropical depression, emergency responders from Missouri are still preparing to help people recover from the storm.
About 600 members of the Missouri National Guard arrived in Louisiana Monday, and another 700 are due there Tuesday.
Missouri State Water Patrol officers are also on their way to the Gulf Coast to assist with search and rescue efforts. And the American Red Cross is setting up shelters across Missouri to house as many as 3,000 evacuees. There is room for 600 here in St. Louis.
Vivian Luce, who chairs the board of the American Red Cross' St. Louis chapter, said the shelters will give evacuees a place to sleep, eat and take a shower.
The Missouri Emergency Management Agency said people who left Louisiana on their own have arrived in southern Missouri cities including Joplin and Springfield.