East Texas

Evacuation reception centers in Tyler and Longview will close this afternoon as officials prepare for the winds and rain of what remains of Gustav.

The center at Faulkner Park and at Lear Park in Longview will close at 3 p.m. The centers were created to assist and keep track of incoming evacuees.

Now with shelters full, officials are focusing on preparing for possible damage from the storm.

Tyler city, Smith County, state crews and power companies are checking equipment and readying to respond to downed trees, failed roadways, power outages and rescues should they be needed.

Bass said we must wait to see what the weather brings to the area.

“Right now we are kind of watching the situation,” she said when asked if Tyler schools may be used to house any Smith County and Tyler residents possibly affected by the storm.

In Longview, residents were encouraged in a statement released by the city to “make preparations today for high winds as it is expected the storm will begin arriving in the area overnight.”

Persons in low areas that are prone to flooding should also make preparations, the statement said. City employees are trying to contact about 800 homes that sit in a floodplain.