AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry has ordered the continued mobilization and pre-positioning of state resources in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav’s potential landfall. Gustav strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane today with winds at 145 mph. According to the National Weather Service, Texas remains among the Gulf States in the projected path, and additional strengthening of this system is forecast before making landfall along the Gulf coast.

State efforts began today to move medical special needs residents from Beaumont and Port Arthur to San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth and El Paso using aerial assets, buses and ambulances. Orange County, Jefferson County, the City of Beaumont and the City of Port Arthur have issued voluntary evacuations. The state will continue to provide support and assistance to local officials.

Following today’s announcement by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin that he will call for a mandatory evacuation for the city of New Orleans tomorrow morning if Gustav stays on the same track, Governor Perry called on Texas resources to prepare to shelter 10,000 Louisiana residents who cannot self-evacuate. Beginning early Sunday, the following number of evacuees will be transported by air to the following Texas cities: 4,100 to Dallas/Fort Worth, 4,100 to San Antonio, 500 to Amarillo, 500 to Lubbock, 500 to El Paso and 300 to San Angelo.

Texas is also preparing for the potential of an estimated 45,000 general population evacuees to Texas from Louisiana.

The Emergency Management Council and State Operations Center are fully activated. The State Operations Center is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Gustav and holding twice daily conference calls with federal, state and local officials, private industry partners, volunteer organizations, and the National Weather Service.

To date, Texas has taken the following actions:

Texas Military Forces: Up to 7,500 guardsmen and 15 aerial resources have been activated and have started pre-positioning in Beaumont, Houston and Galveston, and an additional 30 aerial resources will be provided by the Department of Defense. Four C-130 aircraft will begin medical special needs evacuations in Beaumont today.

Texas Engineering Extension Service: Texas Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2 are preparing assets and will be mobilized on Sunday to provide search and rescue capabilities are needed.

Department of Public Safety: Commercial Vehicle Enforcement troopers are inspecting buses that are being prepared for evacuations.

Department of State Health Services: The agency is assisting in the coordination of air and ground evacuation of hospital patients, and three federal medical stations have been requested to be used as medical special needs shelters.

Health and Human Services Commission: HHSC is working with the state's information and referral centers to increase capacity for an expected surge in calls to 2-1-1. Since August 21, 4,205 Texans have registered wit 2-1-1.

Department of Aging and Disability Services: Staff at the Richmond and Lufkin state schools are monitoring the storm and making preparations to ensure adequate staffing to shelter in place or evacuate if necessary.

Department of Family and Protective Services: DFPS is contacting foster parents in areas that may be affected by the storm to make sure they have an emergency plan and know what to do in the event of disaster or evacuation.

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs: Hurricane housing resources for communities are on the agency's website (www.tdhca.state.tx.us). TDHCA is reminding all affordable housing rental owners statewide to keep their apartment vacancy information current as they supply information to TDHCA. TDHCA will contact community action agencies in the projected path of the storm and advise them that they may be called upon to serve additional persons based on the events transpiring.

Texas Department of Criminal Justice: Saturday morning, TDCJ LeBlanc Unit in Beaumont began evacuating a total of 1,100 inmates to units in Huntsville and Livingston. TDCJ Gist State Jail in Beaumont also began the evacuation of 2,080 inmates to units in the Palestine and Huntsville areas.

Texas Department of Agriculture: The agency has identified commodities that are available for distribution should it be necessary, and is coordinating with the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross.

Texas Animal Health Commission: TAHC, along with the United States Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Service, are standing by to assist as needed for Gustav response operations. Field personnel are staffing various disaster district committees as well as the State Operations Center. The TAHC Area Command will be activated at the TAHC Central Office on Monday morning. The executive director of the Texas State Animal Resource Team is coordinating with its member organizations and other animal care agencies to prepare for animal sheltering.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: TCEQ is on standby for fuel waivers if necessary.

A strike team capable of handling hazardous materials, additional public water supply and wastewater specialists, and a self contained mobile command post trailer with interoperable radio communications and satellite/wireless internet connections is on standby.

Texas Public Utility Commission: The Public Utility Commission has ordered electric and telephone utilities along the Gulf Coast to review emergency operations plans, update critical care customer lists, check inventories and alert crews. The PUC has alerted all utilities throughout Texas to be ready to provide additional help to affected areas has needed.

Texas Education Agency: 150 buses, 100 of which are from the Dallas County Schools, are on standby to evacuate coastal residents, if necessary. School districts in the interior part of the state are making preparations to open as shelters, if needed. The Round Rock Independent School District is providing buses and instructors to train members of the Texas Military Forces who may be needed to drive buses for potential coastal evacuations. Coastal school districts are reviewing their evacuation plans and making preparations in case they need to evacuate.

Texas Department of Information Resources: DIR has an Emergency Response Product Agreement with Dell in place that allow for the loan of Dell products during times of weather emergencies, regional disasters or national emergencies, if needed during this effort. IBM has completed backup copies for the remote sites in the current path. Additional backup copies will be made today as requested. IBM will work with several agencies today to orderly shut down servers and take additional protective measures.

Texas Forest Service: The Lone Star State Incident Management Team and five Regional Incident Management Teams from across the State are staffed and ready to deploy. TFS is assisting with planning and resource tracking at the Corpus Christi, McAllen, and San Antonio District Disaster Councils.

Texas Workforce Commission: All Texas coastal workforce centers remain open.

Texas Department of Insurance: TDI continues to monitor Hurricane Gustav and remain in contact with its insurance stakeholder group, the Texas State Disaster Coalition. TDI is also encouraging Texas consumers to prepare for the storm and offering insurance tips (www.tdi.state.tx.us). TDI has contacted the Louisiana Department of Insurance to begin coordinating assistance to Louisiana insurance consumers who may be heading to Texas.

Texas Department of Transportation: Previously planned lane closures for I-10 in the Houston area have been cancelled through Monday, Sept. 1. All previously planned lane closures in the Houston and Beaumont area are currently suspended. Major construction on U.S. 59 entering the city of Lufkin from Houston has been suspended. Dynamic message signs are being used to urge residents along the coast to fuel up their vehicles. TxDOT personnel are also sweeping roadside shoulders and patching pavement along potential evacuation routes.

Fuel Team: Fuel supply trucks and trailers are ensuring adequate fuel supplies as the Fuel Team monitors demand increases. The industry reminds Texans to maintain fuel in their personal vehicles.

Additionally, various mass care volunteer organizations are preparing beds, medical special needs shelters and food supplies for evacuees across the state.

Individuals with special needs can let responders know who and where they are before an emergency or evacuation takes place by calling 2-1-1.

For more information on hurricane preparedness and Hurricane Gustav please visit www.governor.state.tx.us.