New Mexico sends aid to Gulf Coast

THE STORM SENT WAVES SPILLING OVER CHANNELS IN NEW ORLEANS — BUT THERE S A SLIGHT SIGH OF RELIEF AS IT APPEARS THE CITY S BATTERED LEVEES WILL SURVIVE THE HURRICANE GUSTAV PACKED 110-MILE-AN-HOUR WINDS WHEN IT MADE LANDFALL SOUTHWEST OF NEW ORLEANS THIS MORNING THE HURRICANE STRUCK AT THE HEART OF LOUISIANA S FISHING AND OIL INDUSTRIES JAY GRAY IS LIVE IN NEW ORLEANS WHERE IT S STILL A GHOST TOWN AS PEOPLE GOT OUT — FEARING ANOTHER KATRINA WAS ON THE WAY FOR THE LATEST ON GUSTAV S TRACK LET S GO OVER TO METEOROLOGIST FOR THE LATEST ON GUSTAV S TRACK LET S GO OVER TO METEOROLOGIST SHAR SPALDING SHE S IN THE PINPOINT 4 STORM CENTER GUSTAV S ARRIVAL ON U-S SOIL HAS NEW MEXICO OFFICIALS WAITING BY THE PHONE TO HEAR IF THEY LL BE NEEDED TO HELP OUT THE NEW MEXICO NATIONAL GUARD IS ALREADY ON IT S WAY TO THE GULF COAST AND IN ALBUQUERQUE THE RED CROSS HAS EVERYTHING IT NEEDS TO SET UP A SHELTER IF EVACUEES COME THIS WAY VALERIE CASTRO IS LIVE DOWNTOWN WITH THE DETAILS THE RED CROSS HAS HUGE CONTAINERS FILLED WITH COTS AND BLANKETS JUST WAITING TO BE PUT TO GOOD USE - THE RED CROSS SAYS EVACUEES COULD BE JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY Frankly we re preparing for thousands NOW THAT HURRICANE GUSTAV HAS FOUND IT S TARGET SEVERAL MILES WEST OF NEW ORLEANS THE NUMBER OF EVACUEES WITH NO PLACE TO GO HAS DROPPED BUT THE RED CROSS SAYS THINGS COULD CHANGE AT A MOMENT S NOTICE Really we re waiting for the call we re anticipating a call would come from either a county emergency manager or the new mexico department of homeland security office of emergency management THE MID RIO GRANDE RED CROSS SAYS BEING PREPARED WITH EVERYTHING AN EVACUEE WOULD NEED IS THE KEY TO SETTING UP A SHELTER QUICKLY Its kind of a mini toiletry kit it has all of your essentials toothbrush toothpaste tissue soap comb wash cloth those type of things EVEN THOUGH THE RED CROSS CAN PROVIDE ALL OF THE NECESSITIES — IN A DISASTER IT STRIVES TO PROVIDE MUCH MORE Our biggest concern is the health and emotional welfare of people coming in many of these folks have been through this during hurricane katrina many did not have a pleasant experience outside of being picked and moved to some other state SHOULD THAT PHONE CALL COME IN THE FIRST PLACE A SHELTER WILL BE SET UP IN ALBUQUERQUE IS AT THE JOB CORP TRAINING CENTER NEAR 12TH AND INDIAN SCHOOL REPORTING LIVE DOWNTOWN VC E WN 4 THE GOVERNOR S OFFICE SAYS MORE THAN 500 TROOPS FROM THE NEW MEXICO NATIONAL GUARD WILL HEAD TO THE GULF COAST THIS WEEK NEARLY 420 GUARDSMEN LEFT TODAY GOVERNOR RICHARDSON ORDERED THE GUARD DEPLOYMENT WHICH INCLUDES 36 TRUCKS AND TWO BLACKHAWK HELICOPTERS THE GUARD WILL HELP LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES IN THE HURRICANE ZONE RIGHT NOW THE GUARDSMEN ARE HEADED TO TEXAS WHERE THEY LL GET THEIR ORDERS WITH GUSTAV APPARENTLY SPARING NEW ORLEANS — THE G- O-P CONVENTION WAY UP NORTH IS HOPING TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS THE CONVENTION WAS OFFICIALLY GAVELED INTO SESSION IN SAINT PAUL MINNESOTA TODAY S EVENTS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO BE SUBDUED AND SHORTENED DUE TO GUSTAV S ARRIVAL ON THE GULF COAST EVEN WITH A SHORT SESSION — ABOUT 10-THOUSAND PROTESTORS STILL GATHERED OUTSIDE THE CONVENTION HALL MEANWHILE — JOHN MCCAIN WAS IN OHIO TODAY COLLECTING HURRICANE RELIEF SUPPLIES this is what it s all about edit epitomizes the millions of american people who are serving on behalf of causes greater than their self interests and they re putting their country first BACK AT THE CONVENTION — DELEGATES FOLLOWED MCCAIN S CALL TO HELP THOSE IN ATTENDANCE TEXTED PLEDGES TO THE RED CROSS IT NOW LOOKS LIKELY MCCAIN WILL BE AT THE CONVENTION ON THURSDAY TO ACCEPT HIS PARTY S NOMINATION BARACK OBAMA TOSSED OUT THE POLITICAL SPEECH HE WAS SCHEDULED TO GIVE IN DETROIT TODAY — INSTEAD FOCUSING ON GUSTAV OBAMA CALLED ON AMERICANS TO SEND THEIR PRAYERS TO THOSE ALONG THE COAST — AND URGED PEOPLE TO DONATE