Louisiana residents in the state of Alabama as result of Hurricane Gustav maybe heading back home as soon as this weekend. Today (Thursday) the first portion of the bus re-entry process will be underway. The first step of the plan involves staging the buses at the fairgrounds in Birmingham. On Friday they will then be moved to the shelters where the evacuees are located in preparation for re-entry back to Louisiana. Early Saturday morning the evacuees should start loading the buses.

The plan to get Louisiana evacuees back home has been a joint effort between Alabama and Louisiana state officials, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Alabama Department of Transportation and the Alabama Department of Public Safety will help ensure the bus drivers have a safe route and an escort out of Alabama.

“It’s been our privilege to provide assistance to the residents of Louisiana in their time of need,” said Director Brock Long. “We have learned a lot throughout this process that will assist our state in preparation for future hurricanes.”

Through this entire process, getting the evacuees home safety is the focus of AEMA’s mission, and we are appreciative to the agencies who have been more than generous regarding this mission.

– from staff reports