Shelters open in Terrebonne, Lafourche parishes

With mandatory evacuations issued for areas of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes outside of hurricane protection, shelters in Raceland and Houma have opened to evacuees.

The Lafourche's shelter at the Raceland Recreation Center, 241 Recreation Drive, had no evacuees Monday afternoon. But residents were slowly trickling into the Houma Municipal Auditorium, 880 Verret St., where Terrebonne Volunteer Shelter Coordinator Rene Rhodes said 60 people had already sought shelter. With a mandatory evacuation order for Terrebonne's lower bayou communities, he said he expects more evacuees to come to the shelter as the storm gets closer.

Rhodes tells The Courier the Houma Municipal Auditorium can hold 150 evacuees. If more come, he says the parish will look at opening up Dumas Auditorium as a second shelter.