(Columbia) Sept. 2, 2005 - Some evacuees from the Gulf Coast region will soon be on their way to the Midlands.

At Columbia's city council chambers Friday, dozens of local leaders met to talk about housing victims in Columbia. The goal would be to provide shelters, temporary housing, even jobs.

Congressman Jim Clyburn organized the meeting, "Look, let's put some plan in place to get people out of Mississippi, out of Louisiana, Alabama, bring them there to South Carolina and we can show them how it's done. And other states and other communities will follow suit."

He says C-17s from Charleston are willing to transport them on short notice.

It seems they'd find open arms. USC president Andrew Sorensen says, "We are prepared to offer an emergency shelter on the University campus and we've also been inundated with faculty and students offering housing, their own homes."

There are even jobs, like in Calhoun County schools. Lisa Hall speaks for the schools, "In order for them to get back on their feet, they need jobs. And we thought about...those people are teachers, and so we have opportunities for employment."

The Central Midlands Regional Transport Authority has received notification that the people from the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina will begin arriving in Columbia soon, heading for area hospitals.

As part of the national medical disaster system operated by FEMA, up to 2,000 patients will come to South Carolina, 22 hospitals would take them, but they don’t know an exact number right now.

The evacuees are people injured in the storm, and some who were sick before it. They will start arriving Tuesday.

The City of Columbia will try to accommodate families in shelters or apartments and will provide the transportation on city buses from the Columbia Metro airport to where they’re going.

For more information, you can visit http://www.columbiasc.net/ or e-mail Columbia Cares at columbiacares@columbiasc.net.

Posted 5:00pm by Chantelle Janelle