SAN ANTONIO (AP) – The last of the nearly 115,000 hurricane evacuees who fled to shelters in Texas packed up their belongings Thursday and parted ways as the state’s final goverment-run shelter closed its doors.

Some headed for New Orleans, believing they could regain some of their former lives. Others moved into government-funded hotel rooms and apartments, determined to make San Antonio their new home.

“For one reason or another, they just hung in here,” Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jack Heesch said. “We were down to small numbers and we said, ‘Let’s by Christmas have them in a better home.”‘

Hundreds of thousands of people fled to Texas from Louisiana as Hurricane Katrina stormed ashore Aug. 29. A month later, Hurricane Rita sent thousands more into the 300-plus shelters operating statewide.

FEMA’s goal was to move all those remaining into more permanent housing.

As of Thursday, about 300 people remained in shelters nationwide, down from a peak of 270,000. An additional 38,000 families were living in hotels, down from a peak of 85,000; their move-out deadline is Feb. 7, a month later than FEMA had planned.

The last Texas shelter was a vacant building on a former Air Force base in San Antonio. It was under contract to close Dec. 31, but the last of the evacuees were leaving early.

Ed Garrett Jr., 54, was among them. He had called the shelter home since Hurricane Rita destroyed his Port Arthur, Texas, apartment.

Garrett hadn’t planned to stay so long but he said health problems slowed his job search. He developed respiratory problems and learned he had diabetes.

“They have been pushing me to get out of here,” he said. “But I told them I’ve been trying to get out of here.”

His few belongings, all in boxes, were taken to a hotel where he’ll spend Christmas along with several other shelter residents who have become his friends.

“It’ll go well for me because I still got a lot of good memories of Christmas and a lot of good faith,” Garrett said, pausing as his eyes brimmed with tears. “Sometimes, it dwindles … and you feel like you’re losing the handle on your own life.”

FEMA workers in San Antonio plan to go door to door at hotels in January to help evacuees transition into apartments. But Garrett hopes that by then that he won’t need them.

“With the strength and help of God, I’m very excited about the possibilities,” he said.

“I anticipate all the pieces coming together for a new life.”

AP-ES-12-23-05 0419EST

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