But the first bus to arrive in Houston was not provided by FEMA. It was a yellow Orleans Parish school bus driven by an unidentified teenager.
He had stolen the bus, loaded it with family members and left ahead of the official caravan.
Initially, Texas officials refused to admit the school bus refugees to the Astrodome. Then a Red Cross official named Margaret O'Brien-Molina noticed the children aboard. She walked them in, holding the hand of a 5-year-old girl.
"That little girl, think about what she's been through the last few days," she explained.
Before the day was over, the Astrodome was full and freeway signs that had welcomed refugees were switched to a different message: "Houston shelters are full. Go to Dallas or San Antonio."........*** Source
Ben DeSoto / Chronicle A woman carries a child the final distance to shelter early today after a day's journey from New Orleans. A decision to close Houston's Reliant Astrodome to incoming refugees was reversed early Friday.