Local Red Cross officials are preparing for a thousand storm evacuees from Louisiana.

They will be taking shelter at the Neshoba County Coliseum beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday. This will be the second largest shelter in the state. There is a mandatory evacuation for New Orleans residents.

Local Red Cross director, Cheri Barry, is urging local residents to volunteer and to make monetary donations. She says the agency is still financially hurting from Hurricane Katrina. If you would like to volunteer-drop by the headquarters on 23rd Avenue in Meridian.

The evacuees could be in their personal cars which would create more traffic than usual for Philadelphia, which has no 4-lane access.