HOUSTON (AP) - A plan to move thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees from the Astrodome to cruise ships was put on hold Tuesday after many of them objected, some because they were terrified by the thought of living on the water.
``I can't live over water. I can't swim,'' said Donna Smith, 24. ``I wouldn't want to see no more water. I saw enough already.''
Others said they wanted to stay at the Astrodome so that they could concentrate on finding lost loved ones, according to the Coast Guard. And some simply wanted a little stability after so much turmoil.
Carnival Cruise Lines had provided three ships to the federal government - the Ecstasy, Sensation and Holiday - for six months to be used as shelters for up to 7,000 hurricane refugees.
Coast Guard Lt. Joseph Leonard, directing the emergency response in Houston, said workers would try to persuade some of the evacuees to try out the ship.
``The bed on a cruise ship is a little bit better than a cot out here,'' he said. ``It is not a perfect solution. It is a better solution than we have right now.''
Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ed Conley said the evacuees need time to think through their options.
Meanwhile, an airlift to take some Katrina refugees from overburdened Texas to other states was at a standstill Tuesday after FEMA took over the operation. It was unclear when any flights might actually leave, and attempts to get an explanation from FEMA were unanswered Tuesday.
American Airlines, though, said it had two flights scheduled for Tuesday evening that would bring evacuees from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Nashville, Tenn.
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