It seems safe to return now, she said. Authorities bused total of 1,743 residents of coastal and flood-prone communities to the center prior to Bret making landfall near Port Mansfield late Sunday. Another 518 were taken by city authorities, soldiers and sailors to an aquatics center, and another 429 to a technical college. It s not easy to convince people to live their homes, said Feliciano Martinez Lino, head of the Mexican naval garrison in Matamoros. We had to do a little convincing to be able to carry out preventive measures in case the hurricane hit.
Some people have to be forcibly removed.
Though the rain was sporadic, the lack of sufficient storm drainage throughout the city had public-works crews working around the clock. City workers primarily were cleaning up ditches and making sure the existing storm drains weren t clogged, said Ramiro Gonzalez, head of the city s Urban Development Department. We expect that by late this afternoon these facilities will be completely empty, Gen. Jorge Perez Toledo, of the Mexican army garrison in Matamoros, said of the shelters. The army and navy were coordinating the busing of the refugees back to their homes. Soberon Tijerina said.