AFTER HURRICANE IKE: GALVESTON RESIDENTS RETURN HOME TO HEARTBREAK

Galvestonians were allowed back into their neighborhoods today to assess the damage that affected their homes. Due to there being no municipal support services to sustain them, services such as water, trash pickup, gas, electricity or sewer systems, they would have  to come only if they have had a recent tetanus shot, be able to sustain themselves for the next few weeks, and not have any health problems that would require the use of an already strained medical system. The West End of Galveston is still under a “look-and-leave” policy.

Many Galvestonians returned to homes severely damaged, some returned to homes that were no longer there.

As the proud and brave citizens come together to pick up their lives, let us all continue to pray for them. Galveston is a beautiful city with beautiful people who have braved many a hurricane. They are survivors. They will prevail.

As we remember Galveston, let us also remember Bolivar Peninsula, Surfside, Port Arthur, Bridge City, Orange, the residents of Louisiana, and many other towns that are also on the road to recovery from Hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

Here some stories of how Galveston is faring in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

Following the article are links for those of you who wish to offer assistance to Galvestonians and others affected by Ike and Gustav, in their time of need.

And another article speaks of former Presidents Clinton and George Bush coming together to fundraise money for the survivors of Ike and Gustav.

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Galveston residents return home to see Hurricane Ike’s devastation

 

by Elissa Rivas

 

September 25, 2008

 

GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) — Interstate 45 South was literally a road to recovery this morning. Thousands of Galveston residents are making their way back to the island, and some are returning home for good.

 

ROAD TO RECOVERY: Breaking news on Ike | School closings | Person locator | Important phone numbers | Assistance from FEMA | Filing a claim | Latest power numbers

 

 

It will be quite some time before Galveston is itself again, but the homecoming for residents who live behind the Seawall is a major step towards that goal.

 

Some residents who returned found nothing left of their homes. Many others found their homes still standing, but what they found inside was devastating.

Story continues below

 

 

[IMAGES: See images from what residents returned to today]

 

“I was in shock,” said Galveston Resident Lorie Knotts. “Things were moved around.”

It’s the kind of reaction we’re hearing over and over as people get a close look at their homes on Galveston Island for the first time since Hurricane Ike.

 

“I thought I was going to come back to something, but I’ve got nothing,” said Galveston resident Darrel Warner.

 

Warner took us into what was once his bedroom. Now, its’ a scrambled, mold-ridden mess with a visible water line on the wall of four to five feet.

 

“When I came back home, it really hit because everything was out of order,” he said. “My TV was gone. My dresser, everything was completely gone.”

 

Not only is the inside of the house a mess, the outside didn’t fare any better. In the front yard, there’s a truck that doesn’t even belong to the Warner family.

 

“I’m pretty sure we’re not going to stay here because, as you can see, this isn’t a nice little home anymore,” said Warner.

 

Like Warner, Knotts is in shock. She thought her family would camp out in the front yard. But now, it’s not likely they’ll stay.

 

“I didn’t imagine it would be this bad,” she said. “I didn’t.”

 

And with so much devastation all over the island, it’s no wonder some people won’t stay.

A ‘look and leave’ policy is still in effect for Galveston’s west end. Residents can go take a look at their property, but must be off the island by 6pm.

 

A ‘look and leave’ policy for the Bolivar Peninsula could take effect as early as Friday.

 

Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough says it all depends on how quickly road crews make temporary repairs to the heavily damaged bridge at Rollover Pass. Without that bridge, the only way to reach Port Bolivar is by boat or helicopter.

 

 

 

Current Conditions in Galveston

No medical facilities are available Limited water, sewer, electricity, or natural gas service A boil water notice remains in effect until further notice Mandated water conservation program in effect island-wide Limited retail services available including fuel, food, water, auto, pharmacies, etc. Curfew strictly enforced: 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Violators subject to $2,000 fine. Limited cell phone coverage The south side of the Seawall, all beaches, and the water of the Gulf of Mexico remain closed until further notice

 

 

Supplies You Will Need to Bring Bottled Water Flashlights and Batteries First Aid Kit Hand Tools Hand Sanitizer Heavy Duty Garbage Bags Camera Notepad & Pens Bug Repellant Personal Hygiene Items Gloves Face Masks Boots Sunscreen Vehicle Fuel Additives Tire Repair — Tools, Fix-A-Flat, Spare Tire, Jack

 

 

Safety Requirements

Traffic Safety:

Watch for Debris Drive Cautiously — Obey All Speed Limits Be Conscientious of Other Vehicles, Bicyclists, and Pedestrians Treat All Intersections as a Four-Way Stop Street Signs May or May Not Be Present so Remain Alert When Driving

 

 

Personal Safety:

Do Not Put Yourself in a Hazardous Situation Do Not Enter Unsafe Buildings Exercise Common Sense and Caution When Entering Structures

 

 

Keep your family safe this hurricane season. Check our complete tropical weather preparation guide

(Copyright ©2008 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

 

SOURCE:  http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=weather/hurricane&id=6411130

 

 

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Links to Donate to Those Hard-Hit by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav

 

As Seen on TV; Give Back to Hurricane Victims

 

Sept. 24, 2008

 

Hurricane Ike made landfall earlier this month, with 110 mph winds that obliterated thousands of homes, causing severe damage to the Gulf Coast. ABC News’ Charles Gibson sat down for an exclusive joint interview with former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The two, who have partnered on humanitarian efforts in the past, are collaborating on a new disaster relief program to help those affected by hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

 

 

The Bush-Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund is a humanitarian relief organization, led by former Bush and Clinton, to rebuild infrastructure and communities along the Gulf Coast. Local governments and community organizations in Texas and Louisiana can apply for grants to rebuild.

Houston Mayor Bill White launched the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund to provide immediate relief — including shelter, interim housing, food and supplies — to hurricane victims. To donate and help meet unmet needs, visit their Web site.

 

 

 

Related

Houston: A City on the Mend

Officials: Ike Death Toll Rises to at Least 50

‘Look & Leave’ Policy a Logistical Nightmare

For information on how to give to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund, check out their Frequently Asked Questions.

 

 

 

United Way 2008 Hurricane Recovery Fund will support services that provide mental health care, child care, offer case management and job training among other services for victims. To donate, visit their Web site’s “Give Now” section.

Other organizations that are offering relief to hurricane victims, include the American Red Cross, Direct Relief International, and AmeriCares, among many others.

 

 

SOURCE:  http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=5879175&page=1

 

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ABC NEWS: EXCLUSIVE – Former Presidents on Hurricane Relief.. .

‘Major Damage’ From Recent Hurricanes

September 25, 2008

 

The duo made a surprise joint appearance at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting today in New York to announce the fundraising effort. The initiative, called the Bush-Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund, will target long-term relief and collaborate with officials from hard-hit areas to rebuild infrastructure.

 

Hurricane Ike, which made landfall earlier this month, caused severe damage, particularly in Galveston and Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States. Ike’s 110 mph winds obliterated thousands of homes and resulted in at least 61 deaths. Seventy-five percent of the homes in Galveston are still uninhabitable, there is still no power or drinking water, and returning residents have been encouraged to bring rat poison.

 

“Most Americans haven’t absorbed how many people have really been hurt down there,” Clinton said.

 

 

 

Related

Transcript: Gibson Interviews Former Presidents Bush and Clinton

 

 

Bush called the situation on the Gulf Coast “devastating” and said that recovery would take “a long time.”

 

“Forty-billion dollars in Texas alone,” he said. “That doesn’t include the neighboring Louisiana coast. Tens of thousands lost homes. … Seven-hundred-seventy communities in 22 counties assumed major damage. So it’s bad.”

 

But the Texas resident, whose own foundation office still lacks power, said he didn’t think the landscape of that part of the state had been changed forever by the storms.

 

“It will bounce back,” he said. “It might look different, but a lot of it will be the same. It’s not as though people are just saying, ‘We don’t want to go there anymore, we don’t want to live there anymore because of another hurricane coming up.’ People have a better spirit than that.”

 

“I think what will happen here is what we saw in the Katrina area, and when we did the [2004 Indian Ocean] tsunami,” Clinton added. “Any time you have this kind of disaster, the toughest part are the homes. That’s what takes the longest to redo, to get everybody back in their homes. Then I think it also is an opportunity to try to do it and do it in the right way, make them more storm resistant and all of that. I predict to you it will be painful, but it can also be exciting if we do it right.”

 

Clinton also raised the importance of restoring the barrier islands both in Texas and Louisiana, “to make it safer for the next time. … But our focus, obviously, is just going to be on helping the people that need the help.”

 

At today’s announcement, Bush said that the “political odd couple” had returned.

 

The two championed similar relief efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in December 2004.

 

In response to the devastation of the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, the former presidents founded the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, launching a major fundraising effort to provide for long-term recovery in ravaged regions across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The charity raised $135 million, and distributed grants to charities like Habitat for Humanity and St. Thomas Health Services in New Orleans for rebuilding, filling in gaps not met by other relief organizations.

 

In 2005, the former presidents put political differences aside, teaming up to lead the U.S. effort to provide aid to victims of the Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The duo traveled as emissaries to areas across Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. After seeing the devastating impact first-hand, the two carried the message across America, raising $1 billion in aid.

 

SOURCE:  http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=5874482&page=1

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OFF THE GRID: SURVIVING WITHOUT POWER

Here are products that can make being without electricity alomost bearable

by Mary Vuong – Houston Chronicle

Sept. 26, 2008, 4:38PM

A variety of products on the market can help the powerless deal with no lights, AC or refrigerators.

Resources

PHOTO GALLERY

Going off the grid http://www.chron.com/life/photogallery/Going_off_the_grid.html

Life off the grid is tough.

You can make it more comfortable, though, with the right tools.

Water, nonperishable foods and a first-aid kit are essential, of course. But when it comes to other basics, like ice chests and lighting, what you get can make a big difference.

Weary residents heading into their third week without power know this well. They’ve upgraded coolers and invested in headlamps. They know which candles work best and that hand-crank radios are the way to go. They have refined their hurricane checklist over and over again.

And to those of you blessed with power, it’s never too early to re-evaluate your emergency survival kit. “Prepare now for the next time,” says Brad Veale, manager of the REI Houston-Willowbrook store.

Here, then, are the survival tools that stood the test of Ike.

Cooler

Ice became a hot commodity as soon as the hurricane passed. Thousands of people lined up in the heat for it. But where to store that ice? A heavily insulated cooler. Rubbermaid, Coleman and Igloo all make versions designed to keep ice for up to 5 days.

“Having a cooler that’s going to maintain that ice for multiple days is huge,” Veale says. At REI, coolers were among the first things to sell out. Academy Sports + Outdoors’ most popular seller is the 100-quart Igloo MaxCold model.

Another tip: Houstonians Kenn and Karen Stearns, who went through Hurricane Carla as kids, stocked their coolers and fridge with ice prior to Ike’s arrival. “This bought us some time when we needed to extend the life of the refrigerator during the power outage,” Kenn Stearns said.

I relied on a rotating supply of reusable ice packs, which I refroze daily at work.

Lighting

LED bulbs provide “phenomenal” lighting, Veale says.

“They’re very gentle on batteries. You get a lot of life,” adds Dave Fausnight, manager of Whole Earth Provision Co. in Houston.

Batteries in a hurricane are like gold, Veale says. They sell out quickly, especially sizes C and D, and are challenging for retailers to quickly restock. He suggests investing in hand-crank items or in equipment that uses AA and AAA batteries, which are easier to find.

Veale and Fausnight also favor headlamps over flashlights. They are “extremely valuable and useful,” says Veale, who knows firsthand — just try changing a newborn’s diaper while holding a flashlight.

Table lanterns, which also free your hands, provide overall light for eating dinner and playing games, suggests Robert Frennea, executive vice president at Academy Sports + Outdoors.

As for candles, thick pillars are virtually useless as task lighting. Scented candles, when burned for long, are cloying. Choose unscented tapers and tealights for emergency use. Little Woodrow’s in Rice Village even operated by candlelight. Manager Jon Orr says they used whatever candles they had but favored unscented tealights. IKEA sells them at a bargain: 100 for $3.99.

Hand-crank radio

Lee and Leslie Entsminger of Bellaire received an Eton hand-crank radio from a family they hosted after Hurricane Katrina. They used it for the first time during Ike.

“The hand-crank radio was the best thing,” Leslie Entsminger says. “The first couple of nights, we were just trying to find out what was going on. We didn’t have to worry about batteries.” The Entsmingers also relied on hand-crank flashlights and a backpack filled with emergency supplies that Lee’s employer, ExxonMobil, had distributed to employees after Hurricane Rita.

Eton manufactures a wide selection of hand-crank radios, including multitasking units that also function as flashlights and cell-phone chargers.

Select items that require less power and have longer duration with power, Veale says.

Power inverter

Frennea was surprised by how popular inverters were.

“You can run a small appliance off it,” he says.

“When the power goes out and it is dumping rain, the best technology solution was sitting in our hybrid car. We used the inverter to charge portable devices and enjoy a little air conditioning,” Stearns says.

Houstonian Victor Delgado used his inverter to power a fan and computer. “It didn’t drain the car battery,” he says.

Water purification

Demand for water purifiers, microfilters and purification tablets rose after Tropical Storm Allison but not so much this time. Still, Veale says they are important to have.

We learn something new from each storm we endure, Veale says. “Each event is different. … The more comprehensive you can be, the more prepared.“

Insect repellent

If you want to open windows in your home and don’t have screens, it’s a must. This is Houston.

mary.vuong@chron.com

SOURCE: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hurricane/ike/6025323.html