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Effects of Hurricane Ike widespread
By Courtney Burleson, Managing Editor
Three weeks ago they were happy new homeowners, proud and excited about their new investment on the shores of Galveston Island.
Now they are sad, angry and facing uncertainty as they assume the worst - they've lost everything.
"I've waited 52 years to have a house of my own and my wife has never owned a house either, we were so excited," said Hall. "And now it's probably gone."
The Hall's home is located near 45th Street in Galveston in the Oaks addition.
Eric and Martha Hall visited The Citizen office Monday morning with a story to tell and local residents to thank. We listened.
The Halls left Galveston at 3 a.m. Friday morning with the storm predicted to hit Galveston Saturday in the wee hours of the morning.
Martha tearfully recalls how as they were leaving the island, water was already making its way on the causeway.
"I've seen disasters on television but I just can't believe this has happened to Galveston," said Martha Hall.
Having no specific destination they traveled to Beaumont, then on to Humble and Huntsville looking for an empty hotel room. None were to be found. While they had a shelter in Huntsville, Hall said they wanted beds.
So they made their way to Columbus, where they said they found generosity, kindness and what so many storm evacuees need right now - human compassion.
Hall said when they got to Columbus all the hotels were also full but a gentleman at the motel told them to go to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Columbus and they would help. Much to their relief that's just what they found. The Halls were given vouchers for food and gas at Brookshire Brothers in Columbus and a local man, who wished to remain anonymous, gave the couple some cash.
"This is a nice town. You have great people here," said Eric Hall.
From here the couple plans to go on to Austin where they will bunk in a shelter. Hall said this one had beds.
As far as when they will make it back to the island, Hall says he has no idea but as he holds back tears says he doesn't have much hopes in still being a new homeowner.
"I haven't cried like this for 10 years," said Eric Hall.
While the Hall's story is one of devastation and heartbreak, Colorado County residents fared much better in the face of Hurricane Ike.
Originally predicted to bring hurricane force winds that would knock out power lines and bring significant rain to the area that was not the case for most county residents.
According to Columbus City Manager David Meisell, Columbus only experienced three power failures, two of which were fuse failures. The third one was storm related. It was due to a down power line on St. Paul Street in Columbus. That area of town was out of power for about 12 hours, according to Meisell.
While there was enough wind to drop some tree limbs and one power line, the largest impact for Columbus residents was the heavy traffic along Interstate 10, Highway 71 and, at times, Highway 90.
"For about four hours on Sunday it was like a return of Rita," said Meisell. "It was challenging but we got through it."
Texas Department of Transportation, Columbus Police Department and Department of Public Safety officers manned intersections at I-10 and Hwy. 71 and also at Fannin and Walnut throughout the weekend. Colorado County Sheriff Office deputies were also on hand throughout the weekend to help with traffic control.
Colorado County Judge Al Jamison said the county had requested 10 additional officers from the state to help with traffic control but the request was never filled.
"I am disappointed in the state in that regard," said Jamison. "We will deal with that issue once the dust has settled."
The Hwy. 71 bypass served as a refueling point Saturday and Sunday servicing 250 emergency vehicles including ambulances, mobile command units and Army National Guard vehicles.
The Robert R. Wells Airport in Columbus served as a staging point for Medical Evacuation helicopters, which were contracted through the Federal Emergency Mana-gement Agency. Helicopters began using the site Sunday and are still there off and on, according to Colorado County Emergency Management Coordinator Chuck Rogers.
And the traffic just never stopped. Traffic was still heavy along I-10 Monday, as it resembled a parking lot for about four miles west of town, according to Meisell.
"Traffic slowed down on the Interstate but never stopped," said Jamison.
Several gas stations ran out of gas as cars waited in line throughout the weekend.
"We had tankers in route so it did not become a problem," said Jamison. "Thanks to lessons learned from Rita we were better prepared."
On Sunday, Wal-Mart and HEB reopened to find huge crowds. Whataburger remained open Saturday and Sunday, with lines extending to the street. The Schobels' Restaurant parking lot was constantly full as the traveling public looked for a good hot meal.
While the effects from Ike were not structural, local businesses definitely saw a boost in sales, as Columbus became a stop on the way home for many Texas residents.
"Plans established after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina worked pretty well," said Jamison.
While the county had no major shelters, The Red Cross did set up a smaller one at the First Baptist Church in Columbus at the last minute, which housed about 25-30 evacuees, according to Jamison.
The City of Weimar also hosted 50 employees from the City of Lake Jackson at the Veterans Hall, according to Weimar City Manager Randal Jones.
Meisell, like many, was glad Ike did not make landfall near Colorado County as originally projected but does feel for those who got the worst of the storm.
"It's tremendous relief, but I just feel sorry for the people that did get hit," said Meisell.
For those wanting to help in the relief efforts may contact organizations such as The Salvation Army at (800) SAL-ARMY who has been distributing meals to various shelter locations across the state including Austin, Bryan, Dallas and Fort Worth.
The Red Cross is operating eight shelters for Hurricane Ike evacuees around Central Texas. The Austin Convention Center is also providing a home to more than 600 Texas residents from the coast. In all, there are about 2,700 evacuees that need help and the Red Cross needs volunteers in order to deliver that help. The Red Cross is asking volunteers to put in eight to 12 hour shifts, but said volunteers can get creative with how they split up the time.
To volunteer the Red Cross suggest people go to the website, http://www.redcross.org/, and fill out the form. They will contact you within a day or two after performing a background check; bring used clothes or blankets to Goodwill or the Salvation Army or send a check or give money online to the Red Cross.
For information on Texas road conditions call the Texas Road Condition and Travel information line at (800) 452-9292.
To comment on this article or share your hurricane story visit www.coloradocountycitizen.com or email editor@coloradocountycitizen.com
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