McKnightVideo
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Sep 23, 2008, 7:50 PM
Post #9 of 12
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Re: [Sandy B] What Is Not Being Reported/Told About Ike's Destruction
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This, from the Houston Chronicle today: (excerpts only)
Galveston officials will reluctantly welcome back residents Wednesday, while warning them the city remains a dangerous, fetid environment fit only for the able-bodied and the mentally prepared.
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Officials said today that returning residents should prepare to be utterly self-reliant, bringing their own food, water and gasoline. They described the opposite of a sentimental journey: residents will encounter mosquitoes, rats and snakes; traffic could be chaotic and back up for hours on I-45 and water will not be drinkable for months.
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An estimated 75 percent of homes will be uninhabitable and no shelters are provided on the island, officials said. West End residents are still under a "look and leave" policy.
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Getting back power and gas will be a long and competitive process. Although CenterPoint is just days away from finishing its repairs, that doesn't mean customers will have power. Individuals must hire a licensed electrician to inspect their homes, and then have a city electrical worker inspect and issue a permit.
Gas service requires a similar process: residents must hire a private licensed plumber to inspect, then call a city plumbing inspector to visit. Texas Gas may also have to replace an estimated 17,000 gas meters that were submerged.
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Returning residents should not try to activate gas or electric power before completing the entire inspection process. The result could be a gas explosion or fire, and with limited water supplies, firefighting abilities are weak.
Despite the harsh realities, some officials tried to strike an optimistic note.
"We want you to come back," said County Emergency Coordinator John Simsen. "We want you to rebuild and we want you to stay."
"We know that working together we'll be able to rebuild this island stronger than it was before Ike," said Jeff Sjostrom, president of the Galveston Economic Development Partnership. But he estimated that 20 percent of the tax base of $4 billion has been "negatively impacted."
"Our small businesses along The Strand have been devastated," Sjostrom said. "It's going to be painful for awhile," he added.
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State troopers and National Guardsmen will assist Galveston police in traffic and security. Water, ice and portable toilets are being staged along 45. "Fuel is sparse on the island," Wiley warned.
Residents should also get tetanus shots and rat bait before arriving at the island.
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