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11 News BLOG |
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March 2008
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September 2005 ArchivesFriday afternoon FEMA added a few local counties to their list of counties eligible for financial assistance. ...At Friday's news conference announcing a task force to study evacuation plans, Mayor Bill White said, "There was an unacceptable level of traffic in the traffic jams on the freeways ..." ...Electricity: City Public Works crews will pick up storm debris only on Saturday, Oct. 1. ...In the wake of Hurricane Rita, Mayor Bill White announced the members of the newly created Task Force on Evacuation, Transportation and Logistics. The mayor is also soliciting input from the public. Comments can be filed online at http://www.houstontx.gov/rita/. Mayor Bill White will hold a 2 p.m. news conference to answers questions regarding the city's evacuation, transportation and logistic procedures in the wake of Hurricane Rita. ...Port Arthur joined several other Jefferson County municipalities Friday by allowing residents to return home, gather belongings and assess damage to their property. AP -- Amos Dondee thanked God for sparing Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday the state may bring generators to residents of East Texas' most rural, heavily wooded areas where electricity may be out for weeks or months. ...Remember when FEMA struck the deal to rent cruise ships for Hurricane Katrina victims? Well, now that deal is making waves on Capitol Hill.
FEMA is changing one of the ways it handles assistance for Katrina survivors. ...FEMA has authorized cash assistance payments up to $2,000 per family to Rita survivors along the Gulf Coast. ...The lines were long again at the FEMA's Houston recovery center Friday, but this time they were shut off around 8:45 a.m. Approximately 3,000 people were inside the facility when the lines were closed down. LUFKIN, Texas -- About 20 state parks in East Texas suffered The Beaumont Enterprise reports that the mayors of Beaumont, Port Neches, Groves and Nederland will open to residents on Friday. ...Local energy companies are still working to get the power back on in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. ...The Houston Chronicle reports at least 107 people were killed by last week's hurricane or died in accidents or from health problems related to the largest evacuation in U.S. history. ...The city of Pasadena, along with the Pasadena school district and San Jacinto College, is housing nearly 1,200 Entergy employees working in East Texas. ...11 News reporter Jason Whitely filed these photos from Silsbee, Hardin County.
The line for the recovery center was shut down at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The boil-water notice has been lifted for the following water systems: Twin Oaks, Oak Hill Estates, Walraven, Green Gate Acres and North Belt Forest Water System. Trinity Bay Conservation District in Chambers County has also lifted the water notice for all customers. ...The boil-water notice was lifted Thursday for the Bolivar Peninsula. ...At 1:04 p.m. FEMA spokesman Mike Casella said they would likely shut the line down soon and not let anyone else inside. The Department of Veterans Affairs is deploying two mobile health clinics Thursday to help Texas veterans who were hit hard by Hurricane Rita. ...Entergy reports it still had 230,000 customers without electricity as of Thursday morning. ...By early Thursday Centerpoint Engergy reported that the number of customers without power was down to 10,000. ..."The Daily News" reports that Santa Fe's City Emergency Management Coordinator Barry Cook said the city’s water supply is safe and in no danger of contamination. As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, 20,000 Centerpoint Energy customers remained without power as a result of Hurricane Rita. ...Victims of Hurricane Rita looking for financial help from the Red Cross will have to wait a little longer. ...KHOU-TV Channel 11's primetime programming from last week to be aired early Thursday and Friday morning. ...Entergy still has about 250,000 customers without power due to Hurricane Rita. In fact, it's made very little progress in restoring power to customers. Popeyes Chicken is asking that employees from the Beaumont, Vidor, Orange, Nederland and Port Arthur areas to contact the Lafayette, La. office at 337-289-6780 x-2000 or call 800-POPEYES. ...Wednesday afternoon, Centerpoint Energy reported the power outages have dropped from a peak of 700,000 to approximately 30,000. ...11 News reporter Jason Whitely visited the small town of Woodville in Tyler County Wednesday which was hard hit by Hurricane Rita. There he found people in desperate need of some of life's simplest needs. At a Wednesday afternoon press conference, the Houston-area Red Cross CEO said the shelters are not to capacity and they have space. ...Private well owners should take the same procautions, especially if their well house was flooded. ...FEMA officials urge people not already in line to not come to the center any more Wednesday, because they cannot handle those kinds of numbers by closing time, which is 7 p.m. ...Patton Village in east Montgomery County is in desperate need of supplies. ...The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management is offering daytime cooling shelters. ...If you have not yet registered with FEMA and you want to receive assistance, please call 1-800-621-3362 or go online at www.fema.gov. Registering before going to the shelter will expedite the process. ...Survivors of last week's tragic bus explosion near Dallas have returned to Brighton Gardens, their assisted living center in Bellaire. The Houston SPCA will take the lead in animal rescue and relief efforts as a result of Hurricane Rita. They'll perform rescues in Chambers, Liberty, Jefferson, Hardin, Orange and Newton counties. If you left an animal behind, call 713-802-0555. ...The Houston Food Bank needs volunteers to help victims of Hurricane Rita. You can work in shifts from 8 a.m. until noon, and from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. ...The Houston, Spring Branch, Cypress-Fairbanks, Katy, Alief, Fort Bend, Humble, Galena Park and Aldine districts will reopen this morning after being closed due to Hurricane Rita . Authorities have charged 10 people with looting from evacuated homes and businesses in Galveston County before, during and after Hurricane Rita. ...CenterPoint Energy reports 92,000 customers still without power. If your neighbor has power and you don't call 713-207-2222. ...Evacuees still needing a place to stay may call the Red Cross at (713) 313-5480. ...To report an emergency, call: 1-800-368-3749.
Mayor Bill White thanked Harris County Judge Robert Eckels and CenterPoint official Tom Standish for their efforts in getting the Lynchburg Resevoir's pumps working. ...FEMA will open a recovery center at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning to offer assistance to hurricane evacuees. You must be registered with FEMA before you can receive help. ...Houston police report 40 arrests for burglary ...Several Houston firefighters are going to Port Arthur ...If your vehicle was left on the side of the road during the evacuation last week, it was probably towed. ...The city of Conroe has opened a cooling center for Conroe residents only. ...Health workers say that Bolivar Peninsula residents should boil their water before drinking it to avoid getting sick. The water notice includes people in High Island, Port Bolivar and Crystal Beach, Jamaica Beach, San Leon and the west end of Galveston Island. ...According to city officials approximately 60,000 evacuees displaced by Hurricane Rita have taken shelter in Houston. ...All Houston municipal courts resume operations Tuesday. ...Entergy said Tuesday rolling blackouts will continue for neighborhoods north of Houston, such as The Woodlands and Conroe. ...President Bush plans to visit the Beaumont-Port As of 3:45 p.m. Monday, Centerpoint said only 145,000 of its customers were still without power. ...All Memorial Hermann system hospitals resumed normal operations at 7 a.m. Monday, including Memorial Hermann Fort Bend and Memorial Hermann Southeast, which had been evacuated and closed prior to Hurricane Rita. ...The Coast Guard Captain of the Port on Monday reopened waterways in and around Texas, Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico with some restrictions. The Red Cross is opening six new shelters specifically for Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange County Hurricane Rita evacuees. ...The Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry will operate throughout the evening and all night Monday. ...The 147th Fighter Wing is ramping up to support the evacuation of non-critical patients from Harris County hospitals that have become overburdened in the wake of Hurricane Rita. ...All 50,000 residents are without power and water in Polk County according to emergency management coordinator Ken Hambrick. Chambers County officials are encouraging people not to come back yet because they could be without power for three to four weeks. ...Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Monday warned about the continued threat of price gouging as his office received hundreds of reports over the weekend about businesses that tried to exploit displaced Texans who fled coastal areas. Of the near 3,400 residents who were evacuated in buses, most of them are back. ...The death toll from Hurricane Rita has climbed to seven. ...The tollways will remain free until Wednesday, when normal operations will resume. Health workers say that Bolivar Peninsula residents should boil their water before drinking it to avoid getting sick. The water notice includes people in High Island, Port Bolivar and Crystal Beach, Jamaica Beach, San Leon and the west end of Galveston Island. ...As of Sunday evening, more than 535,000 homes and businesses Hwy. 59 just south of the Goodrich Bridge has been reopened. The bridge is back in use Monday after a barge broke loose on the Trinity River and damaged the bridge1.
Time Warner Cable suffered a power outage from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday when the company's emergency generator failed. The outage caused cable and internet service interuptions throughout the Houston area. ...The Galveston County Daily News will have its first printed edition of the newspaper since mandatory evacuation of the county took place last week in advance of Hurricane Rita. ...The City of Houston Solid Waste Department will resume regular garbage Jasper Fire Department is in desperate need of refrigerated trucks to handle the many donations. ...The City of Houston Office of Emergency Management provides an online form that will make it easier for you to record any damages you may have experienced as a result of Hurricane Rita. ...Sunday, Centerpoint Engergy said it expects to restore all power by Friday. ...
Officials from the City of Houston, Harris County and Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) will transport home thousands of area residents evacuated before the arrival of Hurricane Rita. ...According to Chuck Frazier, Orange Co. OEM: ...
According to Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt, damage assessment range of structures only is in the tens of millions of dollars just for Harris County. Every county as you go east will be exponentially greater. ...There will not be jury duty on Monday or Tuesday, but county and state district courts will be open with essential personnel Monday. ...Harris County Judge Robert Eckels said the Toll Road Authority will not resume charging drivers until Wednesday. ...Sunday, Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Robert Eckels requested that employees of airlines, gas stations, grocery stores and other business essential to getting the city back on track return to work as soon as possible. ...Metro will run a limited bus schedule on Sunday. ...
Late Saturday evening, seven Black Hawk helicopters transported 17 patients from a storm-ravaged area to Memorial Hermann Southeast.
Dr. David Purse, Director of Houston's Emergency Services, says Houstonians should be proud of the area's healthcare workers who jumped in to help during Hurricane Katrina and then Hurricane Rita. They helped evacuate patients in a large area near the coast and moved them closer in. ...CenterPoint Energy reports that it had restored service to 325,000 customers, or approximately 46 percent of the 700,000 customers who lost power as a result of Hurricane Rita. ...President Bush declared eight counties in Texas as disaster areas, making residents eligible for federal funding to The Texas Department of Health has set up a toll-free number for people who are seeking information on evacuees from hospitals and nursing homes. The number is 877-623-6274 and you must have the name, DOB and gender of the person. ...City of Friendswood Mayor Brizendine continues to encourage residents to return to the city at their discretion. Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center announces that all of its locations will remain closed until at least Wednesday, Sept. 28. ...The Liberty City Manager says that 100-500 residents who live along the banks of the Trinity River need to evacuate their homes due to the release of water from Lake Livingston. ...Police have been escorting tanker trucks loaded with gasoline into the Houston area, where gas is a scarce commodity. ...State troopers from around the state have been called in to block all exits from I-10 to Beaumont. No one will be allowed to exit the highway, even with proof of residency. ...Beaumont Mayor Guy Goodson says there is no water and no power and that residents will have to boil water for perhaps the next 48 hours. The mayor asks that residents not return until the infrastructure is in place. ...H-E-B has opened a total of 15 stores in the Houston area as of Saturday evening. They hope to have an additional 10 stores in surrounding counties open by 9 a.m. Sunday. ...All locations of the Houston Municipal courts will remain closed for business on Monday and Tuesday, September 26 and September 27. However, court employees are asked to report to work on Monday, September 26. ...The Postal Service is resuming delivery and retail operations to the extent possible in ZIP Code areas 770 and 772 (Houston), 773, 774, and 775. Plans are being made to re-establish service in ZIP Code areas 776, 777 and 778, which include the more seriously impacted Beaumont and Port Arthur areas. ...Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas says that Galveston residents can return to the island beginning at 6 a.m. Sunday. There may be no power, so residents should keep that in mind when deciding whether to return. ...At a 5:30 p.m. press conference Saturday, Harris County Judge Robert Eckels said there would be no jury duty Monday. ...The following is a running list of schools and school districts that have extended closure due to the hurricane. The dates listed are through what day the closing runs. ...The following is a list of reports of wind during Hurricane Rita early Saturday morning. ...Carolyn Campbell describes what she saw in the beach town. HISD officials have checked half of the schools in the district and have found minimal damage. The Houston SPCA announced Saturday that they are OK and offering limited services as a result of Hurricane Rita’s landfall along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. ...Mayor Bill White said Houstonians and others in the surrounding areas who evacuated should stay wherever they are until further notice. All three of the Houston Airport System's (HAS) airports - George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), William P. Hobby (HOU) and Ellington Field (EFD) - suffered no significant damage due to Hurricane Rita. ...A few gas stations in The Woodlands have gasoline available. ...
People seeking emergency treatment after Hurricane Rita should not go to Memorial Hermann Baptist Beaumont or Memorial Hermann Baptist Orange Hospitals.
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Winds have subsided, and CenterPoint employees are assessing the damage and beginning restoration. ...Officials are asking Christus St. John's employees to try and return to work as soon as possible, if it is safe. ...Because of damage to Christus St. Elizabeth's in Beaumont, Christus St. Joseph's in Houston will take on patients. ...Galveston County Office of Emergency management announced that residents in Friendswood, Leage City, Dickinson, Clear Lake Shores, Kemah, LaMarque, Texas City, Santa Fe and Hitchcock can return at their own risk. ...Several windows were blown out of the Chase Bank building downtown, littering the block of 700 Travis with glass. Some of the streets in that area are closed. ...Due to problems at the water plant, Baytown officials are urging residents to conserve water as much as possible. ...Jason Whitely drives into Port Arthur and surveys the situation Matagorda County lifts evacuation order. ...A statement from HISD: HISD will begin damage assessments at its 305 schools as soon as possible Saturday morning ...The following is a list of road blockages as of 6:10 a.m. from officials. ...Jason Whitely reports seeing destroyed mobile homes, torn roofs Jason Whitely reports seeing some water around I-10 and Highway 146, lines down over the road Billboards stand against an eerie dawn, says Jason Whitely An official with Centerpoint energy says nearly 675,000 people in the Houston area are without power. ...Jason Whitely drives along I-10 on the east side of Houston and sees trees down, but lights on Jasper Fire Chief James Gunter reports that Jasper has had winds in excess of 100 mph and that the weather service has warned them that winds could reach 120 mph. The entire city is without power. ... |
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