You are currently browsing the Cane’s Storm Log weblog archives for the day Thursday, September 18th, 2008.
Thursday, September 18th, 2008 by Lew Fincher.
HOUSTON — NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston is scheduled to reopen Monday, Sept. 22, ending its closure related to Hurricane Ike. Johnson shut down Sept. 11 as Ike approached the Texas coast.International Space Station flight control is scheduled to resume from Mission Control in Houston during the morning of Friday, Sept. 19. Station flight control was transferred to a backup facility near Austin, Texas, and later, to another facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
The Mission Control Center and other key Johnson facilities are largely unscathed, partly because of extensive preparations and the work of a hurricane rideout team of more than 60 people. However, some center buildings suffered roof, window and facade damage. Several light poles were downed, as were a number of trees. The damage assessment and cleanup continues.
Johnson employees should check the center’s Employee Information Line for status updates at 281-483-3351, and are encouraged to contact their supervisors if they have not already done so.
NASA has a public Web site to distribute important information for NASA employees and contractors impacted by Hurricane Ike at: http://www.nasa.gov/eoc
Posted in Business, Greater Houston/Galveston Area Information, Hurricane Ike | 1 Comment »
Thursday, September 18th, 2008 by Lew Fincher.
EVACUATION RESTRICTIONS LIFTED FOR MANY CITIES
Residents Cautioned to Exercise Extreme Care Due to Continued Power Outages and Unsafe Water Press Advisory Date: Sept. 18, 2008 10:00 PM Mark Seegers Subject: Evacuation Lifted 713-881-3090 - JIC # (Harris County, TX) - A vast majority of mayors have lifted the evacuation restrictions for several cities near Galveston Bay. Residents are welcomed back, but city mayors remind returning residents that cities are still without power and many still have boil water notices in effect. SPECIAL NEEDS EVACUEES REGISTERED WITH THE TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE REGISTRY (2-1-1) SHOULD REMAIN AT THEIR CURRENT SHELTERS UNTIL ADVISED BY THEIR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS THAT THEY MAY RETURN. The following is a list of evacuation restrictions and boil water notices for individual cities: City Evacuation Boil WaterBaytown Stay away for 24 hours YesDeer Park No Restriction Yes
El Lago No Restriction Yes
Galena Park No Restriction NA
Jacinto City No Restriction NA
La Porte No Restriction Lifted
Morgan’s Point NA NA
Nassau Bay Restrictions Lifted Lifted
Pasadena Restrictions Lifted Boil Water for areas that were evacuated - 77058, 77059, 7062, 77586, 77507
Seabrook The only area closed off to the public is from Todville Road from Hammer Street to the Point (where the seafood stores are.) Shipyards have been closed down by the Coast Guard due to diesel spills and other safety issues. Boil Water
Shoreacres Restrictions lifted Yes
South Houston Restrictions lifted Lifted Taylor Lake Village Restrictions lifted Yes
Webster Restrictions lifted Lifted
************To add an email address for notification Click on the link below: http://www.newsrouter.com/signup.asp?strS_List_Name=*Business_(Non-Industry)
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, September 18th, 2008 by Lew Fincher.
Today, September 18, 2008, at 1514 CDT, I received this email from the City of Friendswood, where I live and work. I will continue to post such information whenever I feel it may be valuable to those that come to our site in search of needed information in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in the Greater Houston/Galveston Area of SE Texas. If you have something to add to this site concerning the recovery phase from this hurricane landfall, please free to email me at info@hurricaneconsulting.net, and I will add it if I agree it belongs here.
Hang in there my friends, power is returning and soon, we will hopefully be back on our feet and back into a more normal life. Keep the spirit of those that rebuilt after the nation’a worst disaster in history, the Great 1900 Storm… they did it, and so can we. Lend each other a hand… we can do this together.
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To our Friendswood residents:
As we continue our recovery from Hurricane Ike, we wish to first and foremost provide several venues where points of information are being distributed to our residents.
Information can be obtained from:
Friendswood’s Emergency Operations Center - 281-996-3335 City Web Site www.ci.friendswood.tx.us Radio Station 1650 AM
In addition, our residents can contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at 1-800-621-3362 or visit their website at www.fema.gov for recovery assistance. The Friendswood Public Library staff is available to help our residents with filling out FEMA applications at the Library, located at 416 S. Friendswood Drive. If a home is damaged to the extent that it is uninhabitable, FEMA will reimburse individuals for living expenses while they are away from their home.
The Friendswood Public Library is open and includes Internet services for our residents. Roads in Friendswood are passable, and our Police, Fire and EMS services continue to be in full force. A majority of homes in Friendswood also have telephone service. The U.S. Postal Service is delivering mail.
At this time, electricity in Friendswood is at 60 percent. Water supply continues to be safe to drink, and there is no shortage of water pressure in Friendswood. A mandatory curfew is in effect from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in Friendswood until the City and utility companies can provide safe and effective services.
Fuel and food remains in short supply in Friendswood. While some businesses are beginning to reopen, their supply is still low.
Police Chief Wieners and our police officers want our residents to know that our city is secure. We have had no reports of looting, minimal criminal activity, no fatalities and only a few injuries due to storm clean up efforts. Again, our curfew is in effect, so our residents should carry their ID, and if you don’t have specific business in our community, stay out.
Debris removal has already begun in Friendswood. Our residents are asked to separate their trees and green waste from construction material and household trash. There is no need to bundle, cut or wrap tree limbs. Please be careful cleaning up.
Friendswood has recently put a price gouging ordinance into effect that prohibits vendors and others selling goods or services from unreasonably increasing their prices or rates. Residents who suspect that anyone in our community is price gouging should call the City of Friendswood at 281-996-3335 to report the gouging.
In addition, the City is requiring that Contractors who will be providing building and repair services in Friendswood register with the City and receive from the City a building contractor’s license. One of the purposes of this licensing is to ensure that contractors who will be working on properties in Friendswood are licensed and insured.
Once again, our residents should notify the City of Friendswood at 281-996-3335 if they suspect any price gouging or scams occurring as we recover from Hurricane Ike.
Schools in Friendswood ISD and Clear Creek ISD are closed until further notice. The UTMB health clinic on FM 528 will be open starting on Thursday.
We have 2 relief sites in the area: The FEMA POD is located at Centennial Park, 2200 S. Friendswood Drive. They are stocked with water, ice and ready meals. There is also a volunteer site at Calvary Church on FM 528 and Blackhawk, which has lunch and dinner meals, ice and supplies. Residents may also sign up to help at that location.
Special message for teachers in FISD: you are NOT needed at your campuses, so please take care of your personal needs. You will be given 2 to 3 days notice before you are needed to return and get your classrooms ready. You can check the FISD and City websites for updates later this week.
On behalf of the citizens of Friendswood, we wish to thank our City Manager, City employees and volunteers for the outstanding work they have done so far. Every single one of them has been working diligently at great sacrifice to themselves and their families. Our team includes every department of city services, including Police, Fire, EMS, Public Works, Community Services, Community Development , Administrative Services, City Manager’s Office, City Secretary’s Office and able volunteers, all under the able direction of our Emergency Management Team headed by Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator Terry Byrd.
We would also like to thank Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough and his County emergency management team for being with us before, during and after the storm. We would also like thank Gene Hafele’s National Weather Service team, the State’s Chief of Emergency Management Jack Colley and the State Chain of Command.
Others that we wish to thank include:
State Representative Larry Taylor
TCEQ
Governor Rick Perry’s office
Congressman Nick Lampson
Senator Mike Jackson
Terry Randall and his helicopter
Hill Sand Company
Beck - FEMA compliance
Crowder Gulf - debris removal
David Wight Construction
Boyer Inc. Electricians
Texas-New Mexico Power
CenterPoint Energy
AT&T and other phone utility workers.
Committed Relief and the Samaritan’s Gift ministries working through Pastor Ron Hindt at the Calvary Church relief site.
Kroger on FM 528 for food supplies
HEB Corporate offices in San Antonio for ice and supplies Jack Weber and his employees at the Friendswood Store for being prepared, ready and able to help
Lastly, we wish to thank our citizens for paying attention, and for the great job they are doing in helping each other. If you are still out of town, please check with your neighbors about your property. Use your own judgment when making the decision to return. If you do come back, pick up some groceries and fill up your gas tank before you come back into town.
Throughout this recovery process, we are confident that our community spirit will continue to thrive. We are all truly fortunate to have such committed residents working toward recovery after Ike.
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If you have questions or comments, feel free to comment to City Hall… I feel they are doing the best job they can in bringing our City back.
Stay Safe & Take Care,
Cane
Posted in City of Friendswood, TX, Hurricane Ike | 1 Comment »
Thursday, September 18th, 2008 by Lew Fincher.
The US Army Corps of Engineers provides a free temporary roof to residential structures through its Blue Roof Program. Citizens need to show up at sites set up across the city to sign up for the program.
Initial sites include:
6810 Gulf Freeway at Home Depot
McGovern - Stella Link Library at 7405 Stella Link
Clayton Library Center at 5300 Caroline
Central Library at 500 McKinney
Kendall Library at 14330 Memorial Drive
Denver Harbor Multi Service Center at 6402 Market Street
Third Ward Multi Service Center at 3611 Ennis
Northeast Multi Service Center at 9720 Spaulding
1000 Gulfgate at Lowe’s
101 Pennsylvania Street at City of Webster Civic Center
Intersection of Red Bluff Rd and Spencer Highway in Deer Park
Additional sites set up soon at select city libraries. More information about the Blue Roof Program is available by calling 1-888-ROOFBLUE (a recording).
CONTACT:
Frank Michel (O) 832-393-0800, Cell: 713-412-8674
Patrick Trahan (O) 832-393-0804, Cell: 713-417-4134
Posted in Greater Houston/Galveston Area Information, Hurricane Ike | No Comments »
Thursday, September 18th, 2008 by Lew Fincher.
The Lynchburg Ferry and the Washburn Tunnel remain closed due to the effects of Hurricane Ike. Both the Ferry and the Tunnel will re-open for service following evaluation and repair.
The tunnel suffered damage when the pumps could not handle the massive storm surge from the ship channel. The ferries suffered damage as a result of being forced by tidal surge.
Contact:
Mark Seegers 713-881-3090 - JIC #
Posted in Greater Houston/Galveston Area Information, Hurricane Ike | No Comments »
Thursday, September 18th, 2008 by Lew Fincher.
PRESS RELEASE
Date: September 18, 2008 Contact: Rosio Torres
Subject: Important Numbers 713-881-3090 (JIC#)
IMPORTANT NUMBERS/NUMEROS IMPORTANTES
Centerpoint: (713) 207-2222 Report ONLY Power Lines Down/Reporte líneas
caídas
Social Security Assitance: 1-800-772-1213 (if you haven’t received your
assitance / sí no ha recibido su asistencia)
TXDot: 713-802-5076 or 1-800-452-9292 (Road Closures/ Cierre de Calles)
FEMA: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or www.fema.gov (Housing Assistance /
Asistencia de Vivienda)
Red Cross 713-313-5286 (Shelters/Albergues)
Missing Persons/Personas Perdidas: 713-313-1656
Report Price Gouging / Reportar Estafas: 1-800-252-8011 or/o 713-755-2648
SPCA Pets / Mascotas: 713-861-0161
PoD Locations/Sitios Distribución: 713-881-3100
Debris/Escombros: 1 (800) 207-2325 (How to Set up Debris for Disposal
& pickup schedule/ Cómo juntar sus escombros para que sea
recogidos y las horas previstas)
###
Posted in Greater Houston/Galveston Area Information, Hurricane Ike | No Comments »