Contributions tagged with "Texas"

On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike slammed the Gulf Coast of Texas, damaging homes and displacing residents throughout the region. FEMA, in coordination with the state of Texas and other agencies, move to provide safe temporary shelter while homeowners affected by the storm pick up the pieces and go about rebuilding their lives.

FEMA Community Relations Specialists attend a deaf and hard of hearing community event. Using American Sign Language translators, applicants who had been affected by Hurricane Ike speak with the CR personnel to have their FEMA related questions answered.

Many homes along the Southeast Texas coast were destroyed by Hurricane Ike.
Those homes that were built or reinforced using mitigation best practices fared better due to simple and cost-effective efforts.

Paul Strizek's house in Kemah, TX, escaped Hurricane Ike relatively unscathed despite being built almost on top of the water. His home survived because he took proper mitigation measures well in advance of the storm. Paul describes for us the steps he took and why he took them, and explains why others in the area should do the same.

A natural disaster like a tornado or hurricane is almost certain to leave behind debris to be cleaned up; Hurricane Ike left behind debris in quantities that are hard to imagine. A debris specialist talks about his and FEMA's public assistance roles in the cleanup efforts after Hurricane Ike.

Hurricane Ike took a massive amount of debris from the Bolivar Peninsula and deposited it on Goat Island. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) work together to sort through the debris and remove hazardous materials that could harm the environment. FEMA pays for the endeavor. Gary Moore, EPA, and Jeff Lewellin, TCEQ, introduce us to the process.

Gary Dlouchy is the Remediation Supervisor for Bridge City, Texas and has been tasked with preparing and installing a total of 89 trailers with functioning and approved utilities at the Temporary Housing Acadian Annex, Sites I and II in Orange County. This temporary housing, funded by FEMA, is provided to victims of Hurricane Ike that lost their homes in the storm.

Community Relations Specialist (CR) often have to meet with households face to face to help them successfully navigate the disaster recovery process. One FEMA CR specialists' efforts paid off for a community of neighbors.

Seawolf Park is located in and owned by the city of Galveston, Texas on Pelican Island. Its two main attractions are the USS Cavalla submarine and USS Stewart destroyer escort ship. Damage to the park facilities and its attractions are significant due to storm surge from Hurricane Ike. A brief tour of the vessels and damages incurred are presented in this video as well as FEMA's plan to fund mitigation against future losses in speculation of another disaster.

Tim Ocnaschek talks about why he is attending the National Hurricane Conference.

Faith-based and other volunteer groups provide help long after the emergency phase of a disaster has passed. Many victims of Hurricane Ike in Galveston rely on the services volunteer groups provide. Evangelical Free Church of America is one of those groups that joined the recovery effort and sends volunteers from all over the United States and Canada to assist in rebuilding damaged homes from the storm.

The beaches of Galveston Island in Texas are the number one source of tourism for this coastal community. Hurricane Ike dumped debris on the beaches and in the surf as well as creating a large loss of sand all along the shoreline. Since the local economy is dependent on tourism, emergency re-nourishing of the beaches was needed. Restored beaches help recover the town's tourism base and economy as well as protecting the sea wall from future storm damage.

To restore the unique character of Bolivar Peninsula, local leaders and citizens are working together to plan for their Long-Term community recovery.

Hurricane Ike impacted the upper Gulf Coast on September 13, 2008. The people and communities have worked relentlessly to recover from the storm and rebuild their lives.

Liberty, Texas continues its recovery one year after Hurricane Ike. On September 13, 2008 the upper Gulf Coast suffered severe damage when winds of more than 100 miles an hour pounded this small community.

The Anahuac, Texas Volunteer Fire Department responded to the needs of the community during Hurricane Ike. Although they suffered major damage, they were able to respond and assist their residents. One year later the fire station is fully recovered.

The alligator capital of Texas was severely damaged due to Hurricane Ike. The biggest annual event of Anahuac, Texas was cancelled in September 2008. As the community gets back to normal they celebrate Gator Fest 2009

Temporary Housing Units provide a short-term solution for disaster survivors whose homes or apartments are destroyed. Hurricane Ike hit Texas in September of 2008. The first Community Site named the Acadian Annex was opened by FEMA in January 2009 in response to housing needs in Bridge City, Texas. Originally housing 40 units, the Acadian Annex Community Site has now closed one year and one month later. The residents there have all found more permanent housing solutions for their families. The homes have all been removed and the site has been returned to the original owner of the property.

Hurricane Ike survivor, Jeanne Leslie, has been living in a FEMA provided Temporary Housing Unit since the storm destroyed her house in San Leon, Texas. After a little more than a year of residing in this unit while deciding whether to repair, rebuild or replace her damaged home, FEMA gave Leslie the option of purchasing this mobile home for her permanent use. Jeanne shares her experience and thanks in this short video of a survivor's success story.