Rita Check-In
For those displaced by Hurricane Rita let us know where you are or
where you're going.
| Robert Schaadt | | Update on Beaumont and Port Arthur: they are hoping to have power restored in Beaumont by the end of the week October 8th; Port Arthur by the end of next week, October 15th. City of Beaumont and Jefferson County are asking their workers to return/check in by Monday, October 10th. Channel 4, NBC Beaumont showed photos of Lamar University's Gray Library and windows were missing on the top floor so I assume some water damage occured on the 8th floor. That floor is the home of their special collections/archives, but Lamar Univesity's power was restored today, October 3 and they are busy working on campus. Water/sewer is now stable in Beaumont and Port Arthur proper is now also stable. Entergy hopes to have all power restored in Texas by October 25th. | | 2005-10-03 21:29:11 |
| Robert Schaadt | Penny: I have not heard any bad news about the Tyrrell and unless you had water damage I think you will be ok. Parts of Downtown Beaumont does have power--near the Entergy Building: do not know how far out. The trees and power poles are down and it is pot luck on the damage. The weather has been hot, but dry and we only received three to six inches of rain from the storm. Check with KLVI-560 AM for they have been broadcasting nothing but Hurricane Rita news: they are on the internet at www.klvi.com; call 409-840-6900, 409-896-5555 or 800-329-9595 and ask for Jack Pieper or Al Caldwell. Also Beaumont Enterprize and Channel 6 are on the web: www.southeasttexaslive.com and www.kfdmi.com. Port Arthur is still closed. Beaumont is doing better after a week. They thought the power would be on in South Park yesterday around Lamar University, but Beaumont is still only open 7-7, visit and leave. Water and sewer is limited; the City of Beaumont is working, but not open to the public.
I am sending this from my laundry room at my house. Our power at the Center was restored late Saturday afternoon and at the house a few hours later. They hooked this area into the Houston Power grid. North of here it will be two to three weeks since they cannot hook into the Houston Grid, but there are 10,000 utility workers in Beaumont and they are making progress much faster than thought and the weather has been clear and dry. Personally I lost a lot of roof shingles and some other damage, but it could have been worse. Robert | | 2005-10-03 08:48:38 |
| Tara Laver | Bruce Turner reported that Kathie Bordelon, McNeese, is safe in Lafayette. No definitive word on the archives, but Kathie didn't think the archives had any damage but was concerned about mold starting, sans a/c. The parish is allowing "look and leave" beginning today.
| | 2005-09-30 16:15:35 |
| Lisa Meisch | | No public services will be available at the Sam Houston Regional Library & Research Center in Liberty until electrical power has been restored and stabilized. Everything at the Center is okay and the staff is fine. Due to the fine efforts of Archivist John Anderson of the Archives & Information Services Division of the Texas State Library, a portable air conditioning unit and generator were dispatched to the Center before the temperature and humidity levels became unacceptable, and the building is now stabilized environmentally. | | 2005-09-30 13:00:27 |
| Brenda Gunn | | Has anyone heard from Kathie Bordelon at McNeese State University (Lake Charles,LA) and from Ramona Hutchison at Lamar University (Beaumont, TX)? | | 2005-09-30 08:47:34 |
| Jonathan Gerland | | Good to hear from you Penny! I hope your journey north was not too unbearable. I haven't heard anything specific about Tyrrell Historical Library. We received a cell phone call yesterday from a Beaumont friend who went to check on David Montgomery's house and he reported no major damage, although many of David's neighbors did not fare so well--lots of trees down in homes. A little encouraged, although a little uncertain if the caller identified his house correctly, David left our house in Lufkin this morning to return home and clean out his refrigerator and freezer, before flying out to his brother's place tomorrow. The History Center in Diboll reopened to the public this morning at 8:00 and we are resuming business as usual as much as possible. Evacuees left the Diboll and Lufkin schools yesterday for other shelters north and west. Schools will not resume until Monday, however, as there is a lot of cleaning to do. Most other evacuees in our churches also left yesterday for other locations. Our best wishes for you.... Let us know if there is anything we can do for you. | | 2005-09-29 11:45:19 |
| Penny Clark | | I've arrived safely in Kansas. But I'm concerned about the Tyrrell in Beaumont. Can anybody give me any information on it or conditions in Beaumont? | | 2005-09-28 13:42:11 |
| Jonathan Gerland | | Robert, I do hope you and the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center are okay. Our thoughts remain with you and our prayers for you. The History Center in Diboll opened for a few hours yesterday, but with no water pressure. We remain closed today to the public. We have better pressure now (Wednesday morning)--enough to flush the tolilets at least--but officils say it may be unsafe for drinking. Our best to all affected.... | | 2005-09-28 11:18:25 |
| Jonathan Gerland | | A quick report from The History Center in Diboll. We were blessed considerably--just damage to a few shingles and uprooted trees and bushes. We were without power about 39 hours (vault temperature only increased 3 degrees and relative humidity only 2 percent). At 6:30 a.m. this morning (Monday) we became a communications command post for the City of Diboll police and fire departments--they being without telephone or electricity. Most of the city is still without power, also very little or no water pressure. Our best to all.... | | 2005-09-26 11:34:29 |
| Annie Golden | Sarah Jackson, Paul Scott and me, Annie, made it okay. Sarah and Bob are at home, she stayed with Paul and I stayed with a friend in Cleveland Texas. I made it home Sat afternoon and had lights and everything. We will all be back to work on Monday. Hope all are safe.
Annie. | | 2005-09-25 11:19:33 |
| Robert Schaadt | | Jonathan: Good to hear from you and glad to know David made it. Does not surprise me that you and Jill are feeding the masses. Beaumont, Port Arthur-Sulpher-Lake Charles is getting pounded. Liberty is wet and 40 MPH winds, power still on which is strange since squirrels seem to knock it out on a sunny day, but my hats off to City of Liberty--Lufkin will receive about 75 MPH winds Sat. morning so I hope the History Center is a ok--It took me 45 minutes to drive to work yesterday morning-and three staff had to turn back. Darlene Mott went to Woodville which is now in the path of the storm but I think she will be ok. So far so good. Thanks for your message. Godspeed to all. Robert | | 2005-09-23 20:19:17 |
| Jonathan Gerland | | Hello Robert. Good to hear from you. I guess having Sam Houston's bed as part of your collection comes in handy in days such as these. No, seriously, I wish you well and keep in touch as much as possible. All of The History Center staff are staying put in Lufkin and Diboll. Lufkin alone is hosting 10,000 Houston area evacuees and we still have thousands arriving for which we have no room. Jill volunteered at our Church this morning--making breakfast for more than 250. All our school campuses and churches and many other city buildings are being used as shelters. David Montgomery drove up yesterday and last night and is staying with us. The drive from Beaumont to Lufkin took 14 hours! He arrived at about 3:00 a.m. this morning, the 23rd. I went in to The History Center this morning and Louis Landers and I made preparations as best we could: moved and secured a few things, made multiple computer back-ups, unplugged equipment, etc.. US Hwy 59 has been northbound-only since last night, so I traveled backroads there and back. The traffic has been unbelievable. Take good care of those Martin Dies "subversive" files; we don't want anything "lost." God Bless, Jonathan, Diboll and Lufkin. | | 2005-09-23 16:05:42 |
| Robert Schaadt | | I hope that Penny Clark, Ramona Hutchinson, Nell Truman and Elizabeth French all left Beaumont-Port Arthur area. The storm is still heading to Sabine Pass/Port Arthur area, but Liberty is supposed to receive winds up to 110 miles per hour. I guess I will not need to pay to have my trees trimed. The wind is a steady 15MPH now--still clear beautiful skies, but the wind is strong enough that even Gov. Perry would have problems keeping his hair combed. Thank goodness they are getting fuel to all stranded vehicles. Best to you all. Robert | | 2005-09-23 12:05:26 |
| Robert Schaadt | We will be in Liberty for the storm, but at this point it appears that the storm will go in at Sabine Pass/Lake Charles. Godspeed Kathie and all of the Southwestern LA archivists.
Liberty will not be underwater like Clear Lake due to storm surge--so Shelly you did the right thing. I will try to give a post storm posting. They say that 4 million people evacuated in the last 24 hr. | | 2005-09-22 21:44:53 |
| Brenda Gunn | | I talked to Robert Schaadt this morning. He was busy moving boxes around and getting ready for the storm. He plans to stay in Liberty, and possibly ride out the storm at the Sam Houston Center. | | 2005-09-22 15:43:45 |
| Shelly Kelly | Hey Robert Schaadt - I thought you said we could come out to Liberty? Ha ha - guess that was before your own mandatory evacuation.
We left yesterday at 3 p.m. went 2 miles in 3 hours and came home - realized we were NOT prepared for the trip with two kids. Left this morning at 4 a.m. and made it to Baytown on 146 - did not even make it to I-10!!!! Turned around after SIX hours of driving. Avg speed 1.4 mph Back to the house - police officer came by and saw us there, reminded us of the evacuation notice. He said they're expected 5-10 feet of water on our street. We regrouped and went west this time. (We being my two young kids and I.)
We're going to ride out the storm in my sister's house in Sugar Land. Our plans have been all over the map, first go west, then go to Dallas, then Lufkin, now we're here in Sugar Land.
I'm almost out of gas - there is no place to buy any. All stations either closed or have sign "no gas." So here we'll have to stay until a tanker can get gasoline in this area. Price gouging is alive and well - all the stations have $2.85/gal except one that was open in Ft. Bend Co- 16 cars waiting and gas was $3.19/gal
I expect my husband to be okay riding out the storm at the Houston Museum of Natural Science with a few curators and building maintenance. I'll check in again tomorrow if I can. | | 2005-09-22 15:36:42 |
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OF SOUTHWEST ARCHIVISTS
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