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South Texas: Election Last Thing on Anyone's Mind After Hurricane Ike
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Bolivar Peninsula, Disaster, Election Coverage, Galveston, Hurrican Ike, Hurricane Ike Election, Hurricane Ike Election 2008, Louisiana, Politics Hurricane Ike, Recovery, Recovery Hurricane Ike, Search And Rescue, Texas, Texas Election 2008, Texas McCain, Texas Obama, Texas Voters,
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While the nation and the world is focused on the election countdown, time in Chambers County Texas is measured, if it is at all, on a grim time line that began on September 13 when Hurricane Ike roared ashore. Boats, houses, farm implements, cattle and people were pushed from the Bolivar Peninsula like downy feathers upon the wind.
"I don't believe the election crosses anyone's mind right now," says Mark Holmes on the phone, as he loads his dog into a trailer Sunday morning. Our conversation is broken by a bad cell connection and interruptions as he gives orders to his crew while they get ready for another long day in the Texas heat. Holmes and his teams are about to battle alligators, snakes, mosquitoes, and fatigue.
Holmes is a detective and K9 handler for the Port Arthur police department, and he has been working 12 to 14 hour days in the almost five weeks since Ike hit.
"With the amount of damage, loss of life and focus on trying to put lives back together, the election is the last thing anyone is thinking about right now," Holmes said. "I can't even tell you what day it is."
We met the day before on a lonely stretch of Texas highway. Holmes and several human remains detection teams were reconnoitering at a run-down Chevron station on Highway 10 between Beaumont and Winnie. It is no wonder that national politics is far from everyone's mind here, considering the horrific task of recovery they face. The Chambers County Sheriff was gracious but focused as he scrutinized maps spread on the back of a pickup truck. His worn t-shirt had "Sheriff" written across the back and he was wearing waders and suspenders, the uniform of hurricane recovery.
It is obvious that something is still very wrong here, and all it takes is a drive down Interstate 10 with the windows open. The smell of decay permeates the air, debris is everywhere, and brown vegetation outlines patterns of saltwater intrusion.
Eighteen wheel flatbeds burdened with massive generators slow traffic and bloated animal carcasses dot the median strips. An occasional red State Farm Insurance "Catastrophe Services" truck winds around the flatbeds, sheet metal, and blown tires that litter the asphalt. You won't find a campaign sign anywhere.
A woman behind the counter at the Chevron station had a depressed affect, offering that "life was hard" when we tried to make small talk as she gave us change for our cheese sticks and Full Throttle coffee. Gas prices had been dropping daily due to the worldwide market crash, but for the people in south Texas, financial devastation was already old news. Was she worried about the election? No comment was offered--just a quizzical look. All politics is indeed local.
I wished her good luck and Godspeed. She smiled and whispered "yes," as I headed for the door and made my way through the parking area, which was overflowing with search and recovery teams, vehicles, and dogs.
Detective Holmes and the four dog teams he supervises have a grim goal--their job is to clear debris fields of human remains.
"At last count there are somewhere between 50 to 100 people still missing, but we urge anyone in the area who has missing family members to contact the Port Arthur Police Department or the Chambers County Sheriff's Office," Holmes offered.
"At the very least, we would like to collect DNA samples so that if a farmer finds bones three or four years from now, we can help family to put their loved ones to rest."
The task seems all but impossible. Holmes and his crews are working off of satellite maps of debris fields that washed all the way across Galveston bay, stopping only when tree lines and levees slowed the momentum of the fierce waters. NOAA satellite images clearly depict the scope of the damage, but the ground view is beyond imagination.
Holmes described "massive" debris fields that measure two stories high, 200-330 yards wide and 2.5 miles long that remain to be searched. The piles of "debris" were once homes and businesses--the contents of which represent the rhythms and memories of lost lives. Galveston Bay is six miles wide, and that distance measures the force and fury of Ike's storm surge.
"No one is thinking about an election now," Holmes repeated as he explained that in some cases the debris piles have washed 3-7 miles inland.
Holmes has civilian volunteers working with him on the weekends, but during the week he operates alone and with local game wardens. To date, the teams have cleared 20 debris piles and are one third of the way through the massive job. The previous day's search was unsuccessful, or successful, considering that no remains were recovered.
When asked whether he has been able to find anyone, Holmes' tone brightened as he describes an 82-year-old woman and her husband, whom he found in the collapsed rubble of what was once their home--a full two days after Ike hit.
"They were in rough shape, but they are perfectly fine now," Holmes said. "They are being looked after by relatives.
"Perfectly fine" in south Texas, which has been all but abandoned by media focused on a national election feeding frenzy, means being rescued from the collapsed remains of your home after spending several days in a premature wooden tomb.
"We do our best and we will not give up until we find everyone who can be found." Holmes promises.
Then he offered what seems to be a message of comfort. It is everything he has to give.
"We will continue to search until there is nothing left to search," Holmes vowed.
It is now 19 days until the United States demands new leadership--and four weeks since time ran out for people and portions of the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
Follow Georgianne Nienaber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nienaber
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Good to see people engaged with the situation in EAST Texas, although it is still south to me and sorry if I did not pick up on the proper way to describe the exact location of Chambers County, although I thought I'd pinpointed the location on Highway 10, 4 hours or more south of Dallas.
I am in south Louisiana now, and I know it is south because I am on the Gulf of Mexico on the delta.
All sparring aside, this is a tragedy for the people who live here and unless something is done about wetlands destruction, if it is not already too late, an entire culture with vanish down here.
Meanwhile, they need help.
I don't blame them for not caring. What should the rest of us do to help?
South Texas was not hit by a hurricane. East Texas was. East Texas is suffering. East Texas needs help.
My question is, have ALL persons been accounted for? I heard a report that several hundred people who stayed behind to weather the storm were missing. Haven't heard anything since! Where is the media?
I'd bet the McCain-Palin ticket would be there in Texas declaring their deep concern for the people there if Texas was a "battleground" state like Ohio and Pennsylvania. But since it shines so deeply red, no need to give it any attention. And, why shine more attention on how ineffective a Republican run FEMA has become?!
As a former Red Cross disaster worker, I can remember a time when FEMA did its job...and citizens got what they deserved from their government. The incompetence of this administration is ASTOUNDING!
21 more days...
Not everyone has been accounted for. There are around 200 or so that are missing. they could well have gotten out. but it's unlikely.
If the blacks, asians and latinos would band together, it would not be a red state anymore. Texas is the result of political district gerrymandering. Look at the map of Texas districts, the rethugs aided by crooks like DeLay & Gramm carefully rigged the districts to allo a rethug majority in each district. Plainy illegal.
Texans are good and decent people. Houstonians are some of the most generous people you will ever meet., but we all get painted with the "Bush Redneck" brush, and that's not the case.
The media was all over the place leading up Ike, but after it hit, they were back to cover the presidential race. What? Did anyone expect to see them actually do anything to help these people with the overwhelming clean up that will take months and years from which to recover. Katrina and now Ike show America's dark and hypocritical attitude about actually getting in and helping people in need. I live 35 miles from Mt.Rainier
Thank you so much for this story. The plight of Galveston has been completely ignored by the media. My husband and I were thunderstruck to hear an appeal for help for the hurricane victims on a CANADIAN radio station on a recent trip to Canada.
It really grieved us that our country has fallen into such a state of disrepair that other countries must now come to our aid because we have failed our own people. I love my country dearly. It is not just our infrastructure, however, that needs repairing.
There are good people everywhere in this country and of every political party. But when we allow the negative, scandalous campaign tactics of Governor Palin and Senator McCain to dominate the news media at the expense of our fellow Americans, it is time to stand up and say "enough is enough".
I'm sorry to hear that Galveston is still trying to clean up and is not getting the help that it needs. I was surprised to find that there is virtually no reporting on the aftermath of Ike! The political campaigns are one thing, but the media is very negligent in not devoting time and resources to this story. It's hard for the residents to get assistance if there is no awareness of their plight. So much for MSM! Shameful!
Agree about the geography. Houston may be 4 hours south of Dallas but it's not in South Texas. About the downtown-its getting back to normal. Much of Greater Houston's problems were related to downed trees and no power but Galveston and coastal areas east of Galveston bay were a different story. Total communities wiped out. Hundreds of people still living in a tent city on Galveston. It's hard to blame the media though, in an age where you can get all the news you want anytime you want (except during a hurricane) it's not a glamorous story anymore and people want to read interesting things! Contact the American Red Cross for a donation or volunteer your time to those in need, even if it's no where near the disaster.
5 hours south of Dallas along i45.
Houstonians are always the first to help out.. we made that mistake in letting the new orleans ghetto be relocated to Houston. Big huge mistake.
Houston is a city that gets along, we have huge populations of Asians (Koreans and Vietnamese), blacks, latinos. Houston is the most racially diverse city outside og New York City. We get along and celebrate the differences in people. We are a city that like the fact the whites are not in the majority. We are a city that loves to eat, there are more restaurants in Houston per capita than anywhere else in the US. We are a city of the Arts, a dedicated Ballet company, a great symphony, numerous museums and galleries, and a great city to enjoy life. Yeah it's hot in the summer, but no worse than freezing over for 3 months out of the year. Houstonians are friendly people who will always stop to talk.
Now that the Houston area needs help, everyone turns their backs on us, and it's total bullshit.
New Orleans Ghetto? Really? How compassionate you are.
Have you been to New Orleans? Have you? Those folks have lost everything
New Orleans is a place of culture and has been for over 300 years...th
As an import from the North East, I love New Orleans..i
Been on the road in the Mississippi Delta in Houma, Cocodrie and Grand Isle for the last 36 hours. I honestly do not know where to begin, but will tell you that the devastation and lack of attention in this region is stunning in scope. I covered this area two years post Katrina (a year ago), and I cannot bear to take photos of any more damaged/destroyed homes or piles of rubble alongside the roadways.
What I wish the candidates would do is come down here; it would shed a media spotlight on what is happening.
What sticks in my mind is a little five-year-old girl sleeping in a tent with her mamma and brother (daddy passed from cancer a year ago). She plays in the wrecked trailer that FEMA will not compensate because of “paperwork,” and dodges water moccasins in the fetid bayou waters.
Where is the bailout?
I was walking away from the tent where the fractured family cooks on an electric hotplate and heard the little girl ask her mamma, “who was that lady?”
“She was an angel, darlin,” was the response. Well let me tell you, I ain’t no angel (sometimes I feel like I am crawling through the belly of Satan)...a
For anyone to comment that these innocents got what they deserved because they voted Republican is amazing to me…positively amazing.
You are so right about the devastation and what i call depression due to the devastation by the media. Because there is less news coverage of post Katrina and post Ike, people tend to forget how many families are still reeling from dealing with these crises. While i believe that every individual has a right to vote for whomever they choose, I also believe that whoever is in power has an obligation to look after the welfare of American citizens regardless of race, creed, or class. Most of our southern states tend to vote Republican and Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi deserve a lot better representation than they are getting from elected politicians. It takes a concerted effort to effectively deal with tragedies and it takes everyone working together to rebuild communities. I think it is totally disgraceful the way we have handled the aftermath of Katrina in the poorest neighborhoods hit. I sincerely feel that we will see changes with new leadership and it does take leadership to stay focused on solving problems in our communities throughout the country.
Thank you so much for the post. I have been thinking about the people in south Texas and actually had been searching for info a couple of times on CNN. But the coverage there is politics. So I appreciate the update and can only imagine the hardship these people face.
Not South Texas, Texas Gulf Coast. South Texas is Corpus Christie, etc.
Houston is 5 hours from Dallas, and 4 hours from Corpus. Galvestyon is considered a burb of Houston.
You sentiments are appreciated.
Houston is the first to help others, and now that the Houston area needs help., where is it?
Holy Cow!! Only 9 total comments about this story! My goodness - one would think they'd be tired enough of all the politics by now to venture out of the process for a moment and see what else is going on in the country! I recall it was once a huge story - but I guess once all the reporters standing in the wind packed up their bags the story ended. Too bad because the story of those affected has just begun!
You know. You have brought up an interesting point about the media. Maybe we need to turn to alternative means of keeping issues on the table. You Tube and various blogs and other web sites are options. Public outcry is another. We have to demand that the media keep us informed of whatever is newsworthy. And the plight of our brethren in cities in crisis certainly qualifies as newsworthy. I believe the problem with the media is that they become desensitized to certain issues after covering them 24/7. They want to go on to new stories and issues that are often more newsworthy even though not new stories get put on the back burner until we begin to get less and less coverage. What a disservice to the public.
The thing that truly amazes me about the south is that, even after Katrina and the shabby treatment of the residents of the states most brutally affected by it...they still voted republican in the 06 election.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on me. Fool me four times, shame on me........
One day, our southern brothers and sisters will figure it out. It is unbelievable that the poorest states vote Republican. Lowest income strata in the country right here in the south. Go figure.
Texas is a very wealthy state, district gerrimandering makes it red.
The Democratic voters are mainly gone...the
I've wondered a number of times about what's going on down there! It seems even though we're now a 24/7 news cycle we are increasingly unable to cover more than 1 topic at a time. It's so sad. I wonder how the downtown Houston area is doing where all the skycrapers had the glass knocked out. Is it still falling out? What about the business that was conducted in those offices and all the paper that came out to the streets? Not a mere mention of the area in weeks is a sad depiction of what the news has become.
And to think that both comments I made out of the 9 that were submitted were sent to the p@nding dungeon.
Geography issue. There is a difference between South Texas and East Texas, and I put Port Arthur in East Texas. Nothing north or east of Houston is considered south Texas.
agreed. Houston is considered Texas Gulf Coast.
Tell everyone you know that Bush 41 and Clinton are bringing attention to the Gulf Coast - at least trying to - and they need our support.
www.bushcl
There has been so little coverage of the aftermath of Ike, since we've been inundated with news about the economic meltdown.
Yes, but if they didn't regurgitate the same s--- over and over, we could receive real news. The msm is nothing but a money making machine and it prefers sensationalism, good fights and as much negative garbage as they can cover as opposed to real news. We get very little of that. They (MSM) evidently think they are giving the public what it wants. They have no idea that some people tune in to their programs looking for news and come away feeling let down and insulted more times than not by what they are getting spoonfed. It is time for the public to come together and demand better or come up with alternative ideas.
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