Hurrican Ike

Hurricane Ike came on the scene when the southern part of the country just settling down after Hurricane Gustav. Ike came through Galveston with a fury of winds and rain. The surrounding area was awash in devastation, flooding, downed power lines, business closures, and rising gasoline prices.

Many people looked to relief organizations for help and they were slow to mobilize due to clogged highways and the fury of the storm. FEMA has a lot on its hand in helping those citizens who lost their homes. Unfortunately, many are having a difficult time contacting FEMA. I recall seeing a woman on the news who was in tears. She lived close to the Baytown area and her home was completely destroyed. She saw on the news that FEMA planned to be in a certain location at a certain time. Knowing her husband and she needed aid, she traveled to the location only to find no FEMA. There was a banner that boasted a toll-free number to contact a FEMA agent. The number turned out to be a non-working number and her bleak state was so very evident on screen.

The seriousness of the damage and loss is heartbreaking. People even today are struggling with no power, minimal food, and tainted water. Though our disaster organization plan seemed to be in place after the Katrina disaster, it is evident was still have much planning to do.

My sympathies go out to all of those families and I pray they will find aid through their trying times.