By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
"Be calm, be strong and say a prayer for Texas," said Gov. Rick Perry today as Texans brace for Hurricane Rita - a Category 4 storm rapidly approaching the coast of Texas.
Speaking from the State Emergency Operations Center in Austin this morning, Perry thanked the many Texans evacuating inland from coastal areas for their patience. Many were caught in miles-long traffic inching its way north from the coastal areas. For many, the speed at which the hurricane motorcade traveled was one mile per hour. Many of those motorists ran out of gas during their long journey - prompting some to turn off their vehicles' air conditioners and even turning their vehicles off and pushing them the few feet at a time that they were moving.
The governor praised local law enforcement officials, state transportation officials and local officials who he said "did fabulous jobs" as nearly two million Texans flooded the major roadways in the state ahead of the hurricane.
With Rita churning toward the Golden Triangle area of Jefferson and adjoining counties, Perry said 15 airlifts were conducted in Beaumont Thursday, with six more scheduled for today, with an estimated 4,000 people being removed from that area. He said 25 buses also are canvassing the Beaumont area to make pickups of residents who need to evacuate.
The residual effects of the storm will impact areas of East Texas as far north as Angelina and Nacogdoches counties. "Because of the path of the storm, we're working to evacuate some 1,500 people from Lufkin, including 400 with special needs," said Perry.
The governor said state and federal officials continue to work to get gas to stranded motorists. He said Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) district facilities along the evacuation routes have fuel available and TxDOT, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Army National Guard are providing assistance to motorists.
"We're putting all DPS helicopters at our disposal in the air today," said Perry, adding that the state is pre-positioning search and rescue and mass care strike teams. "We will have a strong law enforcement presence in the aftermath," said Perry, as Texas officials will try to prevent looting and lawlessness like that experienced in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina hit.
Shelters are filling up across the state, said Perry, noting state, local and volunteer organizations are "making necessary arrangements to provide a haven for all those in need of shelter." The governor said there will be adequate space for evacuees. As of 8 a.m. today, 54 American Red Cross shelters were on standby.
"I can't say enough about the volunteers who are working to give refuge to our weary coastal residents," said Perry. "Thank you very much for the most generous opening of your homes and your hearts."
Perry urged those coastal residents who chose to ride out the storm in their homes to listen to and heed the directions and advice of local officials regarding further evacuations. He said as soon as it is safe, search and rescue personnel will be dispatched to affected areas to make rescues as needed.
Jack Colley, director of the State Emergency Operations Center, called Hurricane Rita "an incredible storm," that will carry with it possibly 16 hours of sustained hurricane winds as it approaches Chambers, Jefferson and Hardin counties on the coast and in lower Southeast Texas.
Colley said that the front end of the storm is likely to hit the coast between 3 p.m. today and midnight tonight. That front end of the storm will have the magnitude of a Category 3 storm. He said those areas can anticipate losing power and communications beginning as early as 3 p.m. today.
The hurricane is then expected to track north, said Colley, and the result could be a "catastrophic flood" scenario in Tyler, Angelina and Nacogdoches counties, where there are predictions of up to 25 inches of rain in a 12-16 hour period. The emergency official said not only will there be high winds and flood-type rains, but residents of those areas also will have to deal with trees blown down and roads and supplemental roads blocked by trees and debris.
As the storm hits land today, Port Arthur could be subjected to a storm surge of 18-22 feet. While the focus of emergency operations right now is in Jefferson County, said Colley, there will be a much bigger area that could suffer a "catastrophic" event - including flooding, tornadic activity or the hurricane itself. He said individuals living in manufactured homes or poorly constructed facilities have been warned that, "They must leave that facility."
Projections are that 19 Texas counties could have an immediate impact from the storm, said Colley, which could affect 5.2 million Texans and 1.8 million Texas households. He said it is projected that the storm could destroy as many as 6,000 homes. Colley said that would mean there will be 2.7 persons per each of those 6,000 residences "with no home to come back to."
Colley predicted there would be 26 million tons of emergency debris to be removed in the wake of the storm, and the initial financial impact of the storm has been projected to be $8.2 billion.
Evacuations will continue today, said the emergency official, with an emphasis as well on preparing for "immediate" search and rescue operations and sustained mass care operations if needed when the storm passes.
"It's a great test for our people in this state," said Perry as Texas officials continue to monitor and prepare for the storm. "We're going to get through this because we prepared for such an event as this with extensive exercises," said the governor. He said state efforts have been aided by the fact that "so many took this evacuation seriously."