DiNardo calls Galveston damage catastrophic
Cardinal hopes to visit Galveston today
By Meagan Sexton, Journal staff writer | Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2008
Traffic sits at a standstill on Interstate 45 as people try to re-enter Galveston Island, Texas, Wednesday in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. (AP Photo/The Galveston County Daily News, Kevin M. Cox)
HOUSTON -- Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, said Gulf Coast residents are in remarkably high spirits while dealing with the loss of power and devastation Hurricane Ike has dealt to the region.
DiNardo, who served as the bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City for five years, said even though the hurricane was classified as a Category 2 storm, the destruction has taken its toll on the people of Houston and Galveston.
"It was so big and when you have a big thing like that I don't care what category it is, it's rough and the winds were pretty consistent," DiNardo said." If you have eight to 10 hours in Galveston of 105 mile per hour winds, that's heavy stuff."
DiNardo said shock is the best way to describe people's reaction in Galveston. Residents in Houston are used to bad weather, but this situation is trying their patience.
Locally, the Siouxland Red Cross has made efforts to help those in need of assistance by sending some of its members to the affected areas. Garry Coon, coordinator for disaster volunteers for the Siouxland Red Cross, said about 10 of its members are deployed in the Houston-Galveston area.
"We have five of them working in shelters, we have one working on the emergency response vehicle and mobile feeding, a nurse out as a health services supervisor and we have two members out on disaster assessment," Coon said.
DiNardo said the damage in Galveston is catastrophic, but the damage in Houston is comparable to a wind storm DiNardo said he experienced in Sioux City a few years ago.
"It's just massive amounts of downed power lines and trees," he said. "There's 1.7 million people still without power and it's a huge city."
DiNardo said he hasn't been able to get into Galveston yet.
"They won't let anyone on the island," he said. "We've been making real efforts with FEMA to try get a couple of us in there tomorrow (Thursday)."
DiNardo said that he has been informed of significant damage to the diocese's cathedral and grade school in Galveston.
Hurricane Ike has left its mark damaging buildings, property and leaving a death toll in the U.S. that climbed past 50 Wednesday. Search teams pulled out of Galveston Wednesday, having searched the entire island for survivors. The task force had checked on almost 6,000 people and performed more than 3,500 rescues since Friday. Seventeen people have died in the state.
Most of the more than 50 deaths occurred outside Texas, although authorities may never know if, or how many, people who tried to weather the storm were washed out to sea.
Meanwhile, residents of Galveston are desperately trying to return to their crippled hometown and after spending hours in gridlocked traffic they are being turned away at the bridge.
Traffic backed up for 20 miles along Interstate 45, the one route onto Galveston Island, jockeying for position with utility workers, repair crews and police trying to begin repairs to the city wrecked by Hurricane Ike five days ago.
The city announced Tuesday that people could briefly return under a new "look and leave" plan, causing evacuees all over the state to pack up and head for the coast. Hours later, it abruptly halted the policy out of fear of just the sort of roadway chaos occurring on Wednesday.
Some people in the long line angrily complained that they'd never heard the policy was rescinded.
Meagan Sexton can be reached at 293-4243 or meagansexton@siouxcityjournal.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DiNardo, who served as the bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City for five years, said even though the hurricane was classified as a Category 2 storm, the destruction has taken its toll on the people of Houston and Galveston.
"It was so big and when you have a big thing like that I don't care what category it is, it's rough and the winds were pretty consistent," DiNardo said." If you have eight to 10 hours in Galveston of 105 mile per hour winds, that's heavy stuff."
DiNardo said shock is the best way to describe people's reaction in Galveston. Residents in Houston are used to bad weather, but this situation is trying their patience.
Locally, the Siouxland Red Cross has made efforts to help those in need of assistance by sending some of its members to the affected areas. Garry Coon, coordinator for disaster volunteers for the Siouxland Red Cross, said about 10 of its members are deployed in the Houston-Galveston area.
"We have five of them working in shelters, we have one working on the emergency response vehicle and mobile feeding, a nurse out as a health services supervisor and we have two members out on disaster assessment," Coon said.
DiNardo said the damage in Galveston is catastrophic, but the damage in Houston is comparable to a wind storm DiNardo said he experienced in Sioux City a few years ago.
"It's just massive amounts of downed power lines and trees," he said. "There's 1.7 million people still without power and it's a huge city."
DiNardo said he hasn't been able to get into Galveston yet.
"They won't let anyone on the island," he said. "We've been making real efforts with FEMA to try get a couple of us in there tomorrow (Thursday)."
DiNardo said that he has been informed of significant damage to the diocese's cathedral and grade school in Galveston.
Hurricane Ike has left its mark damaging buildings, property and leaving a death toll in the U.S. that climbed past 50 Wednesday. Search teams pulled out of Galveston Wednesday, having searched the entire island for survivors. The task force had checked on almost 6,000 people and performed more than 3,500 rescues since Friday. Seventeen people have died in the state.
Most of the more than 50 deaths occurred outside Texas, although authorities may never know if, or how many, people who tried to weather the storm were washed out to sea.
Meanwhile, residents of Galveston are desperately trying to return to their crippled hometown and after spending hours in gridlocked traffic they are being turned away at the bridge.
Traffic backed up for 20 miles along Interstate 45, the one route onto Galveston Island, jockeying for position with utility workers, repair crews and police trying to begin repairs to the city wrecked by Hurricane Ike five days ago.
The city announced Tuesday that people could briefly return under a new "look and leave" plan, causing evacuees all over the state to pack up and head for the coast. Hours later, it abruptly halted the policy out of fear of just the sort of roadway chaos occurring on Wednesday.
Some people in the long line angrily complained that they'd never heard the policy was rescinded.
Meagan Sexton can be reached at 293-4243 or meagansexton@siouxcityjournal.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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In prayer wrote on Sep 18, 2008 9:42 AM: