Published: September 13, 2008 09:49 am      

Officials tackling damage in SE Texas

Emergency Management Officials are sending out local assessment teams to assess the damage to our Southeast Texas area.



Initial reports from Groves indicate that there is no storm surge damage. However, they do have downed trees, downed power lines and no electricity. FD Chief Dale Jackson advised that they have not found any levy or surge problems. Mayor Brad Bailey asked that citizens shelter in place until given the all clear. They have low hanging lines, downed lines and no medical assistance at this time.



Reports from Nederland FD Chief Gary Collins state that the bay doors at the FD itself were blown in and they will have to cut some of the emergency equipment out of the station. There are many downed power lines and trees. There is no electricity in the area. Water and Sewer is down. No medical assistance at this time.



Reports from Port Neches FD Chief Steve Curran indicates that they have observed downed trees, power lines, fences, carports, etc. There is no electricity. Water and Sewer is down. Pt. Neches also responded to a house fire at 8:00 p.m. last night in the 2100 block of Tenth Street. The firefighters were able to rescue 6 people from the home and shelter them during the storm. The cause of the fire was misuse of a generator.



The seawall in Port Arthur held back the storm surge. There appears to be no extensive flooding except for Sabine Pass which has extensive flooding. The south end of Pleasure Island has some flooding. On the north end of the Pleasure Island water seems to be receding. Police personnel are unable to access Pleasure Island due to high winds. Tropical Storm winds are still high in the City and all of the City is without power.



Mayor Prince has issued an order banning the sale of alcohol in the City until further notice. If you are in the City stay in your homes and do not ride around. Police and Fire personnel are trying to assess the damage. Do not return to the City if you have evacuated. Re-entry into the City of Port Arthur is prohibited at this time. We will be posting updates as soon as they become available.



The City of Beaumont has experienced storm surge in some area's. Assessment teams are moving into low lying area's to check on citizens. There are unconfirmed reports of several tornadoes that struck Beaumont. There are downed tree's, downed and low hanging power lines, some structural damage to homes and businesses, Citizens are asked to remain in their homes and not to venture onto city streets. Emergency response and medical assistance is limited at this time. If you are out of town, Do Not Return until given the all clear.



Orange County has experienced significant storm surge damage with some people reported to be trapped in their homes. Downtown Orange is experiencing storm surge flooding. Bridge City in particular has reports of high water in some homes with citizens needing assistance. They have downed trees, power lines, some structural damage to businesses and homes, etc.



We have no updates at this time for rural area's of Jefferson County.



Citizens are urged to comply with the following safety rules:



**Stay inside until advised that it is all clear.

**Emergency Response is limited, take safety precautions.

**Heed Generator Safety. Do not use a Generator inside a home or on a porch. The CO fumes from the generator can seep into the eaves and filter down into the home.

**Do Not venture into standing water.

**If you have an emergency, call 911. For updated information, log onto www.setinfo.org. You can also access your local city and county websites.