Published: November 12, 2008 06:07 pm      

SRA provides funds in wake of Ike

The Sabine River Authority of Texas (SRA) is providing disaster recovery assistance funds to local water districts and municipalities in the Sabine River Basin that were hardest hit by Hurricane Ike.

On Monday the SRA presented a check for $40,000 to the City of Orange as part of this assistance program. Hurricane Ike, a Category 2 storm, made landfall along the Texas coast during the early morning hours of September 13.

Impacts from the storm included power loss, wind damage, salt water intrusion and flooding of regions along the Texas coast due to storm surge. The storm surge left many communities devastated with water levels rising five to 10 feet into over 10,000 structures in the southern portion of Orange County. Local industrial facilities also were impacted by this catastrophic storm surge. Salt water from the surge reached SRA's intake canal and inundated canal laterals for the first time in the Authority's history. Recovery efforts in the Basin showed how well East Texans worked together in a time of crisis.

In the aftermath of the storm, the SRA Board of Directors approved disaster recovery assistance funds for those counties, water districts and municipalities located in the Basin that were hardest hit by Hurricane Ike. Of those counties located in the Sabine River Basin that were declared major disaster areas, entities in Orange County were the hardest hit with costs incurred estimates reaching well over $3,000,000.

Disaster relief assistance funds, which are provided by SRA through revenue received from fees on pollution control bonds, were approved by the Board in their October board meeting to offset some of these costs. Other entities In Orange County that will receive the disaster relief assistance funds include: Orange County, the cities of Bridge City Pinehurst, West Orange, Rose City and Vidor. Water Districts include Orange County Water Districts No. 1 and No. 2, Mauriceville Special Utility District and Orangefield Water Supply Corporation.

"The storm surge damage caused by Hurricane Ike will go down in history for many communities in Orange County, Texas," stated SRA General Manager Jerry Clark. SRA applauds the efforts of the local authorities in maintaining the quality of services they provide to their customers. "We stand ready to work with those entities as they continue to focus on protecting water and wastewater services to communities and municipalities throughout the Sabine River Basin," added Clark.

Created by the Legislature in 1949, the Sabine River Authority is an official agency of the State of Texas. The Authority was created as a conservation and reclamation district with responsibilities to control, store, preserve, and distribute the waters of the Sabine River and its tributary streams for useful purposes.