This Just In
Ike hits Southeast Texas hard
By Karen Gilman, staff
When a hurricane hits hard, it can be life changing. When hurricanes hit twice in less than three years, it can be traumatic.
Southeast Texas has now been hit twice in less than three years with hurricanes – Rita hit Sept. 24, 2005, and now Ike on Sept. 13, 2008.
Some of the problems were the same – mandatory evacuation, major power outages, downed trees, holes in roofs, days spent away from home.
Other problems were different – 15 foot or so storm surge, communities under water for days, marsh grass and cane in the backyard, loss of furniture and clothes and photos of loved ones.
When Rita tore through Southeast Texas, it wasn’t a large storm, but most of the area had the same kind of destruction and it seemed that slow recovery was widespread.
Ike rumbled through here bringing its own personality and its own destruction – which was different depending on where one lived.
Ike came ashore around Galveston, but since it was such a very large, wide-spreading storm, hurricane force winds of more than 100 mph and the storm surge affected the eastern part of the Gulf Coast of Texas – the southern part of the Diocese of Beaumont, with hurricane force winds felt throughout the diocese.
Some communities, of course, were hit harder than others.
Sabine Pass had a storm surge of about 15 feet. Many of the homes and business, including the fire station, have been destroyed.
St. Paul Church and hall received major damage from the storm, the surge tearing out walls and scattering the contents of the buildings throughout the community.
Parishioner and Sabine Pass School principal Kristi Heid said it was heartbreaking to see the damage to the Sabine Pass community.
“I cried harder over my church than I did my house,” she said, adding that her two sanctuaries were her home and her church.
Her home will have to be torn down and started over. An engineer said that it was twisted on its foundation.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Heid said, “but it’s stuff. It can be replaced.”
The storm surge was also felt in Orange County.
Much of Bridge City received a surge of up to eight feet or so in places. St. Henry Parish there was affected as well. But they gathered Sept. 21 to celebrate Mass
From a makeshift altar on the stage of a parish hall lit mostly from sunshine, Father Steve Leger, pastor, declared, “We are the survivors.”
Parishioners gathered with teary eyes and somber hearts to celebrate Mass after Hurricane Ike brought about 18 inches of water into the church building.
Tightly-gripped hugs and comforting words defined the atmosphere of a city wrought with unexpected loss. Most in the congregation had homes with severe water damage, causing them to throw massive carpet rolls and cherished possessions off into yards and ditches.
“It’s about the worst I’ve seen, and I’ve been around here a long time,” said construction worker Simon Lightfoot.
As Lightfoot’s workers across the parking lot stripped church buildings of ruined flooring, parishioners could be heard speaking words of graciousness to God and one another.
Even after losing homes and not knowing where to turn next, attendance at St. Henry appeared to remain unchanged. Although much was lost, they were eager to turn pain into strength and start over again.
Out of the 52 parishes and missions of the diocese and two stations, all but 10 received damage – and 12 of those who did receive damage had major damage from the storm surge and high winds.
Russ Furry contributed to this article.
