Texas governor tells Hurricane Ike evacuees to stay put
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Monday that the state is working hard to recover from Hurricane Ike, and he urges evacuees to stay where they are until the cleanup is over. “The worst thing that could happen is for people who are in a safe area where there is food, water and electricity to return to communities that have yet to have essential services restored,” Perry said in a statement.
Hurricane Ike rolled across Texas over the weekend, killing seven people there and more than 30 in nine states as the remnants of the storm moved north. Search and rescue operations were ongoing throughout the coastal areas, and more than 3,300 residents had been rescued as of Monday.
Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas issued a “look and leave reentry” advisory for the hard-hit city. Residents and business owners with proper identification, as well as insurance adjusters, are allowed to enter the city between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. to assess property damage and gather some belongings, but they must leave by the 6 p.m. curfew. According to the city’s Web site, there is are no medical facilities available in Galveston, water, sewer and electricity services are out, and there are no retail services available for fuel, food, water or other supplies. “There’s nothing to come here for right now … please leave,” Thomas told CNN.
Perry’s office has established a Web portal at http://www.governor.state.tx.us/hurricane for information on the state’s recovery efforts.
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