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This is a hurricane story you probably won't hear on the news.
I have friends who live in San Leon, Texas, and they tell me that this poor little fishing town of 4,300 on Galveston bay was practically wiped off the map.
The storm sent a surge into Galveston Bay that reached 14 feet.
This surge, when it moved up the bay to Texas City, deflected off of the 15 foot levees. These levees created a "funnel" effect that sent all of that water directly into unprotected San Leon, a mile away.
The combined force of the storm surge and the deflection from the levees, created an "artificial" storm surge that reached (by waterlines that were measured) up to 20 feet above sea level - higher than the surge at Galveston or Bolivar.
Most of the people of San Leon stayed throughout the hurricane because they were too poor to afford an evacuation and noone came to help them evacuate. They went for days afterwards without FEMA, the National Guard or anyone showing up to help in any way. Most lost everything they had and went hungry and homeless. FEMA showed up a few days after the storm for a brief visit without adequate supplies to help. Most of the people had no way to get to the FEMA distribution point anyway because their vehicles were flooded or washed away.
My friends tell me that the biggest help came from a caravan of seaside dwellers in Mississippi (not Texas) who brought them clothes and food.
I think this is all pretty sad. Shades of New Orleans.
This was written on a forum in the local 'newspaper', in San Leon:
http://sanleontexas.com/ike/index.php?board=1.0"We do not have Mayor White or Mayor Thomas to hold press conferences, and since we have no political clout, the destruction here is being largely ignored by the media and elected officials. The damage in San Leon is much worse than that on Galveston Island, the West End, or anywhere else with the exception of Bolivar - which was fully evacuated.
85% of San Leon residents rode out the storm here. It is a testament to the nautical skills of our fishing community that we had only one known fatality. Our people took precautions to save their lives - but they couldn't save their houses and things when the water went up so much higher than anyone ever thought it could.
People are sleeping in tents and in their collapsed houses and wherever they can find a spot. Many are camping. It is like a third world country 11 days after Ike.
The sheriffs deputies all tell me there has not been a crime problem at all in San Leon.
The roadblocks are lifted and the curfew is no longer in effect.
About 30% of the electricity is restored, with more coming on slowly each day.
All of the grocery and retail stores were wiped out, so the nearest place to buy anything is about ten miles away."
Map- San leon, Texas:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp...=TX&country=us.
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We funnel billions into foreign countries. A lot of this just goes into corrupt dictator's pockets and the people see very little- if any of it.
And most of these countries hate us. Do we criticize them for getting into the shape they're in? No. we just keep pouring in the foreign aid.
We need to stop some of this and help our own- even when they do foolish things like try to ride out hurricanes.
If you check the town on-line newspaper
http://sanleontexas.com/ike/index.php?board=1.0 you can find out where to send a donation. My family has sent them a cash donation.
We think this is shameful the way this little town was neglected.
Cyberella
Map- San leon, Texas:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp...=TX&country=us.
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Topic: THE LITTLE TEXAS TOWN THAT THE AMERICA FORGOT- A HURRICANE IKE STORY (Read 592 times)