Published: September 02, 2008 10:19 am            

Local officials, volunteers, stores coping with evacuees

By Cristin Ross and

Richard Nelson

editor@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Cherokee County saw a steady stream of traffic moving north fleeing from the path of Hurricane Gustav over the weekend.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Silsbee resident Cecil Nichols said of the drive from his home to an evacuation center in Rusk. “It was better than Rita. We went to Quitman then. This time we called where we’d stayed there, but they said they’re only taking in buses.

“But staying here’s been pretty good so far. Everyone’s been real nice,” he said.

He said he didn’t know how long he and his family would have to stay in Rusk.

“I have to be back at work on Tuesday,” he said with a laugh.

Nichols said he and his family lost their home during Hurricane Rita in 2005.

“It was totally destroyed,” he said. “But the two trees that were on (the old house) aren’t there to get the new one, so we might be OK.”

When asked if he’d ever thought of moving away from the coast, he said, “Sure, it’s crossed my mind, but I’ve been there 57 years. I just don’t know where else I might go.”

Jacksonville city officials said people evacuating from the Texas coast over the weekend had city streets snarled for a while, but it had slowed some by Sunday evening.

“We got a lot of calls today (Sunday),” Jacksonville Police Sgt. James Hogg said. “But it’s slowed down a little now. We’re keeping up with reports of the hurricane’s path and they’re saying now it might get here sooner, so we could see a second wave (of evacuees) come through.”

Red Cross evacuation centers in Cherokee County continue to receive residents of coastal towns. Jacksonville set up centers at First United Methodist Church, Central Baptist Church, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and Trinity Episcopal Church.

“We have 391 evacuees here; well 391 and one dog at the animal shelter,” Rodney Kelley, Jacksonville’s director of emergency management, said Monday afternoon. “We had six buses of 50 people from Beaumont. Another 91 came by their own vehicles from the same area.”

Kelley said he wasn’t sure how long the people would be staying.

“The weather is still coming this way,” he said. “We’re concerned about that. We do have 1,000 heater meals on the way in case we lose electricity.”

Heater meals are also known as meals-ready-to-eat or MREs.

“The emergency management eam has been working around the clock,” Jacksonville City Manager Mo Raissi said Monday. “Everything is quiet. It’s going as planned.”

First United Methodist had about 170 people staying there, and Central Baptist had about 160. The rest were split between Our Lady of Sorrows and Trinity Episcopal.

“Things are going really smoothly thus far,” said the Rev. Kevin King, pastor of First United Methodist Church. “We’ve got plenty of great people helping. Things were so much more organized this time, too — that really helped and, most of these evacuees are experienced.”

A Red Cross Center was set up at Rusk Church of Christ.

“We’re not full yet, but we’re anticipating more any moment,” Rusk Red Cross volunteer Wanda Nite said.

The center has the capacity to house 105 evacuees — it had 19 residing there Sunday afternoon.

“We don’t really know who’s coming or when they’ll be here,” Nite said. “But we’ve got signs out directing people to us, and we’re ready to help as they come.”

Rusk’s KOA Kampground has also opened its overflow lots to evacuees with RVs and camper trailers.

“We’ve got one family with seven people in a 30-foot camper, not to mention the dogs and cats and a partridge in pear tree,” KOA operator Carol Preble said.

The park was already mostly filled with attendees of the annual Texas Potjie Festival.

“We’re trying not to turn anyone away,” Preble said. “All our cabins were booked for the festival, but as people leave, we open them up to evacuees.”

Cherokee County resident Bobby Brooks, who lives along U.S. Highway 69 North between Rusk and Jacksonville, has posted signs advertising free camping in front of his house.

“I’ve watched them going by all day long,” he said Sunday. “Poor things, they don’t have anywhere to go. I’ve got four acres here — they can use the house, the water, the electricity. I just want to help.”

On top of looking for places to stay, evacuees have kept local grocery and other retail stores hopping all weekend long, too.

Brookshire Brothers in Jacksonville and Rusk are reporting shortages on fuel, bread and bottled water.

“We were both running really low on fuel,” Rusk store Assistant Manager Patrick Green said Sunday evening. “But we shared a delivery this afternoon, so we’re not completely full, but we’re not as low as we were, either.”

Both stores will get bread and water deliveries Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

The Valero station on South Jackson never ran out of fuel.

“Our owner has said he’s going to make sure we don’t run out (of gas),” said clerk April Pizano. “They’ve come every day to fill up. Last night (Saturday), they got here about 9:30.”

Chili’s in Jacksonville was busy with evacuees stopping for a hot meal on their way to their final destination.

“We have extra servers on,” said Chili’s manager Jason Knott. “We added to the food order to make sure we wouldn’t run out. We’ve kept the TVs on The Weather Channel and CNN and people in the dining room come over and watch,” Knott said.

“We just started our St. Jude 2008 fund-raiser. It really struck me. Even the people evacuating have been willing to give. It really touches you,” he said.

        

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