WEATHER: Show ers and thundersto rms likely , Highs: 80s, Lows: 70 s/ 2ASEPTEMBER 14, 2008 VOL.CXXVIII, NO. 314THE ADVOCATE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS SINCE 1880 $1.50 SUNDAY PHOTO GALLERIES, VIDEO OF IKE’S AFTERMATH: BEAUMONTENTERPRISE.COM at beaumontenterpris com The tastiest bits of Southeast Texas are on INSIDE ◆The damage varies in Port Neches: 3A ◆ Ike’s surge forces out some who stayed: 6A ‘My re frige rator was ... floating’ By RYAN MYERS, COLIN GUY and DEE DIXON THE ENTERPRISE Hurricane Ike wasn't as strong as big sister Rita in 2005, but his effects were more devastating thanks to a huge storm surge that submerged parts of Southeast Texas and so severely attacked power lines that Entergy-Texas officials said power might be out an entire month for some customers. Saturday, dramatic boat rescues were under way in Orange and Bridge City, while the familiar scene of toppled trees, wrecked buildings and flooded streets recalled Rita. Power was out for thousands upon thousands of Entergy customers. Flooding was reported as far awayas Jasper County. Ironically, five homes in Port Arthur near Ninth Street and Stil- IKE, page 4A By DEE DIXON THE ENTERPRISE BEAUMONT — It was the heat that woke up 28-year-old Nake- sha Randle. a.m. grogginess. “When I woke up, I was like, ‘Oh, my God,’” Randle said. “All I heard was bam, bam, bam and swish, swish. “ Inside her home, the water By MARGARET TOAL THE ENTERPRISE Rescuers seek those trapped by high water 95 mph winds attack Beaumont Levees hold in PA Boat rescues take place in Orange CountyFloods reach as far as Jasper CountyAbove: Local residents wade through floodwaters near Pine Street in Beau- mont on Saturday after Hurricane Ike swamped the region. Top: Butch Holton, owner of Gainesvil leTre e Service out of Florida, arrived in Beaumo nt on Friday ready to help people with trees they might wanted cut before Hur- ricane Ike arrived. On Saturday morning he was helping a family on Wade Street remove an oak from their shattered roof. Surge+ rescue Ike strands r esidents with severe flooding, kills po wer with fierce winds; utility repa irs could take a month for some Photos by Tammy McKinley and Dave Ryan/The Enterprise
Average price of a gallon of regular gasin Southeast Texas:
As of Saturday morning Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service
I N S I D E $3.65
INSIDE◆The damage varies in PortNeches: 3A
◆ Ike’s surge forces outsome who stayed: 6A
◆ Scenes from a disasterarea — images of Ike’s after-math: 8A
◆ Perry says search and res-cue effort is largest in Texas
history: 10A◆ Houston Texans reschedulegame after Ike tears chunksoff Reliant Stadium roof: 1B
ONLINEwww.beaumontenterprise.com:
◆ Hurricane updates, video,photo galleries and more
www.texashurricanenews.com:
◆ What to do after storm hits
NO HOME DELIVERYBecause all newspaper carri-ers have evacuated, there willbe no home delivery today.Home delivery of The Beau-mont Enterprise will resumeas soon as possible. Copiesof the newspaper are avail-
able in racks and newsstandsthroughout the region. Pleasevisit beaumontenterprise.comfor up-to-date news anddetails.
By KYLE PEVETO
THE ENTERPRISE
Throughout 19 shelters, morethan 3,400 evacuees are being housed in Tyler. Most, such asthe First Baptist Church, keepabout 200 people or fewer.
However, more than 1,600evacuees were taken Thursday morning to a last-minute shelterat an abandoned Wal-Mart incentral Tyler on Troup Highway.City officials scrambled to pre-
EVACUATION, page 5A
‘My refrigerator was ... floating’
By RYAN MYERS,
COLIN GUY and DEE DIXON
THE ENTERPRISE
Hurricane Ike wasn't as strong as
big sister Rita in 2005, but his effects were more devastating thanks to ahuge storm surge that submergedparts of Southeast Texas and soseverely attacked power lines thatEntergy-Texas officials said powermight be out an entire month forsome customers.
Saturday, dramatic boat rescues were under way in Orange andBridge City, while the familiar sceneof toppled trees, wrecked buildingsand flooded streets recalled Rita.Power was out for thousands uponthousands of Entergy customers.Flooding was reported as far away as Jasper County.
Ironically, five homes in Port Arthur near Ninth Street and Stil-
IKE, page 4A
Last-minute shelternot long-term refuge
By DEE DIXON
THE ENTERPRISE
BEAUMONT — It was the heatthat woke up 28-year-old Nake-sha Randle.
But it was the rising watersthreatening to flood her homethat snapped her out of the 5
a.m. grogginess.“When I woke up, I was like,
‘Oh, my God,’” Randle said. “All Iheard was bam, bam, bam andswish, swish. “
Inside her home, the water was shin-deep.
WATER, page 4A
By MARGARET TOAL
THE ENTERPRISE
ORANGE — In a scene thatrecalled the post-Hurricane Katrinarescues in New Orleans, boaters inOrange worked Saturday to find res-
idents stranded in their homes by flooding caused by Hurricane Ike'smonster storm surge.
The might of Hurricane Ike’sstorm surge was felt along theSabine River and Adams Bayou.
Downtown Orange resembled alake. The scene was no less cata-strophic in Bridge City, whereMayor Kirk Roccaforte asked themilitary to help rescue peopletrapped in their homes. Convoys
were staging at Texas 62 and Texas87 to help rescue those stranded inBridge City.
In Orange, boaters met at MeeksDrive to launch rescues at 10th and
RESCUE, page 4A
Rescuers seek thosetrapped by high water
95 mph winds
attack Beaumont
Levees hold in PA
Boat rescues take placein Orange County
Floods reach as far as Jasper County
Above: Local residents wade through floodwaters near Pine Street in Beau-
mont on Saturday after Hurricane Ike swamped the region. Top: Butch
Holton, owner of GainesvilleTree Service out of Florida, arrived in Beaumont
on Friday ready to help people with trees they might wanted cut before Hur-
ricane Ike arrived. On Saturday morning he was helping a family on Wade
Street remove an oak from their shattered roof.
Surge+
rescueIke strands residents with severe flooding, kills power withfierce winds; utility repairs could take a month for some
Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise
An woman sits on an underpass
after being rescued by boat in
Orange County on Saturday.
Photos by Tammy McKinley and Dave Ryan/The Enterprise
