Deputy Sheriff Mike talks with OBI President Bill Horan and Jody Herrington, director of OBI's U.S. disaster relief concerning his flooded home in Bridge City, Texas. Since the storm he has been working 12-hour days to help members of his community even though his own house was destroyed.

BRIDGE CITY, Texas – First the storm, then the surge of water, and now the mud, muck and rot are what residents face as they return home to assess the damage from Hurricane Ike.

Bridge City, a small bayou town in the southeast corner of Texas is now in post-storm recovery.

Homes that were under seven feet of water are starting to dry out, but plenty of destruction is left in the wake.

Operation Blessing disaster relief teams are on-hand helping residents gut their homes and start over. In Bridge City alone, about 99 percent of the homes were flooded due to the storm surge.

Marsh mud and reeds were ripped from their beds and washed into people's homes, bringing with it an array of poisonous snakes. Even as the water dries out, the debris is still left, leaving residents to sift through rotten mud and moldy possessions.

Mike, a deputy sheriff, lives in Bridge City. The night Ike came ashore he and fellow officers  hunkered down in a secure bunker to weather the storm. However, about 1 a.m., as the storm approached maximum velocity, frantic 911 calls poured in from terrified residents.

Every officer volunteered to leave the  safety of the bunker and brave the howling storm. They commandeered boats and two huge off-road dump trucks and made super-human efforts to rescue people who otherwise may have lost their lives.

During the next 24 hours, Deputy Mike and his team of first responders saved more than 1,000 stranded people.

Since then, all members of Bridge City and Orange County law enforcement have worked 12-hour shifts without a day off, and as a result, have had little time or energy to work on their own flooded homes.

With no where to stay, Mike has been sleeping at the jail and his wife, a nurse, sleeps at the hospital. Their children were sent to stay with relatives.

OBI crews are working to help gut the homes of first responders such as Mike who spend their days serving the public and have little time to address their own flooded homes and properties.

"We are making it a priority to help the few that help the many," said OBI President Bill Horan.
OBI has set up a trailer as office space to take work orders from local residents six days a week as well as register volunteers.

The storm surge washed marsh mud and reeds into people's homes and properties, bringing with it an array of poisonous snakes. As the water dries out, the residents are left to sift through rotten mud and moldy possessions.

Volunteers and aid workers are not only helping first responders but also the elderly, disabled and sick. Right now, there are more than 270 active work orders waiting to be completed.

"It's truly devastating," said Robert, a Texas resident whose home was destroyed by floodwaters. "I really needed some help and I am so thankful I got it."

The day Robert and his wife returned to their home to assess the damage and start cleaning up, an Operation Blessing crew showed up at their door.

"They removed the dirty, nasty, wet carpet and did it with a smile," he said. "I really appreciate what they have done."

OBI is coordinating the volunteer efforts in Bridge City and housing and feeding volunteers at their headquarters at Cathedral of the Pines church in Beaumont, Texas. More volunteers are needed to complete the enormous task of helping the residents cleanup. To volunteer, visit www.ob.org/volunteer.asp or e-mail volunteer@ob.org.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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