Inside: Local agencies seek federal grant to create temporary jobs Page 3A

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TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 23, 2008

V OL . CXXVIII , N O. 323   THE ADVOCATE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS SINCE 1880   50 Cents

FEMA: Mobile homes coming Disaster bill

Coordinator says agency could provide travel trailers if requested by state officials

on fast track
By RYAN MYERS
THE ENTERPRISE

With local leaders fearing popu-

lation loss, mobile homes — not
travel trailers — soon could be
available for Hurricane Ike vic-

in Congress
tims, a FEMA official said Monday.
FEMA has turned away from
travel trailers, which housed thou-
sands following Hurricanes Katri-
Charles Kerr/The Enterprise
na and Rita in 2005, because of
sickness and lawsuits resulting A line of FEMA trailers left a Jasper storage yard Monday en route to Louisiana.
from high levels of formaldehyde.
“I’m not going to give you a
timeline for when we will have a
shortly,” said Phil Parr, a FEMA coordi- during a conference call Monday. “We
nating officer. are very practiced at this.”
State officials pledge to help get recovery
mobile home down on the
ground, but we do expect one very
“This is one of our normal pro-
grams,” Parr said of the mobile homes
money for disaster-stricken coastal towns
FEMA, page 4A
By DAN WALLACH and
CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE VIDEO
THE ENTERPRISE ◆ See U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey

Beaumonters return from Tyler shelters BRIDGE CITY — Texas should

get a “majority” of $6 billion in
federal disaster relief that Con-
Hutchison’s visit to the area
at BeaumontEnterprise.com

gress must address this week the obstacles worked out,”

before it adjourns, U.S. Sen. Kay
Bailey Hutchison said Monday.
Appearing with U.S. Reps.
Kevin Brady and Ted Poe,
Hutchison said Hurricane Ike
recovery also must include tem-
porary housing for people — like
residents of Bridge City — whose
homes were destroyed Sept. 13
in Ike’s storm surge.
“I believe we’ll be able to get
Hutchison said, adding that
there is no announcement yet on
trailers for displaced people in
this storm as there were for peo-
ple after Hurricane Rita in 2005.
“Clearly, it’s what you need
here to rebuild and get back to
work,” she said. “It’s an absolute
priority.”
BILL, page 4A

Dave Ryan/The Enterprise

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, center, arrives at a press confer-

Eartha Sneed, 66, was happy to return to Beaumont
after being evacuated to Tyler. She was on the first bus
ence at the Bridge City High School Monday after touring the
area with Orange County Judge Carl Thibodeaux, left, and Kevin
Pete Churton/The Enterprise
Brady, right, along with other elected officials.
to arrive at the Beaumont Municipal Athletic Complex
Monday.

Home at last
Southeast Texas evacuees happy to return
11 days after fleeing from Hurricane Ike
By DEE DIXON
THE ENTERPRISE
BEAUMONT — Children
jumped off the buses with smiles
on their faces while their parents
were exhausted from a five-hour
journey from a makeshift Tyler
shelter back to Beaumont 11 days
after evacuating from Hurricane
Ike.
Kiaungra Pittman, 4, jumped
off the American Coach bus and
ran toward her bag that a Nation-
al Army Guard soldier placed in a
row.
She smiled and grabbed it with
SE Texas wildlife
2-year-old
Raymond
falls victim to Ike
Hurricane destroyed food sources, homes,
created salty environment for animals
Chaisson
bounces a By SARAH MOORE when it comes to living in a hur-
basketball THE ENTERPRISE ricane zone.
a huge hug. at the Storms destroy their homes
“I’m going home to play with Beaumont The small alligator looked and food sources and displace
my toys,” said Pittman, who evac- incongruous bobbing in the them into uncomfortable envi-
Municipal
uated to Tyler with her family and waves near the shore at ronments.
Athletic McFaddin Beach.
lived in an old Wal-Mart that had The alligator struggling in the
Complex As it drifted west with the tide,
been converted into a shelter for surf at McFaddin was likely dis-
Southeast Texas evacuees. on Monday the animal began exhibiting oriented and seeking freshwater
She and her family were among after signs of distress, convulsing and when it wandered into the Gulf,
3,591 Beaumont residents who returning making erratic movements. Calkins said.
were evacuated by bus or ambu- from evac- Soon, it simply gave up and Alligators can’t tolerate a salt-
lance before Hurricane Ike pum- uating to lay on the sand with the waves water environment for long.
meled the region. Tyler with breaking gently around it. Because they absorb mois-
Her mom, Annie Sneed, a 33- his family. It was likely another victim of ture through their skin, by
year-old Beaumont home health Pete Churton/ Hurricane Ike, said Gary Calkins osmosis, salt water actually
The Enterprise of Texas Parks and Wildlife.
worker, was glad to be home draws moisture from their skin,
Animals are in much the
RETURN, page 4A same predicament as people WILDLIFE, page 4A

INSIDE Comics ............4C Puzzles ............2B Dow Nasdaq Average price of a

Advice..............2B
Markets............1B
Nation..............2A
Sports ............1C
State ................2A
gallon of regular gas
in Southeast Texas:
As of Monday morning
$3.62
Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service
Classified ........5C Obituaries ........6A Weather............2A -372.75 -94.92

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