Victims of Hurricane Ike Need More Help, Says Relief Chief
Victims of Hurricane Ike need more help, alerted the head of a Christian relief group, who described the Texas coastline as looking like the infamous Hurricane Katrina had hit it.
Major highways are under water, massive power outage, trees down, and tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes are the aftermath of Hurricane Ike - the first major hurricane to hit a U.S. metropolitan area since Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005.
While many relief agencies were stationed throughout Texas before the storm hit and more units quickly moved in afterwards, the need still remains great.
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"Ike has left the Texas coast looking like Katrina was here," reflected Bill Horan, president of Operation Blessing International, in a statement. "Folks down here are in a state of shock, plus they are hot, hungry, thirsty and wondering where the cavalry is."
"They need a lot more help than they are getting and they need it now," he added before commenting that the nation was not giving the Texas devastation as much attention as New Orleans had following Katrina.
Workers at Convoy of Hope, another nonprofit, also compared the aftermath of Ike to that of Katrina.
"Though the public may not have seen the immediate devastation that was visible post-Katrina, the recovery will be as long-term and demanding," the organization said in its latest statement.
Convoy of Hope has distributed over $1.5 million worth of relief supplies. The organization has sent relief to the ravaged states and to overseas countries affected by the recent hurricanes, including Haiti and Cuba.
Meanwhile, OBI had set up its mobile kitchen in Beaumont in eastern Texas on Sunday, and is partnering with Mercy Chefs to feed first responders such as the National Guard, Texas Rangers, Wildlife and Fisheries personnel, and local police.
It also sent staff out for door-to-door comfort of storm survivors and to help homeowners fill out work request forms, and delivered a shower trailer.
Three tractor-trailers also brought 90,000 pounds of food, drinks and disaster relief supplies to the city.
"Our primary mission is to house, feed, and coordinate volunteer teams much the same as we did in Slidell following Hurricane Katrina," Horan said.
OBI volunteer teams began repairing roofs, clear debris and helped local emergency management since Tuesday.
Likewise, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are helping victims of Hurricane Ike in Texas.
The disaster relief teams are serving in 30 locations in Texas as of Wednesday and have served more than a quarter of a million meals. There is also one unit in Louisiana.
Also providing aid, a Christian Reformed World Relief rapid response team left for Texas on Wednesday morning bringing a tractor, chain saws and tools.
President Bush visited the coastline of Texas earlier this week and assured displaced residents that the federal government will reimburse them for shelter-related cost, according to The Associated Press.
The White House also said the federal government will be responsible for the costs of debris removal in Texas during a two-week period that began last Saturday when the storm hit.
