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HURRICANE AWARENESS  

 

Click photo to view track of storm

DICKINSON DODGES A BULLET

Hurricane Rita September 24, 2005

(Web postings as they occurred - September 20th - October 17, 2005)

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Evacuation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 20, 2005

 

COUNTY JUDGE, MAYORS PLANNING FOR MANDATORY EVACUATION

 

Elected officials and emergency managers across Galveston County met today to coordinate their planning efforts for Hurricane Rita, likely to threaten a large portion of the Texas Coast before the weekend.

 

County Judge Jim Yarbrough and the mayors of each city, including Dickinson, have recommended voluntary evacuation of the entire county, beginning immediately, and are making plans to declare a State of Emergency in each jurisdiction this evening.

 

Officials also indicated they are planning to implement mandatory evacuation of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities beginning at 6 AM Wednesday, with a mandatory evacuation of the general population beginning at 6 PM Wednesday.

 

The county is split into three evacuation zones – A, B and C. Assuming Rita remains on its forecast track, evacuation of each zone will begin at the following times and dates, and will encompass the following communities:

 

ZONE A – 6 PM Wednesday, Sept. 21

Galveston Island (I-45)

Jamaica Beach (I-45)

Tiki Island (I-45)

Bayou Vista (Hwy. 6)

Clear Lake Shores (Hwy. 146)

Kemah (Hwy. 146)

San Leon-Bacliff-Bayview (Hwy. 146)

Bolivar Peninsula (Hwy. 87 and Hwy. 124)

 

ZONE B – 2 AM Thursday, Sept. 22

Texas City (Hwy. 146)

La Marque (I-45)

Hitchcock (Hwy. 6)

Dickinson (I-45)

 

ZONE C – 12 NOON Thursday, Sept. 22

(Use Highway 6)

League City (I-45, Hwy. 146)

Friendswood (I-45)

Santa Fe (Hwy. 6)

 

The primary Galveston County evacuation routes – Interstate 45, and Highways 6 and 146 – will be manned by local law enforcement and troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Residents in Zone A need to evacuate prior to the start of evacuation of Zone B; residents in Zone B should plan to evacuate prior to the start of evacuation for Zone C.

 

Evacuees on Interstate 45 will be directed toward a shelter hub in Huntsville. Those on Highway 6 will be routed to shelters in College Station, and those on Highway 146 will be routed to Lufkin. Pets will be allowed in the shelters.

 

Several school districts have closed Wednesday in anticipation of the evacuations – Galveston ISD, Clear Creek ISD and Friendswood ISD. Additional school closings are expected across the Houston-Galveston area. Galveston County government offices also are closed Wednesday.

 

Residents with boats or second homes in the county are requested to take care of their affairs no later than noon on Wednesday. Officials stressed that after mandatory evacuation begins, all traffic will be directed northbound.

 

Officials urged citizens to stay tuned to local media for the latest information on Hurricane Rita, including information about when it is safe to return.

 

STATE OF EMERGENCY ORDER

 

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09-23-05 10:00 a.m.

 

At this point in time it is too late to evacuate.  You should prepare an area in the interior of your residence away from windows to ride out the storm.  Gale force winds could reach the area in the next few hours. 

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09-24-05

As of 6:00a.m. the City of Dickinson is experiencing gale force winds and light rain.  During the storm we had sustained winds of 23 m.p.h. with gust up to 48 m.p.h. We had about 1.5 inches of rain.

We have power outages over a large area of the city.  Minor building damage, tree damage, and signs are down.  There was no flood damage. After the sun rises we will be conducting a more extensive damage assessment. 

Please do not return to the city until further notice.  Downed power lines can be still be hot,  Many storm death occur when people return to a storm area prior to the area being made safe.

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09-24-05  8:30a.m.

At this time we are not recommending that you return to Dickinson,

  • There appears to be minor structural damage in the city, however an assessment has not been completed

  • There are significant power outages

  • There was no flooding

  • Some trees are down

  • There is debris in the road

  • Power, telephone and cable lines are down and power lines may be live

  • There is NO gas available in the area

  • No stores are open

  • The area hospitals are closed

  • There have been no reports of looting

  • There are no shelters available in the area

  • There is a dusk to dawn curfew in effect for the entire city

  • Dickinson I.S.D. will not have school Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday

  • Santa Fe I.S.D. will not have school on Monday and Tuesday. They will announce a return date later

  • Shrine of True Cross will not have school Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday

This page will be updated when changes occur.

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MANDATORY WATER RATIONING

September 24 1:00p.m.

THE MAYOR OF CITY OF DICKINSON HAS ORDERED MANDATORY WATER RATIONING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AT THE REQUEST OF THE DICKINSON WATER DISTRICT.   WATER IS SAFE TO DRINK, BUT ALL CITIZENS ARE URGED TO LIMIT WATER USE.  AVAILABLE CAPACITY OF WATER MUST BE CONSERVED TO INSURE ADEQUATE FIRE FIGHTING CAPABILITY.

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September 24, 2005

5:00 p.m.

 

PRESS RELEASE – Dickinson Residents Allowed to Re-enter City

 

Re-entry is being allowed for Dickinson residents at this time.  The City received minimal damage and no flooding.  Streets are open and water is safe to drink.  Citizens are urged to use caution, check traffic conditions, and availability of fuel before returning to the City.

 

Power outages are reported across the City and are not expected to be restored completely until the Electric Utility crews return and resume accelerated operations.

 

A mandatory curfew remains in effect from dusk to dawn.

 

Dickinson ISD schools will not reopen before Thursday, September 29th.

 

Special medical needs citizens should confirm the availability of their local health care providers before returning.

 

For more information, call the City of Dickinson office of emergency management at 281-337-4700.

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September 25, 2005 7:00 a.m.

MANDATORY WATER RATIONING LIFTED

As of 7:00 a.m. the mandatory water ration order has been lifted.  The water is safe for drinking and cooking.

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09-25-05  8:30a.m.

At this time Dickinson residents can return to the city, however please be advised that you may not have power at your home and other services are limited

  • A survey of the city from the street revealed no major damage, some roofs and cars have damage, some signs are down, many trees and tree limbs are down

  • Power is being restored to the city, however some homes have no power

  • There was no flooding

  • There is debris in the road

  • Power, telephone and cable lines are down and power lines may be live

  • There is limited gas available in the area

  • Stores are reopening

  • The nearest emergency room is at Southeast Memorial - Galveston County hospitals are closed

  • There are no shelters available in the area

  • There is a dusk to dawn curfew in effect for the entire city

  • Dickinson I.S.D. will not have school Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday

  • Santa Fe I.S.D. will not have school on Monday and Tuesday  will announce a return date later

  • Shrine of True Cross will not have school Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday

City hall will reopen on Monday September 26th at 7:30 a.m.

W.C.I.D. #1 (The Water Company) will reopen on Tuesday September 27th at 7:30 a.m.

For road conditions you can call the Texas Department of Transportation at 1-800-452-9292

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September 25, 2005 10:00 a.m.

PRESS RELEASE – CURFEW ORDER CANCELED

THE MAYOR OF CITY OF DICKINSON HAS LIFTED THE CURFEW ORDER IN THE CITY OF DICKINSON.  

 

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September 25, 2005 4:30 p.m.

 

It is okay to return to Dickinson.  Persons traveling from outside the area are advised to:

·        Start with full tank of gas (supplies are still limited)

·        Have your cell phone charged and program in the following phone number -- TXDOT Road Condition Information Line – 1-800-452-9292

·        Carry State roadmap to find alternate routes home.

           

If traveling from East Texas, we are getting unconfirmed reports of some highway closures due to flooding on the Trinity River, south of the Livingston Dam (flood water release...

 

Electrical Power.  It is anticipated that 95% of the electrical power will be restored within next 24  hours. Call 1-888-866-7456 to report outages to Texas-New Mexico.

 

Emergency rooms at Mainland Center Hospital and Clear Lake Regional are open; but hospitals are not yet fully operational.

 

Water supply was not harmed; water is okay to drink and no usage restrictions.

 

Curfew has been lifted.  Some stores are now open.

 

City Operations will return to full operations Monday, September 26th @ 7:30a.m.

 

Gasoline available near: 

Hwy 3 & FM 517 East

FM 517 East and FM 1266

FM 517 West & FM 646

(This is subject to change as supplies run out and deliveries are made)

 

Schools:

Dickinson I.S.D. will not have school Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday

Santa Fe I.S.D. will not have school on Monday and Tuesday  will announce a return date later

Shrine of True Cross will not have school Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday

Tree Limb Removal:

If you have tree limbs in your yard please cut them to  six foot lengths and place them on the shoulder or curb in front of your residence.  They will be picked up as soon as possible. Separate wood and trees debris in one pile, building material in a second pile and all other debris in a third pile. Pick-up will start on Friday September 30, 2005.

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A Message from Mayor Julie Masters

Monday September 26, 2005 10:00am

Good morning. This is Julie Masters, Mayor of Dickinson. I pray that you and your family survived Hurricane Rita with few problems. The following is important information as we begin our recovery efforts. City Hall is open for business today.

Regular garbage service will resume tomorrow Tuesday September 27th. You are encouraged to put out all spoiled food Tuesday morning for Garbage pick up. Please double bag all spoiled food. Health officials suggest you disinfect your refrigerator/freezer.

Tree limbs and other debris pick up will begin Friday September 30th. Wood and limbs need to be cut and stacked on the edge of the street. Please bag the leaves and small branches. Stack building materials, roofing, metal and any other items separate from the tree limbs. These items will be picked up at a different time.

Building and electrical permits are required for repairs to your home or business. Call 281-337-6259 or come by City Hall today for more information. We also have available important information on filing insurance claims at city hall.

If you do not yet have electrical power at your home or business, please call 281-337-6266 and we will forward that information directly to Texas New Mexico Power.

Thank you for your patience.

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09-26-05 4:30p.m.

Dickinson has returned to almost normal.  Most businesses are open, power is back, nearing 100%.  We even have cable TV.  Gasoline is readily available in most areas of town and the stores are open.

We are very interested in your experiences from Hurricane Rita, both good and bad.  Tell us where you went to ride out the storm.  Let us know of any damage that you found when you returned home.  If you have photos you would like to share send them as attachments. Click here to e-mail your story.

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Hurricane Repairs

Minor damages caused by Hurricane Rita will not require permits. Click here for details.

Insurance

Click here for instructions on Insurance Claims from Hurricane Rita.

For those of you in need of verification of mandatory evacuation for your insurance company the City of Dickinson has provided a downloadable letter. The letter is provided in .pdf format.  You you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the file.

Mandatory Evacuation Verification

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Hurricane Losses

Galveston County has been designated  as a disaster area by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA-1606-DR, Texas). This designation allows affected residents and business owners the opportunity to apply for aid.  

Prior to applying please make contact with your insurance company to determine what will be covered by your personal policy. To receive aid you must register with FEMA. You may register online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.  

Based on the experiences of those who applied for assistance from Katrina, it is highly recommend they apply on line as opposed to using the telephone.  Computers are available at the public library for those who do not have access to one. 

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Welcome Home!

Storm Debris Removal (October 13, 2005)

The City has contracted with Crowder-Gulf, a company that specializes in storm debris pick up and removal.  They now have five trucks working 12 hour days, 6 days a week in Dickinson.  They are working from the east side of town and marching westward. 

As of Thursday October 13th Crowder-Gulf has completed up to I45 N of Deats. They are now working between FM 517 and Deats heading West to I45.  Have picked up 3,586 cubic yards of debris.

We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.  We acknowledge mobilization of this effort has been slower than anyone would have liked.  The facts are however that the extremely high demand for this specialized equipment across the Gulf Coast has put severely limited the amount of equipment available.

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Storm Debris Removal Completed (October 17, 2005)

The City contracted with Crowder-Gulf, a company that specializes in storm debris pick up and removal.  They worked 12 hour days, 6 days a week in Dickinson.  The removal was completed on Monday October 17th. 

Effective Monday, October 17th, all brush and limbs must adhere to the normal policy, that is, they must be cut in 5' lengths, bundled and tied; with each bundle not to exceed 50 pounds.  Regular brush and limb pick up will begin again this Friday as in the past.

 

 

 

 

© City of Dickinson, 2004

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