Beaumont area DUers

[ChickMagic]

I badly need any and all information you can provide about Beaumont. All I have seen so far is that power isn't expected to be restored for a month and that there isn't widespread flooding. My boss has her in-laws staying with her and she's starving for info.

Thanks guys!

[Sweet Freedom]

1. There's some video

here:
http://www.click2houston.com/index.html

on the left-hand side. I can't access the Beaumont newspaper online, but a search of "Beaumont, Texas news" found a lot of links, so maybe try that as well.

I saw on TV this Sunday that four houses and a hotel suffered major damage. The city had no power, no water, no gas, many streets were impassable and the National Guard wouldn't let you in.

Best to stay where they are, but the good news is that I didn't see any major structural damage on TV.

It looks like Beaumont has been terribly inconvenienced, but once it's cleaned up and basic necessities are restored, I'll think she'll be okay!

FYI: I'm in Sugar Land, so this isn't first-hand, just what I've seen on TV.

[ChickMagic]

2. Thank you very much!

I'll send this to my boss right away. :hug:

[PDittie]

3. Beaumont Enterprise link is comprehensive

http://www.southeasttexaslive.com/site/news.asp?brd=2287

It's not good. No one being allowed into Jefferson County yet; no water for two weeks and electricity as long as a month.

Lots of devastation in Orange County as well (that's where my mother lives). She's in Nacogdoches and wants to come home, but will probably come to Houston for an extended stay.

[ChickMagic]

4. Thanks PDittie

I've sent that to my boss. I'm glad you're okay! :hug:

It's kind of an interesting story about my boss. Way before people started evacuating, and the storm was predicted to hit Galveston, she had a dream that an oak tree fell down on her in law's house in Beaumont and killed one of them.

Her husband has learned to respect those dreams, so he immediately went down to get his folks. Sure enough, the eye of the storm basically followed the road their house is on and she's not been able to get any info.

[lastliberalintexas]

5. It will likely be at least a couple of weeks for power

Best estimates right now are 2 weeks to 2 months, and if you could see this place you would think that 2 months is optimistic. The power lines and utility poles were not the only things to sustain damage- a number of transformers, entire grids and transmission towers down in the south part of the county were destroyed. They are still not letting people return, though I know people who have snuck into the city to check on their homes. They should probably plan on being away for another week at least.

The good news is that there was not any widespread flooding in Bmt, but there was significant wind damage. Carports, fences, roof shingles/tiles and other similar objects were blown down or destroyed. Port Arthur and mid county suffered quite a bit of flooding, though, as well as wind damage, and Sabine Pass was hammered pretty hard. The worst of the damage was from fallen trees, so if they were unlucky enough to have a tree fall on their house as we were, they probably have pretty significant damage from the resulting water intrusion.

In addition to the Bmt Enterprise, you can also check kfdm.com and khou.com. The first link is to the local CBS affiliate, and they were trying to keep up the last time I checked. The khou site has a pretty good "chat" area where people can check by county to see what they can find out.

Good luck to them, and I hope their home is ok.

[bigluckyfeet]

6. I am in the North End

Near E Lucas,the streets are clean,I have power and water and phone,no cable.We had garbage pickup.