Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutHurricane Allen critique - HURRICANE ALLEN This is a critique of Brazos County Civil Defense Opera- tions concerning Hurricane Allen. The date is August 12,1980. As Hurricane Allen entered into the Western Gulf, a close watch was maintained by the Brazos County Civil Defense Torna- do Warning and Severe Weather Group, headed by Dr. Moyer and Charlie Brenton. The Civil Defense Director was kept informed at all times as to the progress of the Hurricane as it appro- ached the Texas Coast. On Friday, 5 a.m. August 8, 1980 the National Hurricane Center placed the entire Texas Coast under a Hurricane Watch. The Hurricane at this time was located 500 miles East South East of Brownsville, and was moving in a West North West direction and became a threat to the entire Texas Coast. On Friday, August 8, at 8 a.m. the County Civil Defense Director called a meeting of all key Officials to brief them on the Hurricane's progress and the possible threat to the Texas Coast, which would effect the local area in the event of mass evacuations. Attending this meeting was County Judge Dick Holmgreen - Bryan City Manager, Mr. Ernest Clark - City Manager of College Station, Mr. North Bardell - Civil Defense Director for Texas A & M University, Harry Stiteler - Deputy Civil De- fense Director for the County, Ed Burns - Mr. Howard Perry of the University Housing Office and Mr. Parsons, Director of Po- lice and Traffic for Texas A & M University. During the meet- ing these Officials were briefed on the Hurricane's path and direction of travel. They were given a briefing on what possi- bly could happen in the local area if the Hurricane became a threat to the upper coast, and residents along the upper coast were told to evacuate and move inland. The two items that we had to consider, affecting the local area was: mass evacuation from the upper Texas coast seeking shelter and housing; and /or possible severe weather moving into the area as the Hurricane moved inland. At this meeting it was decided that if Hurricane Allen became a threat to the Upper Coast or if a Warning was given ordering the residents along the coast to evacuate, that a Center would be opened up in the Court House which would be the Civil Defense Operating Center, and that basic steps would be taken at this time to provide shelters in the local area. The Texas A & M representatives would coordinate the possi- bility of opening up empty dormitories which had beds and could house some of the evacuees as they moved into the area. The City Managers of Bryan and College Station decided they would meet with the school Superintendents in both cities and initi- ally designate two schools in each City on a stand by basis, to be opened up to house the evacuees after the dormitories had been filled. The decision was made that after the dorms were filled, we would house people in the two College Station schools, and we would open up more schools if it became necessary on a coordinated basis, so that all evacuees reaching this area would have a place to go. The City Managers and County Judge also de- cided that they would return to their Offices, and meet with their respective Department Heads and institute basic emergency steps, such as all gas fuel tanks were filled including diesel, all emergency generator tanks were filled, and other standby preparations for the possibility of a threat to the upper Coast by Hurricane Allen. All personnel it was decided, including re- serve personnel that were not on duty would be placed on stand 2 by alert in the event of an emergency. The Civil Defense Dir- ector also ask that each Official be available at all times in the event that a Warning was issued for the upper Texas Coast, a meeting would be called in the Emergency Center on short no- tice. After the meeting was over the Civil Defense Director had the Civil Defense Office survey all Motels in the area to determine wheather or not they were filled or what their addi- tional capacity for evacuees would be. Also, coordination was made with the American Red Cross, the local RACES Unit and the Department of Public Safety, so that information coming into the area could be coordinated to the County Civil Defense Cen- ter. At 11 a.m. on August 8 the National Hurricane Warning Cen- ter issued a Warning for the Texas Coast from High Island to Brownsville. This included Galveston Island. As soon as this Warning was issued, the Civil Defense Director notified the key Officials that a meeting would be held at 1 p.m. in the Civil Defense Center in the Court House, and action would be taken to open up the center for possible evacuees arriving from Galveston, Texas City, Houston and Freeport area. The Hurricane at the time the Warning was issued, was located 405 miles East South East of Brownsville. All residents along the Texas Coast from High Island to Brownsville was informed by the Hurricane Center to take precautions and be prepared to move on short notice. When the meeting convened in the Civil Defense Center at 1 p.m. in the Court House on Friday, August 8 the Center was open for oper- ation, and at that time the original basic plans were completed, and the community was ready to receive evacuees. During the afternoon residents from along the upper Texas 3 Coast began to move into the area. The Housing Office estab- lished a registration Office and evacuees seeking shelter were housed in the dormitories at Texas A & M University. The news media was informed of the operation established in the Court House, and the Civil Defense Director coordinated plans with the Amateur Radio Station located in the MSC for carrying out welfare messages and information that could be relayed back to the Civil Defense Center. The City Manager of College Station coordinated setting up a information center which is located on Hwy. 6, across from K -Mart, so that evacuees coming into the area could stop and obtain information for shelter or other needs. The local REACT Unit was contacted and information passed on to them concerning the Operation Center and relayed to motorists coming into the area that needed assistance could be obtained, either calling or coming by the Center. The RACES Units were activated and placed on a stand -by basis and to assist with welfare calls and other duties. The local Red Cross representative was contacted and a liaison officer established in the Civil Defense Center to assist with welfare aid and with housing when necessary. The Department of Public Safety estab- lished their coordination lines to keep the Civil Defense Office informed of activities pertaining to Hurricane Allen's threat and activity along the upper Texas Coast that might effect this area. By late Friday afternoon a steady stream of evacuees began to move into and through the area. The Civil Defense Center which was staffed and maintained throughout the threat period of Hurricane Allen received calls from private citizens offering their homes, from churches, groups such as the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus offering their buildings and citizens 4 who offered their buildings to be used to house evacuees. Also, offers came from all segments of local and federal government to use public buildings, under their control to house the evac- uees. Offers of help came in to assist with registration or any other manner which was needed to help with the situation if it worsened. Personnel working in the Civil Defense Center who received the calls made records and established names, telephone numbers for contact, and these were placed on a reserve status, and if the need should exist for housing that was needed beyond the already planned for operation, they would be contacted and the evacuees coordinated for movement to these shelter areas. The Sheriff's Office maintained teletype communication on the State Police network and all messages pertaining to Hurri- cane Allen's movements or the activity created by the threat of the Hurricane, such as roads being closed or people moving from various areas along the coast was sent to the Civil Defense Office so that they could be informed on the current situation and the possibility of an increased evacuee flow into the area. Civil Defense Operations continued in the Center through- out Friday night and Saturday with about 2000 evacuees being re- ceived and housed in the A & M University Dormitories. The available space in the Dormitories, which had beds in them was about 4,000. It had been decided once these dormitories was filled up, then the public schools and other housing areas would be opened up to accomodate the evacuees. Many of the public buildings that was intended for use to house evacuees did not have any sleeping facilities. The Brazos County Civil Defense Director contacted the Texas State Civil Defense Public Information Officer and ask him to 5 contact the news media in the upper Texas Coast area and relay to those individuals leaving the coast, seeking shelter inland, that did not have a motel room or a home in which they intended to go, to please bring sleeping equipment such as sleeping bags, air mattress, quilts, pillows, etc., as most of the places that would be taking in the evacuees would be buildings with no sleep- ing or bedding accomodations. By late Saturday afternoon it became apparent that Hurri- cane Allen would hit the Texas Coast somewhere in the Browns- ville area. At this time, after about 6 p.m. on Saturday the number of evacuees moving from the upper North Texas Coast had almost come to a stand still. It was then decided that we would close the Civil Defense Operating Center and the Infor- mation Housing Office, located on Hwy 6 South at 9 p.m. Satur- day afternoon. It was apparent that the Hurricane would go in- to South Texas and there would be no more evacuation from the upper Texas Coast. The Hurricane Warning was lifted for the upper Texas Coast and was still in effect from South of Freeport to Brownsville. At 3 a.m. Sunday morning the Hurricane made landfall about 3 miles North of Brownsville. On Sunday morning many of the evacuees housed at the A & M University dormitories began to re- turn to their homes. Coordination was established with the local Red Cross Chairman, Mr. Ernst Haertig to take care of welfare needs and what few evacuees that we may have from Port Arthur at this time unable to return to Port Arthur, due to flooding. The following are footnotes concerning action taken which was ommited in the chronology that was recorded on this tape. One of the items that we found that needed attention was 6 that a number of persons evacuating from the coast were in Motor Homes and Trailers. All the local trailer parks were filled up and arrangements were made by Texas A & M Univer- sity for these individuals to be able to park in the parking areas behind Kyle Field and the parking areas adjacent to the baseball field. Bathroom facilities were open at the Baseball Stadium for their use. Another problem that was encountered when the Civil De- fense Center was opened up, was that there was a need for add- itional telephone lines. The switchboard located in the Court House did become at times jammed, due to incoming and /or out- going calls. The General Telephone Company Emergency Liaison Officer who is part of the local emergency plans, was contacted and within an hour another straight telephone line was installed in the Civil Defense Office. When the Civil Defense Center was activated, the County Ad- ministrative Office, Mrs. Ruth McLeod established a work sched- ule for manning the switchboard and maintaining the telephone lines in the center. This operation was maintained from Friday afternoon around 1 p.m. until Saturday night at about 9 p.m. The City of College Station and the City of Bryan maintain- ed liaison personnel in the Civil Defense Center during the time the Center was in operation. A key Official was on duty at all times in the Center, and the individuals who were assigned to maintain different shifts was the County Judge, who worked all night Friday without any sleep, the City Manager of Bryan, Mr. Ernest Clark, the Civil Defense Director, Deputy Civil Defense Director Ed Burns, Casey Jones from the Civil Defense Operations pulled a shift, along with Mr. North Bardell from the City of 7 College Station. As an overall critque for the Operation, the results were in my opinion - Excellent. Texas A & M University at all times maintained complete coordination with the center and representatives from Texas A & M University were either in the Center or in contact with the Center by telephone. The Brazos County Civil Defense Tornado Warning and Severe Weather Division maintained constant survelliance of weather conditions and actions of Hurricane Allen and kept the Center informed of information received at the Radar Station and Weat- her Station at Texas A & M University. The Civil Defense Center received messages throughout the period from outlying towns and communities such as the number of shelters available in Navasota, Brenham, Caldwell, Hearne, Franklin and Madisonville. We were unable to determine just how many people were in the Brazos County area that were evac- uees from the upper Coast area. We do know the number that we had housed at Texas A & M University was greatly outnumbered by individuals who came into the area to stay in homes of either friends or relatives. Also all Motels were filled to capacity. The exact number we could say somewhere between 5,000 and perhaps 8,000 or even 10,000 individuals waited out the actions of Hurricane Alen in the Brazos County area. Jake Canglose County Director and Chairman Brazos County Civil Defense 8