Hurricane Death Toll Climbs
FROM THE DOPPLER 10 FORECAST CENTER… A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES UNTIL 7 PM FRIDAY… McLENNAN, WILLIAMSON, AND SAN SABA…AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES TODAY AND FRIDAY WILL RISE TO BETWEEN 105 AND 110 DEGREES...WHILE OVERNIGHT LOWS TONIGHT WILL STRUGGLE TO FALL BELOW 80 DEGREES…PERSONS INVOLVED IN VIGOROUS OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ARE URGED TO TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER…
Hurricane Death Toll Climbs Save Email Print
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(September 15, 2008)--Search and rescue teams flew for the first time over an isolated resort area of Galveston County Monday, more than 48 hours after Hurricane Ike swamped the Gulf Coast, and they found a scene of devastation on the Bolivar Peninsula, where whole subdivisions were obliterated.

A state helicopter task force flew 115 rescuers onto the heavily damaged resort barrier island of Bolivar Peninsula, just east of hard-hit Galveston.

Task force leader Chuck Jones said the rescuers were the first to reach the area that’s home to about 30,000 people in the peak summer beach season.

He says some subdivisions in the area are completely gone.

Jones had no information on whether anyone had died on the peninsula, mainly because he doesn't know how many stayed there through the storm Saturday.

Authorities reported a total of 38 deaths in 10 states as Ike moved from Texas northeastward across the U.S. midsection.

Ten are now confirmed dead in Texas, including one person found in a submerged vehicle in Galveston and a 4-year-old Houston boy who died of carbon monoxide poisoning from an emergency generator.

Six are confirmed dead in Louisiana, including a 16-year-old boy who was trapped in the rising water.

In Tennessee, a falling tree killed two golfers.

An Arkansas resident died when a tree fell on a mobile home.

In Ohio, four are confirmed dead including one who died when a tree fell on a home.

In Indiana, seven are confirmed dead, including a father and son who died while trying to help children escape from a flooded ditch.

Two are confirmed dead in Illinois, including an elderly man whose body was found in a flooded backyard.

In Missouri, four are confirmed dead including a woman struck by a tree limb and an elderly man suspected of drowning in a flooded yard.

In Kentucky, a 10-year-old boy died after a falling tree limb struck him as he mowed a lawn.

In Pennsylvania, a 46-year-old man was struck and killed by a tree limb while helping remove a large tree from a house.

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Posted by: WacoWarrior Location: Waco on Sep 17, 2008 at 02:52 PM
Hey Alex...LOOK IT UP!!!...Duh is right!!!...Under the Texas Homestead Act homeowner's cannot be forcefully removed from their residence under a "mandatory evac order"...
Posted by: JG Location: hewitt on Sep 17, 2008 at 11:45 AM
You all should be ashamed of yourselves. Ever heard of walking a mile in someone else's shoes before you judge them??? Why dont we just line them all up and shoot them...and make sure to the the bill for the ammunition their families!! I spent a week of vacation at Crystal Beach less than a month ago and they are wonderful people--my heart breaks for them all. BTW..in order to forcibly remove someone from their home you must declare martial law--you cannot do that under a mandatory evac order.
Posted by: me Location: work on Sep 17, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Wish all of you republicans felt the same about sending our taxpayers money to IRAQ. Lets not help our own people out but lets send all of the money to IRAQ who does not want our help just our money.
Posted by: DUH Location: Temple on Sep 17, 2008 at 08:19 AM
So Alex, Why are they trying to get martial law declared so they can remove the people of of the Bolivar peninsula? If a mandatory order was enforcable by law, then you would not need martial law.
Posted by: Alex Location: CenTx on Sep 17, 2008 at 06:30 AM
Mandatory is an order! If it was voluntary is would state voluntary. If it is mandatory you could be removed. Look it up! The difference is shall not should! Simple words that mean what it says. A difference between listening and hearing. What Duh is saying is simply not true. Government would have no authority, courts, law enforcement, etc. Take it to court and you will loose, Duh! Stand in front of a judge and say I don't have to do that because it is illegal and see what happens! You have to have common sense or find yourself in a jump suit, Duh!
Posted by: TRUTH on Sep 16, 2008 at 11:32 PM
THERE WAS FREE TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED FOR ANYONE THAT WAS WILLING TO EVACUATE!! Paid by (Taxpayers) and then there is the rescue bill that will be paid by (Taxpayers) for those selfish people who chose to stay and endanger themselves and their children. Don't give us that "The family didn't have money to evacuate and had to stay behind" BS. As for the inland states most of the danger was going to be on the coast. Shame on the gas price gouging companies too.
Posted by: Me Location: Central Texas on Sep 16, 2008 at 06:50 PM
I have sense, too, Taxpayer, KWTX is just censoring comments again.
Posted by: GLC Location: Waco on Sep 16, 2008 at 04:11 PM
Thank Sam Bam and taxpayer, I totally agree with you. I am so tired of people not following orders and expecting the government (which is "we the people") to give them hand outs. Punish the parents for keeping their children in these areas and make sure they know if you stay you are on your own and we are not spending taxpayer money to come after you. There are consequences for every action. Stay and Suffer. I don't think we should have to pay to rebuild every time. That is a high risk area so get plenty of insurance - you are on your own.
Posted by: Mac Location: TX on Sep 16, 2008 at 04:07 PM
You can not arrest people for being republicans or democrates but, can arrest them for stupidity/ignorants of the law. Not obeying an mandatory order is grounds for arrest and/or fine. They were all mostly obama hussen dumocrates except one illegal that was doing some yard work.
Posted by: DUH Location: Temple on Sep 16, 2008 at 03:21 PM
Know what you are talking about before you post comments. While the evacuation order is "mandatory" it has no legal standing. Mandatory evacuation is simply voluntary.
Posted by: waco Location: waco on Sep 16, 2008 at 02:39 PM
You all know the saying "The rich get richer and the poor as always get poorer." It's a sham also. I am a single mother and with no money I would have to stay where I was and not leave so a lot of those people maybe money wise did not have a choice. God bless everyone at $5.00 a gallon and climbing. Pretty soon only the rich will be on the road because they can afford the gas!!!
Posted by: Me Location: Temple on Sep 16, 2008 at 12:38 PM
...I'm a taxpayer...blah blah blah...I'm republican...blah blah blah....YOU ARE GAY!! People like you shouldn't be allowed to comment.
Posted by: Steve Location: West Houston on Sep 16, 2008 at 11:53 AM
We appreciate the thoughts. There were a lot of folks on Galveston and Bolivar that woke up Friday morning, 24 hours before the expected landfall and found that they were cut-off by the early high tides. The money being spent to save these people is drop in the bucket compared to the enormous impact this is having on the TEXAS economy. Wait and see!!
Posted by: taxpayer Location: waco on Sep 16, 2008 at 08:44 AM
Thank you Sam Bam. I am glad someone out there has the same sense as I do. And I am not a "rich" republican. I am a middle class republican who takes responsibilty for my own actions and decisions. Thank you very much!!
Posted by: Central Texas Taxpayer Location: Currently in Houston/During Ike on Sep 16, 2008 at 08:27 AM
I'm prone to partially agree with you taxpayer...those that had to b e rescued after not following mandatory evacuation, should have to pay for their rescue and serve jail or prison time for endangering the lives of the rescuers!!! However I think they were republicans...after all they are the ones who currently have our economy in a tailspin that we will not recover from until we have another "Great Depression", even worse than the first one!!! But yes there were children that had no choice because their ignorant/foolish parents were so arrogant, as to endanger their precious lives...Damn republicans!!!
Posted by: Sam Bam Location: Tx on Sep 16, 2008 at 08:06 AM
What part of, "get out", do people don't understand! Parents with children who refuse the order should be charged with child endangerment. It is one thing to chance your own life but another to chance an innocent child's life! This was a mandatory order. Some people just can not take orders! If they needed help leaving, all they had to do is call, police, fire department, city hall, churches, red cross or most any government agency would have helped! Stop making excuses for these stupid people and bring up charges for refusing a mandatory order! They also put rescurer's life in danger over their ignorant and above the law attitudes! Shame they lost everthing but worst,if they died out of stupidity!
Posted by: Dave Location: Waco on Sep 16, 2008 at 12:46 AM
Your tax dollar is well spent, those rescuers are getting good experience.
Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 16, 2008 at 12:44 AM
Taxpayer is a rich republican.
Posted by: Anonymous on Sep 15, 2008 at 08:10 PM
taxpayer, probably not democrats, you just cant read. read the article before you post. many of the deaths were not in the mandatory evac areas......
Posted by: taxpayer Location: waco on Sep 15, 2008 at 04:03 PM
You all must be democrats..let the government bail everyone out instead of taking responsibilty for our own actions. I do feel sorry for the children, but it's their parents who did not follow the mandatory evacuation. When they were told to leave (and had many ways to get out) they chose to break the law and stay. That was their choice and their responsiblity no matter the outcome, not ours
Posted by: No Name Location: Waco on Sep 15, 2008 at 02:45 PM
Wow Taxpayer...I think the majority of the deaths up there were concluded after Ike moved into the states...people in Louisiana, Arkansas, Misouri were not told to evacuate. A father and son lost there lives helping children our of a ditch...Ike was a tragedy that cause horrific grief amongst the nation. How dare you use space on this board to talk about how you have to pay out of your tax dollars to fix this problem (we all will). If our tax money wasnt going to this it would be going to fixing other problems in this state...have a heart man. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone.
Posted by: Just sayin is all Location: Ft Hood. on Sep 15, 2008 at 01:43 PM
I agree. Once evacuation became mandatory, get out. I do however feel sorry for some. Primarily the kids.
Posted by: LL Location: Killeen on Sep 15, 2008 at 01:20 PM
Amen!!
Posted by: Chy Location: Killeen,Txs on Sep 15, 2008 at 12:49 PM
My heartgoes out to all. My prayers are with the familes who lost , loved ones, homes or anything else in the wake of IKE. God Bless eveyone .
Posted by: Me Location: Temple on Sep 15, 2008 at 12:40 PM
What about the children you jerk, they don't have a choice. You never know what someone else's circumstances are and you shouldn't talk about people that are very unfortunate right now. I'm a taxpayer to but I am also human.
Posted by: TAXPAYER Location: WACO on Sep 15, 2008 at 10:58 AM
I have no sympathy for those who refused to obey the law and evacuate when told to do so. There should have been a sweep of those areas under mandatory evacuations and anyone who did not leave should have been thrown in jail. Now we have to spend taxpayers money to "rescue" these people because they were basicall ignorant of their own safety.
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