I'm finally back in the dorms, and the car alarms and people yelling and running through the halls has already started. Welcome back, I guess.
Going through SE Texas was not as bad as I expected. (Of course, I didn't get to see Bridge City.) I got a lot of pictures with billboards ruined or trees knocked down, maybe one trailer overturned. But there was little damage sustained to the area, or so it seemed.
FEMA was here, with what I assume was the National Guard, handing out MREs and cases of water. The Boyfriend and I passed by one drop-off station in Vidor, and about 15 cars were in line for the free food and water.
Price gouging was also an issue in the area. The Boyfriend reported that Bluebell ice cream was sold at the local store for $10 for a half gallon. The attorney general has encouraged people to report such problems, but I doubt this would be reported. People are usually reluctant to shut down the only grocery store in town.
However, today I was allowed back into the dorms. I thought I'd be able to relax and concentrate on preparing for my first class day in almost two weeks. This was not the case. I believe that my window was broken by the hurricane, and my dorm room was messed up quite a bit from the cleaning efforts. Besides the mysterious powder that covers everything, (I have no idea what it is, but it smells terrible) several personal items are missing, and some things in my room have melted. I wish the dorms had hired some more trustworthy people, but I'll keep everyone posted regarding this situation.
I haven't been able to see the whole campus, but it seems like the dorm complex as a whole has not been able to bounce back easily. There are still several broken windows in the dorm rooms, and some of the facilities are out. The laundry room for my dorm hall is out of order, for example. Several buildings are also still in disrepair in the main campus, and classes have had to be moved.
As a parting note, here's a link to a news story about how awesome FEMA is at helping people out. http://setxhomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=21761
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3 comments:
Very disappointing, to say the least. Although I can't say I am too surprised by the poor management on everyone's part regarding the recovery. I hope things get back together soon.
You said some of your stuff was missing, do you think you were robbed during your time away?
Wow, that's messed up that some of your stuff is missing--nothing too valuable I hope. I hope everything else goes more smoothly for you, and you can get a "real" taste of SE Texas. Though, maybe this IS the real SE Texas ;)
Also, I'm going to be in Orange this weekend. Maybe you me and The Boyfriend can hang out.
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