Hundreds remain missing in the wake of Ike

[dogday]

Source: KTRK-TV Houston

GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- The death toll from Hurricane Ike has reached at least 27 in Texas. A body was found in a pile of debris in Chambers County. And hundreds of people are still unaccounted for in Galveston County and surrounding areas.

Gail Ettenger, Marion Arrambide, Ronald Auseberry and hundreds more are all linked by a common thread.

"We have about 400 active cases right now," said Bill Smither with the Laura Recovery Center.

Nearly 400 people are presumed missing 12 days after Hurricane Ike slammed on shore. Calls flooded a Galveston County missing persons hotline at the Laura Recovery Center. People are terrified a relative was lost in the storm.

Read more: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=weather/hurricane&id=6412037

[uppityperson]

1. k&r

[maddezmom]

2. the numbers are slowly going to increase

:(

[lastliberalintexas]

19. Probably only after November, though

[pleah]

3. My heart aches for these people.

I have not seen anything about the storm on MSM.

[KoKo]

4. Oh..Amazing...Most DU'ers wont accept this post. They think those of us who CARE

are GHOULS...looking for BODY COUNT....

They TRASH US at every opportunity. If there were many hundreds of dead bodies (washed out to sea) they would still attack us for "Focusing on this as our OBSESSION."

Sad...

[KoKo]

5. Hey "OP" you post all the time over at "Talking Points Media" Josh's Site...!

I recognize that "EYE" with all the makeup!

[dogday]

7. What, I never even heard of that site... The eye is a popular icon

and many of us blue-eyed girls use it... Between working, being a Mom and a Mod, I don't have much time but for DU.....

[WhiteTara]

8. my first thought was that this

vindicates your calling for more investigations into the missing. I am so sorry these people died this way. I hope their bodies are found soon and their families and loved ones can have closure.

[benh57]

11. what's to investigate?

Investigations? These were all people who decided to stay after being warned of 'certain death' if they remained.

[stillcool]

12. Missing people?

[WhiteTara]

13. of the number of deaths

[fascisthunter]

28. wow

[TomInTib]

10. Man, I just want some TRUTH.

That's all.

[dgibby]

23. You and me, both!

'Course, the shock would probably kill us!

[readmoreoften]

16. I agree. We can't let people be uncounted or disappeared, even for natural reasons.

Not right now. Not in this political climate. It is absolutely critical that we demand all names of missing persons be known since martial law is beginning on Oct. 1st. Today people wash out to sea, tomorrow people disappear in the hysteria of riots.

We are all each other's family now.

[fla nocount]

20. Chill, Blue-dogs and enablers don't count for much.

At least half will be gone after the election when they're no longer paid to post here.

[Feron]

29. Oh FFS.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to know the death toll of Ike or how many people are still missing.

There is something wrong with spreading internet rumors that hundreds of bodies were found and insisting it's the truth.

Big difference.

[KoKo]

6. Bet it's more than "hundreds" but then the sharks and critters got the rest of them...

They weren't holded up in some STADIUM in NO's. They made sure THAT never happened again, didn't they.

[intheflow]

9. I was thinking the numbers sound on the low side, too.

Only 400 people are reported missing? Didn't they say something like 20,000 stayed behind? How many survivors have been found? I certainly haven't seen or heard of stadiums, or even churches or the Houston Red Cross, filled with 10,000+ survivors.

[readmoreoften]

14. Also this doesn't take other areas into consideration. Towns in Harris County were hit hard w/surge.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. Good thing that Wall Street crisi is going on

Otherwise the public would be focusing on this Bush fuck up.

[KoKo]

17. You said it! Haven't heard "peep" about Texas Gulf in a week...just those folks

being allowed back into Galveston. Those of us who tried to keep posting had folks here on DU calling us Ghouls hoping for dead bodies..mocking and trashing.

Media doesn't want to talk about it. "Weather Underground" is on it though. All those little towns we never heard about are desperate for supplies. They are trying to help those folks out. While Red Cross focuses on Houston...there are folks in dire straights there.

"Weather Underground" is trying to get funds for a second truck to deliver goods to those who are forgotten. It's a good thing to go over there and check it out.

[fla nocount]

18. Thanks dogday for keeping this alive. n/t

[lastliberalintexas]

21. Man Desperately Seeking Brother Who Made Final Call to Wife During Hurricane

A Nederland man is searching for his brother, who was trapped by rising water and made a frantic 9-1-1 call when Hurricane Ike had reached its peak intensity.

Greg Walker, 41, was returning home to Port Neches on Friday, September 12 after taking his wife and children to Louisiana to get away from the approaching hurricane.

http://www.kfdm.com/news/greg_27983___article.html/call_wife.html


I have no idea why Mr. Walker was returning to SE Texas at that time of morning under those conditions, but I feel for his family. I imagine we'll start hearing more of these stories in the next weeks. And here's a local story about the lady found in Chambers County:

http://www.kfdm.com/news/county_27999___article.html/chambers_search.html

[Shoelace]

22. also there was alot of damage to the wildlife refuges, pets lost

how many pets lost we might never know but KHOU.com has a forum for locals of the area and from the sound of things, many of their pets didn't make it either.
Nearly 2000 people were rescued off rooftops, etc., and many left their beloved pets behind.
The news blackout in Galveston didn't help anything. Rumors fly when there's no news.
Also, we keep hearing the storm surge was 14-15 ft. Maybe in some areas but near High Island, apparently it was nearly 30 ft.! The pic below tells the tale. That is a power poll with debris atop it from storm surge. It is about 25-30 ft. high.
My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones in this hurricane. Read the report from the Houston Audubon's website of their visit to High Island at the link.



http://www.houstonaudubon.org/index.cfm?act=Newsletter.cfm&category=SanctuaryBlog&newsletterid=1278&menugroup=Sanctuaries

[Kool Kitty]

24. Thanks for posting this.

If you only listened to or watched the news, you'd think this storm never happened. This whole country is like Short Attention-Span Theater.

[lostnfound]

25. It's odd that missing person info comes from private nonprofit group not officials.

Honor to Mr Smither for having such a group -- we will never forget the Laura for whom the group is named.

It's odd that in 2008 we don't get much info out of city or state officials about the numbers of dead, missing or injured. I live in Houston, and there is little or no mention of it here.

[lonestarnot]

27. Well why, 400 missing possible social security recipients that's a good thing...

:sarcasm:

[Usrename]

30. We don't do body counts.

We are a sociopath nation.

[LonelyLRLiberal]

26. Thanks for reminding us that real life is going on in coastal Texas.

All the news can do is let people in the SE bitch about not having gas (which I realize is inconvenient, but give me a break, it isn't like losing relatives or every damn thing you own or sitting for weeks without power).