Return Home to Bolivar Underway

Hundreds of families are crowding onto Highway 124 and Highway 87 Friday for the 'Return Home to Bolivar", but many are discovering there's nothing to return to, according to KFDM News anchor Bill Leger, who is documenting the story with KFDM photographer Drew Barrilleaux.

Click Here - - - Look at some of the photos Bill took on the peninsula of the damage and some of the people he met during the first day back on Bolivar - - - Click Here 

"We got to the Intracoastal Bridge a little after 5 a.m. and already we must have passed hundreds and hundreds of cars," Bill reported to us by phone.

"There were people with trailers standing on the side of the road, waiting to get to a staging area. At 6 a.m. the DPS took us in and everyone followed."

Bill said there are no surprises for the media that's already seen the devastation, but residents viewing their homes for the first time weren't prepared for how little is left.

"People were driving with trailers to load up their belongs, but many have nothing to bring back," Bill said.

 "We met one couple from Austin that lost everything. There is nothing but rubble. One couple from Kingwood had just finished remodeling their beach house a couple of weeks ago. It's gone."

Bill said the entry seems to be going smoothly.

"As far as we can tell, there are no problems.  The Rollover Pass Bridge is reinforced.  Big motor homes went across, flatbed trucks went across. I was surprised by the sheer number of people."

At 9 a.m. traffic was backed up from Bolivar to Winnie.

Watch for Bill's reports on the 'Return Home to Bolivar' Friday on News at Noon, Live at 5 and KFDM News at 6 & 10.

HIGH ISLAND, Texas (AP) - Residents of Bolivar Peninsula crowded onto the only roadway back home Friday, the first day they were allowed to return and check out the massive wreckage left behind after Hurricane Ike roared through this thin strip of land along the Gulf of Mexico.

The peninsula's 4,000 or so residents are being allowed back on a "look and leave" policy, lining up to return despite warnings they could find snakes and alligators in the debris. The peninsula just northeast of Galveston was among the hardest-hit areas when Ike blasted ashore Sept. 13, with 110 mph winds and a storm surge that swept away homes and businesses.

In the small town of Gilchrist, what was once a field across the street from some vacation beach houses now looked more like a dump where the remains of the homes were scattered. Homeowners slowly wandered through the field, looking through chunks of wood, plates, VCRs, blinds and broken toilets.

Beth Varing, whose vacation home of 20 years was gone except for some wooden pilings, was making a small pile beside the road of items she recovered: a few unbroken dishes, some utensils, a fishing pole and some tile pieces.

"It's unbelievable. All I can do is cry," she said. "these beach houses have been here forever. I can't wrap my thoughts around this. I can't see how it picked up these beach houses and now there is nothing left."

Neighbors Raymond and Lola Rice of Nederland walked around looking for anything from the beach home they've had since 1969. They let out a cheer when a neighbor announced he'd found a piece of his carpet.

At one point Lola Rice, 69, stopped walking, looked down and yelled out to her husband: "Do you want a piece of your roof?"

Raymond Rice was walking back to his car a short time later with a silver case containing his horseshoe set.

"It's not any value hardly," he said. "It's just the thought that we found something."

Under the look and leave policy, residents are allowed to come to the peninsula and begin repairing their homes but cannot live in them as there is no power, water, sewer or telephone service and cell phone service is limited. A bridge on the island, near Rollover Pass, has been damaged and only one lane can be used by traffic.

It was slow going along the two-lane State Highway 87 onto the peninsula, though, as traffic backed up at least 5 miles and didn't move for long stretches. Some commuters spent more than an hour on the highway, which was mostly cleared of debris, before passing through a checkpoint onto the peninsula.

As they arrived at the checkpoint, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials stood by the road handing out pamphlets on how to apply for aid. Further down the road, tents were set up where people could get ice, water, mosquito repellent or tetanus shots.

While most residents fled before Ike arrived, a small group stayed.

The Bolivar Peninsula has a population of more than 4,000 residents but that more than doubles during the summer months with the arrival of tourists and beach home owners. The peninsula stretches 27 miles along the Texas Gulf Coast. It is bounded on one side by Galveston Bay and on the other by the Gulf of Mexico.

The peninsula, named for SimDon BolDivar, the South American revolutionary hero, is about 3 miles at its widest point and about one-fourth of a mile at its narrowest. Its five residential communities are Crystal Beach, Port Bolivar, Caplen, Gilchrist and High Island.

Ike has been blamed for at least 62 deaths, including 27 in Texas. More than 1 million people evacuated the Texas coast.

By JUAN A. LOZANO

Associated Press Writer

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(From Guidry News Service)

Galveston County is planning the start of "Return Home to Bolivar", a mission designed to allow access to residents, property owners, business owners, and insurance adjusters in the Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Caplen, and Gilchrist communities. 
Registration Form   Important Information
 
The focus of this program, which starts Friday, September 26, 2008, is to allow citizens into the various communities of Bolivar Peninsula to assess and secure their properties, retrieve belongings, and meet with insurance adjusters. No citizens will be allowed to stay on the peninsula, however you may return daily to complete work and leave each evening.
 
Citizens will have access to the peninsula via High Island during the hours of 6:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Westbound traffic onto the peninsula will not be permitted after 2:00 PM.  Law Enforcement Officers will begin vacate procedures from the Peninsula at 4:00 PM. The bridge over Rollover Pass along Highway 87 has been damaged and has only one lane open to passenger vehicles no wider than 12 feet.  Access via the BolivarFerry is not available to the general public due to unsafe conditions at the landings in Port Bolivar.
 
Persons will be stopped at a check point in High Island. You will be required to show proof of identification and residency and provided with registration forms and information packets. Registration forms may be completed in advance and dropped off upon entry or at any staging area. A main staging area at the High Island School will be available to distribute ice, water, mosquito spray, and hand sanitizer. We are trying to make arrangements for a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center to be available. Also at the staging area, there will be a first aid station to administer tetanus shots if needed and a critical incident stress management team. Mini-staging areas will be located in Crystal Beach at Crenshaw Elementary, 416 Highway 87 and the Joe Faggard Community Center, 1750 Highway 87 with ice and water only. Porta-Cans will be available at all staging areas.
 
Citizens NEED to be aware of several important points: 

• THERE ARE NO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES OR FIRE/RESCUE SERVICES.  THERE IS NO WATER, SEWER, ELECTRICITY, OR TELEPHONE SERVICE.  CELLULAR PHONE SERVICE IS LIMITED.
• Be prepared to walk distances up to ½ mile.  Neighborhood streets that remain still contain debris and may be impassable by vehicle. 
• DO NOT attempt to take items from another person's property - that is considered LOOTING and will make you subject to arrest. 
• There are countless snakes, alligators, and other wildlife risks in the area.  Use caution when moving or lifting items. 
• Health hazards include mold, mosquitoes, and open septic tanks and sewage.  PROTECT YOURSELF from these types of risks.
• Nails, broken glass, lumber, and other hazards abound.  Use caution so you do not injure yourself. Also prepare for the possibility of flat tires by having spare tires or Fix-A-Flat in your vehicles.
• You may need to use a ladder to access high-raised residences.  Use caution as areas you are accessing may have sustained damage, causing floors and porches to collapse. Be sure to bring supplies, tools and equipment to access and secure your property.
• Plan your day so you will be prepared to leave the peninsula by 4:00 PM each day.   

For the most current information available, visit the Guidry News website at: www.guidrynews.com