Sorry for the constant updates as this story is ever-changing fast.
UPDATE( 9-17-2008 9:30AM CDT): Another traffic jam has developed on I-45 south going to Galveston as many residents have either been misinformed that the “Look and Leave” policy was still or put back into place. However, all of these residents are being turned back. The traffic jam is also preventing rescue authorities and construction crews from getting onto the island in a timely manner. If you are aware of anyone attempting to get onto the island and can reach them, please advise them they will be turned back.
UPDATE( 9-16-2008 6:00PM CDT): Per Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas, effective immediately, the “Look and Leave” policy is cancelled. As of now, residents not currently on the island will not be allowed to return until further notice.
UPDATE ( 9-16-2008 5:15PM CDT): Galveston Island checkpoints have been closed. They were only open temporarily to allow rescue and utility vehicles onto the island. At 6PM, the Island will be closed. There is no word if Galveston will attempt this again tomorrow.
UPDATE: At least for tonight only, checkpoints have been cleared to allow people on the island. However, they still must leave by 6PM tonight.
Galveston residents were told by Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas effective noon today they would be allowed to come onto the island provided they proved via driver’s license or utility bill they lived there. They would be allowed to visit their property, but would have to leave the island by 6PM tonight. National Guard troops are at the base of the Galveston Causeway performing checks and verifications. Yet, many thousands will not get a chance to even get in tonight.
Currently, there is approxiamtely a 4-5 mile traffic jam on I-45 South to Galveston as far north as La Marque. Unquestionably, many of those individuals will not be able to get to their homes tonight. But you can rest assured that tomorrow morning at 6AM when they are allowed to try again, there will be another traffic jam. In fact, like a new Playstation being released in a Best Buy on Christmas Eve, there will be a traffic jam well before the 6AM “opening”.
Compounded to the situation is the fact there are no working bathrooms anywhere on the water; no running water. There are no open businesses or convenience stores. And there are only two POD’s (points of distribution) giving out supplies to residents that didn’t evacuate to begin with.
By far worse, the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, the last open hospital on the island, closed down yesterday after their generators began running low.
Mayor Thomas is a down-home southern woman, genuinely sincere and caring about her constituents. But, it seems she has invited a situation Galveston Island is just not prepared to accept, yet. Residents are going to get hurt. If they manage to make it past the traffic jam without flaring tempers (and, there will be flaring tempers), they will have to navigate the island and their properties without being hurt. Even stepping on a rusted nail or shattered glass is a very dangerous situation on Galveston Island today.
Tomorrow morning, at least for parts of I-45, things will look normal yet again.
