There are lots of stories out there which get missed, especially in the small towns. I am Scoutmaster in Canton, TX, where we took in around 50 bus loads of people evacuated from Beaumont. No real warning, the local radio issued a call for help around 9:00 Saturday morning.
Forget about disaster planning, the police and fire had their hands full. Our Troop was on scene within 90 minutes while the people were still coming inside the community center through the rain. The local people began to arrive before 1:00 PM with blankets, pillows, food, etc. The Baptist Men's Disaster Relief guys started setting up around 3:30, and by nightfall most had been settled in.
Some were bussed to a local church (about 200) and others were sent by bus to Athens (about 30 miles south) around lunch on Saturday.
Another Troop from Edgewood (about 18 miles) came on Sunday to help serve dinner.
Small town Texas still embodies the best ideals our land has to offer, the people are mostly generous and caring. I would guess that there are people like that all around the country, or the world for that matter. We need to take that "personal responsibilty" attitude and work together, and learn (once again) to be responsible for each other, reliance on the government or "somebody else" didn't work this past weekend, and it sure won't work tomorrow.
This is in no way an official accounting of what happened, just a ground level telling of what we saw, and what we did.

I am a resident of Port Arthur on the Friar Point addition (Jimmy Johnson Blvd & 9th), does anyone know how severe the damages are? Pls help. Thanks

I was wondering if anyone had word on how the hurricane affected the Texas side of Toledo Bend Lake in Indian Creek.
If anyone has any answers to this question please let me know.

I have been trying to find out if I-10 is open from Houston through Lousiana and if there is fuel available along the way. My husband went to San Antonio to take care of some business just before Rita hit and we are trying to find out if he will have to make a detour. I have looked on Lousiana State Police web page and reviewed the road closure report which does state that I-10 westbound is closed in a couple of locations because of downed lines or trees, but there is no mention of eastbound and the availability of fuel along the route. If any one in the area could inform the public about the availability of fuel along I-10 through Lousiana, it would be very beneficial to all.

We live in Pensacola and are very very familar with the damage a hurricane can produce. We were very,very blessed not to have any major damage to our home and the homes of our family members here in the area, but our hearts and prayers go out to all who were in the line of fire of Katrina and Rita whether they received minimal damage or worse.
Thanks to all who give their support to the hurricane victims.

Thanks to both of you for being there to report & photograph what many of us believe happened but donot know unless dedicated reporters like yourselves enable us to be in the know. No one dodges a bullet in a Cat 3 Hurrincane, it's wrath is very obvious as your story & pictures show.

My husband and I left Plano, TX the night of Hurricane Katrina and made it to Waveland, Mississippi around 6:30 a.m. the next day...we were in total shock at the amount of devastation. Luckily my entire family survived - there were many who did not. I still don't understand why we were able to make it through and the government and Red Cross could not. Thanks for your efforts in helping the all too many victims of this deadly hurricane season.

Info on Orange can be found at www.kogt.com there are also alot of pictures there of the different neighborhoods. I have relatives there and also some that evacuated to central texas so checking often for them.

I lived in Orange, TX for 12 years and to have it and all the other communities between Beaumont, TX and Lake Charles, LA virtually ignored seems inexcusible to me. The three points of "The Golden Triangle", as it was known for many years, are Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange--not Lake Charles, LA!

People keep saying they dodged a bullet? How wrong can this be, God spared these people and the lifeline of the oil refineries, I prayed that the Hurricane would not hit our oil refineries because we are already seeing high gas prices and we don't need then any higher than they already are. this was not a natural disaster at all, this was God's way of saying "wake up people" get out of your sinful life and turn to God, our whole country is a sinful country and we all need God in our lives, repent and turn to him and Jesus and you will see the difference it will make in your life and our country as well.

WE STILL HAVE OVER 200 PEOPLE IN OUR LOCAL CHURCHES THAT JUST WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THERE COMMUNITIES AND HOMES. MOST OF THESE PEOPLE ARE FROM THE ORANGE/PORT ARTHUR/BEAUMONT AREA. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO NEWS COVERAGE AND PICTURES FROM THAT AREA. MOST OF THE CNN REPORTS ETC. ARE STILL FOCUSED ON NEW ORLEANS. BUT THE PEOPLE IN OUR SHELTERS ARE FROM THE TEXAS COAST AND JUST WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING. THANKS.

any word on vidor texas-my sister and her family live there and don't know if they have a home to return to

Any news about Nederland and the north part of Port Arthur along Hwy 69? My beautiful 24 year old daughter was to be married in Nederland on October 1st. Sadly that won't happen but we are grateful for their safety. Still we hear or see so little about the area. It's like they have been forgotten.

It seems that alot of attention was and is still being given to Galveston and Houston and I am glad they were spared. The truth is we lived in Lake Charles, LA for nine years. We now live in Frisco, TX. We have friends with young children in our home from Lake Charles becuase they were forced to evacuate. They want to get back home but are being told by the to stay away. The city is closed off till aleast Oct. 3rd. We are getting reports back from other friends on the police force and SBC crew that it looks like a bomb exploded in Lake Charles. No electricity water and phone service.Power lines are down everywhere I feel for all them down there. To be away from your home and not be able to go back and look at the damages is uneasy. Please keep them in your prayers.

Thank you for continuing your coverage of this beautiful region. I was born and raised in Port Arthur and my family has lived their entire lives in Port Arthur, TX and my relatives all live in and around Beaumon, Tx, and Lake Charles, LA. I live in New York and cannot begin to tell you how heartbroken I am. I was able to watch news coverage all weekend and what I saw should NOT in any way be described as a "dogged bullet". My heart goes out to everyone effected by Hurricane Rita. To those who are reading thias and have not had access to local coverage, here is what I have seen. The shrimping industry has basically been obliterated since boats and docks alike are in splinters, sugar cane and soy farms wiped out, livestock destroyed, homes torn to shreads or burned to the foundation, broken trees everywhere, power lines downed everywhere. Water everywhere. North of Beaumont had extensive wind damage and also some flooding. I cannot begin to fathom what this might look like in person. My own family and relatives have no idea that they will return to. And yes, we are all very thankful for the minimal loss of life, but what are these precious people coming back to? Everything they had worked for...where will it be? God bless us all.

My hometown is DeRidder, Louisiana - I still have family there. They have not dodged any bullets, but I haven't seen one report on any news centers that tell me how they have faired through this. Luckily, the phone service is working and I did get to talk to them. They are saying that the lights will be out for 3 or 4 weeks. There is no food and no gasoline to get anywhere. I am sure there are more people from DeRidder that would like to know what is going on in our area.

The information posted is very helpful but it would be great if aerial photos/videos of the damage to the Orange area could be posted. KOGT.com blog has been a great help.

I'm so glad that this area is not being ignored. I have 19 refugees from Vidor, Orange, and Jasper county who now share my 1400 sq ft home in the Dallas area. These folks have had no word about their homes, animals, and belongings and are only being told to STAY OUT! Please get pictures and the story of this area. We all appreciate your efforts so much!

I am so upset about hearing in the news only short blurbs about the rural areas of Texas, or Louisina or Mississippi. The government better wake up and realize that those people living in the rural areas or just as important as those who live in the'big city'.

For smaller town information, go to Mondotimes.com, which lists all the world's newspapers, magazines, tv and radio stations; select the paper and/or station that reports on your town and visit their website for info.

I would like to know how the residents of Sweet Lake, Louisiana are doing. My grandson and his family live there and the last I heard is, they were heading back home after evacuating north.

You should contact the local television station in Houma, LA if you would like to post pictures of an area that floods at least once a year due to hurricanes and tropical storms. These people in lower Terrebonne Parish deal with this sort of devastation constantly. There were 9 foot storms surges in parts of that have never flooded before. Our levees crumble at the slightest surge because believe it or not, they are not hurricane protection levees. Imagine that! Give Martin Folse a call @985-876-3456, he will be more than happy to share our way of life with anyone willing to listen.

Has anyone heard about Sour Lake, TX? My sister and Niece live there and I haven't heard from them yet. Someone please let me know. Thanks so much!

Does anyone have any information on the Starks La. it is just over the Texas/Louisianna line and around Lake Charles. My husbands elderly grandfather lives in a mobile home there and we have not heard from him. His teenaged grandaughter and her new baby were also living with him. Last we heard before Rita hit was that he might try to get out and head to some family in Jasper Tx. Pawpaw can be stubborn and doesn't like leaving his home. We are hoping that he did in fact get out! We heard Jasper was hit pretty hard as well can anyone confirm this. We have been unable to get in contact with the Jasper relatives as well and are very concerned. Any information on Starks La. and Jasper Tx. would be very appreciated. If for any reason someone who does know James "Jim" Payne from Starks and might have info. on him or his whereabouts we would appreciate the help. Our family is praying for everyone of you who have been affected by these storms! God bless you!

In this article on msnbc.com this morning, it is mentioned that Louisiana has not yet been declared a disaster area.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9389157/

How can that be?? Louisiana not declared a disaster area?! Texas certainly has been, I found the declaration on www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/print/20050924-7

It now appears that southwestern Louisiana was damaged much more severly than most of the affected areas in Texas (except those areas in the vicinity of the Louisiana stateline). Is this just an oversight? Or did Governor Blanco fail to say the magic words to Pres. Bush?

If true, who could I contact to look into this? It ought to be given a public airing.

Does anyone have any information on Sulphur, LA, located just west of Lake Charles? Haven't seen anything about this town. I called it home for 10 years, still have friends and relatives there that I can't get in touch with. Any information or pictures would be appreciated.