Sep. 22 Ike News Update from Texas Parks & Wildlife

Please Note: This is the last daily Ike news update from TPWD. In the future, we will only post news if there is significant new information to share. For complete TPWD Ike news, including dozens of high resolution photos for news media use, go to tpwd.texas.gov/site/emergency.

Tom Harvey, 512-389-4453, tom.harvey@tpwd.texas.gov

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10:30 a.m. CDT — Update 12

Note: This item is more than 15 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.

Below is information sent by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to the Governor’s Press Office today. The governor’s office is coordinating official communication about Ike for the State of Texas, including TPWD activities. The following information is provided as a service and convenience for TPWD’s audience. For complete information, see the Texas governor’s web site at http://governor.state.tx.us/, or news media may phone the press office at (512) 463-1826.

 

Texas Game Wardens/TPWD Law Enforcement Division

  • TPWD has had approximately 200 game wardens and associated boats and equipment deployed for Hurricane Ike.
  • This week on Galveston Island, TPWD has been tasked to deploy 50 game wardens to meet with 100 DPS troopers to assist with law enforcement and traffic control.
  • Today another game warden team is part of a recovery effort led by Chambers County on Smith Point, where much of the debris from Bolivar Peninsula communities washed ashore.
  • Dozens of other game wardens continue to support local jurisdictions with law enforcement patrols, looting prevention and related assistance in various parts of East and Southeast Texas. Based on weekend reports, about 30 game wardens are in the greater Beaumont-Port Arthur area, about 10 are in the Jasper area, some 55 are in the Rusk area, about 50 are in the greater Houston area and teams of five game wardens each are working in other areas of East Texas.

Texas State Parks

  • A total of 13 Texas State Parks remain closed due to Ike, down from 37 closures at the event’s height. The current list of parks closed due to Ike is online (tpwd.texas.gov/spdest/parkinfo/hurricane). Anyone canalso call the state park reservation center at (512) 389-8900 to check which state parks are closed or accepting evacuees.
  • Since the storm event began, more than 5,900 evacuees have been given shelter at64 state parks outside Ike’s path.
  • This week, teams from TPWD’s Infrastructure Division will start field site visits to begin the process of assessing facilities damage and repair costs at state parks and other department sites.

TPWD Employee Relief

  • The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation has raised $100,000 in donations to support employees who lost homes or were otherwise affected by Ike.The Palo Duro Canyon State Park friends group has also donated $10,000 to this effort.
  • The TPW Foundation has set up a special"TPWD Employee Hurricane Relief Fund." Donation checks can be mailed to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Re: TPWD Employee Hurricane Relief Fund, 1901 North Akard, Dallas, TX 75201.
  • The Human Resources Division is coordinating agency-wide employee disaster relief efforts. So far, TPWD has managed to provide temporary housing for all but three employee families displaced by Ike.

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