Hurricane Ike Makes Landfall in Galveston

Hurricane Ike crashed into densely populated southeast Texas early Saturday, battering the coast with driving rain and ferocious wind gusts as residents who decided too late they should have heeded calls to evacuate made futile calls for rescue. All emergency services were suspended during the storm.

Thousands of homes are flooded, roads washed out and several fires burn unabated as crews could not reach them. But the biggest fear is that the nearly 250,000 people who defied orders to flee will need rescue from submerged homes and neighborhoods. As the front of the storm moved into Galveston, fire crews rescued nearly 300 people who changed their minds and fled at the last minute. Emergency crews received about 100 calls for help during the night but weren't able to immediately respond.

Fire fighters across Texas and the Gulf Coast and specialty urban search and rescue teams across the nation remain ready to respond. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is advising first responders to not self-deploy to the disaster area.

"The unfortunate truth is we're going to have to go in ... and put our people in the tough situation to save people who did not choose wisely," says a spokesperson for Texas Governor Rick Perry. "We'll probably do the largest search-and-rescue operation that's ever been conducted in the state of Texas."

Ike is roughly the size of Texas itself, and may be the worst storm to hit the state in nearly 50 years. Its the biggest to hit an urban U.S. area since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.

IAFF 11th District Vice President Sandy McGhee is in touch with IAFF locals in the storm's path and will be providing updates as available regarding IAFF members and their families affected by Hurricane Ike. 

IAFF 14th District Vice President Danny Todd says, “We have supplies ready to disperse and the Professional Fire Fighters of Louisiana has a fully-stocked trailer that can be dispatched to Texas.”

Additionally, San Antonio, TX Local 624 fire fighters are offering their training center as a shelter to displaced fire fighters and their families.

The most immediate need will be for financial assistance to IAFF members affected by Hurricane Ike.

The IAFF Disaster Relief Fund provides assistance to IAFF members in the United States and Canada who suffer financial hardship as the result of a federally declared disaster area or in cases of natural or man-made disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires or civil disturbances.

Click here to donate online.

After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005, the Fund disbursed more than $1,750,000 to IAFF members in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Florida who were displaced by the storms. Additionally, the IAFF assisted more than 45 local affiliates and their 5,000 members in the stricken area, and provided incident command staff, communications, evacuation, food, medicine (including vaccinations and baseline medical evaluations), behavioral health and counseling, building materials, crews for house repairs, transportation and housing support. The Fund provided more than $500,000 for these efforts. In this fiscal year alone, the IAFF has provided more than $45,000 in member relief.

The IAFF Disaster Relief Fund is a 501 (c)(3) Trust Fund. Tax deductible contributions can be sent to:

IAFF Disaster Relief Fund
1750 New York Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 824-1571