Missing (10 page)

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The mobile homes being used now are different than the trailers used after Katrina. As you know, there was a definite problem with formaldehyde in those trailers. They weren’t supposed to be permanent. These are. These mobile homes are commercial grade. They have worked out a whole lot better than after Katrina.”

The young woman nodded, and then finished her notes. Fitzpatrick knew she would have more questions about this. Right now, the helicopter was heading further north and the photographer had his camera on the scenes outside. More in-depth questioning would take place later, once they got on the ground.

As he looked outside, Fitzpatrick saw the lessening of damage on the ground the further north they got. Downed and damaged trees were now gone. People were outside helping their neighbors clean up the debris. He made a mental note to make sure he pointed this out later when they were on the ground. The public loves these kinds of stories.

After Katrina, when the National Hurricane center told people to leave town, they did. The National Guard had come in to help people leave the area safely, and dropped them off in a safe place further north. Of course, a few people were die-hards who just wouldn’t leave, but they were from the towns further north. Fortunately, this time no one died in the hurricane. There had been some injuries, but not many. They had to rescue about fifty people in some of the towns located midway down from Beaumont. They were lucky this time.

The further north they went, the better it got. Fitzpatrick was satisfied to see what had taken place since he had left two weeks ago.

As the helicopter headed north, back towards Beaumont, where the Texas/FEMA Joint Field office was located, they passed the towns of Port Acres, Port Neches, Dowling, and several other smaller towns, and then to Beaumont. Fitzpatrick saw three semi’s heading south on the now cleared highway, taking more aid to those in the southern towns. Everything was going like clockwork.

Fifteen minutes later, the helicopter landed back in Beaumont. A black Lincoln was waiting for them this time. The driver got out, walked over to the helicopter and took Fitzpatrick’s luggage. He also loaded the film crewmember’s cases in the trunk of the car. Then, they all got in the car and left.

It was a quiet ten-minute drive to the Field office. Just as Fitzpatrick got out of the car, Stan McClelland came out of the building and towards him. He had worked with Stan extensively a month ago, beginning in the hours after the hurricane had hit. He had also met him on several occasions before this. While Fitzpatrick didn’t necessarily consider him a close friend, he was impressed with how well he did his job. McClelland was in his early fifties, grey haired and a bit overweight, and a tireless worker. He was dressed in an off-white shirt with the FEMA logo on it, and a pair of grey pants. As McClelland got closer, he stuck out his hand. Fitzpatrick shook it.

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Mr. Fitzpatrick. Glad you could come. Please come inside.” Then he looked at the news crew. He looked back at Fitzpatrick with a questioning look.

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Nice to see you again Stan. This is Sasha Walken and Josh Bradshaw with NBC. They are going to be tagging along with me today and doing some filming of the work that is going on,” Fitzpatrick explained.

Both of them shook hands with McClelland. McClelland looked back at Fitzpatrick. He nodded, but still looked confused.

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How are things going, Stan?” Fitzpatrick continued.

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Things are going very well,” Stan said, steering Fitzpatrick towards the door.

Inside the building, the activity was less than he had seen two weeks ago. Fitzpatrick noticed three state agency workers talking to a Stan’s right hand man, Pete Morrow. He wanted to ask Stan what was going on, but he didn’t want to do it with the media here. He turned to look at the news crew.

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Sorry. I have a meeting to go to right now. You are free to walk around outside for a while and get whatever tape you need. I saw a food truck, so you can get yourselves something to eat. The meeting shouldn’t take too long. Then we’ll take a trip into some of the more damaged areas and I’ll show you what is being done.”

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Sounds great, Mr. Fitzpatrick. That’s what we were hoping to see,” Sasha said. “We’ll see you in a little while then.”

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Okay.” He watched as they walked back out the door, then he turned to Stan. “Can we meet in your office for a few minutes?”

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Of course. “

Fitzpatrick dropped his suitcase off at the secretary’s desk and then followed McClelland to the back of the building. There were two doors. One he knew was McClelland’s office. They went in the second door. It was a conference room. The last time he was in this room was just hours after the hurricane hit the area. The six-foot oval table sitting in the middle of the room had had detailed topographical maps all over the top and representatives of state and federal agencies who were here to help the victims of Hurricane Marco. Now, the room was quiet, all the decisions made and implemented. Fitzpatrick walked around to one side of the table and placed his briefcase on top of the table. Then he sat down.

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Can I get you something to drink?” McClelland asked.

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A glass of ice water would be nice.”

McClelland nodded and walked out the door, giving the order to his secretary sitting outside. Then he returned to the table and sat down across from Fitzpatrick.

“
So, how is it really going here, Stan?” Fitzpatrick asked, folding his arms on the table.

McClelland leaned back in his chair. “It’s going very well. People still have needs, but we are getting what they need. We are at a point now where I can anticipate how much of what we need and get it ordered. Only takes a short time before the semi’s come in. It has worked like clockwork. Oh, of course, there are some people who have had complaints.”

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Like what?”

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Oh, that the aid didn’t get here before the storm was even over, for one. They just didn’t realize we aren’t going to put our people in danger before the storm clears. We got what they needed and now they are happy.”

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How’s it been going with the state agencies?”

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Very good. I am in contact with the Texas Emergency Management every day. The National Guard finished their umpteenth check of the areas just after you left the last time. Then the Governor ordered them to leave. Since then, the focus has been on sustaining the needs of those still in the rescue centers, getting the debris cleared out and the getting the people back in their homes.”

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How have the mobile homes been received?”

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Very well. As you know, many of the people in these towns are older. Their kids either live in the town too or live elsewhere in the country and they simply didn‘t want to leave. So, they jumped at the chance of getting a mobile home put on their lots. Once the debris was gone, the mobile homes came in and they were able to settle in their new homes. Since the mobile homes didn’t have furniture, the Texas Emergency Services worked with the Red Cross and found beds and a few basic pieces of furniture, along with some clothes to replace what was lost. It is enough to get them started.”

Fitzpatrick already knew most of what he had just said. He hadn’t been sure about the furniture. Maybe some people even found pieces of their furniture in the debris. He was glad that people could now get their lives back to normal.

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How is the cleanup going?” Fitzpatrick asked.

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Some areas, like up here, are pretty much done. But, in areas further south, it is still slow going. But, they are getting there. The locals have been helping each other out and there have been people coming in from surrounding states and various organizations, who have been a really big help.”

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I noticed route 87 still has debris on it.”

Stan nodded. “Yes, I know. We have been trying to take care of the needs of the people and haven’t gotten around to it. However, there is a group coming in today who are going to be gathering the wood and other debris off the road. I think they are going to dry the wood and sell it. I told them they are welcome to it. I told them they can have what they want as long as they get it off the road first. Texas Emergency Management didn’t have any problem with that either. I heard it is a group of fifty Mexican-American’s. Shouldn’t take them too long to clear it out. I’m going down there later today and see how they are coming along.”

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That’s good. How many people are still in the centers?”

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About a hundred. Most of them are from the far southern cities. Most days, they go down to where their homes are, work on cleaning up and then come back to the centers at night. We have another twenty mobile homes coming in tomorrow, so those with lots ready will be getting them set up. Another twenty will be coming in two days later.”

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How many have their lots ready?”

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From what I am told, fifteen are ready now. Another fifteen will be ready by the time the next twenty come in. Some of the older people are having a hard time getting their lots cleared. We have new bunch of kids coming in today, so I am going to send them down there and work on them. There are about ten lots to clear. The water and sewer lines are already there, they just have to get the lot cleared and the concrete pad poured. It should only take a couple of days to make sure the concrete is set and then they will be ready for a mobile home to put set into place. All the lots should be cleared and set up within a week, which is how long the group will be here. It is a fraternity and sorority group from a nearby college. I forget which one. They aren’t in school yet and they wanted a service project.”

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How many are in the group?”

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From what I am told, about a hundred. They are coming from three different colleges. They are going to be camping in tents. So that might get interesting, but several of the parents are acting as chaperones.”

Fitzpatrick laughed. “They ought to make short work of it.”

Stan nodded. “I think so too. You might even see them when you go on your tour. A group of ten men, who are experts in concrete pads, will also be there. They have bags of concrete ready to pour. Once the debris is gone, they will start pouring. Should be cured in a couple of days and the mobile homes can come in.”

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That’s great.” Yes, it was great. Good footage and good publicity for the group doing the work. “How much longer do you think this is going to take?”

Stan sighed and thought for a moment. “It’s hard to tell, but I’d say another month. Probably no more than that. Once people get back in their homes and the rest of the businesses get back in business, then it will be better. Anyone needing a mobile home should be in them in two weeks, max. Some of the mom and pop businesses further south may not open again. They took a bad hit. But, the businesses up here are getting in all their supplies and products, so they are supplying all of the area. It is just a few miles in-between and they have been busy, so it looks like that is working out well. Who knows, maybe over time other local stores will open further south. Right now, it’s still up in the air.”

Fitzpatrick nodded. “That’s good to hear.” He was satisfied the recovery of the area was going well. Certain things have priority. Getting rid of debris being the biggest one. Getting people to come back was another. At least the area is beginning to get back to normal.

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Are a lot of people coming back?”

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Yes. Especially in the towns further north. Most of the people in the smaller towns didn’t go very far, so they are all here. Some people lost everything and decided to leave. I’m sure this area has lost some of its population, but until they do a head count, they won’t know for sure.”

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That’s to be expected when a major hurricane hits. Sometimes towns die out because the damage is more than they can handle. Sometimes towns have a lot of damage, but it takes a long time to get back to normal if the people decide to stay. Most times it is a wait and see situation.”

Stan nodded. “Yeah, I know. But, as far as things are going right now, I’d say it is possible that we can be out of here as soon as two weeks, but no longer than a month. The state services can take over then. They will be staying here for a while longer and will give any additional needed aid. I have been talking to them and they are ready. They have been highly involved here and they know the needs of the people. So, all is going very well.”

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How has the turnaround time on the mobile homes been?”

It was a big contention Fitzpatrick had when he arranged with the company to build the permanent mobile homes. They had to have at least thirty ready and had two days to get them to the disaster site. They predicted Marco two days before it hit land, so there was plenty of warning. The company had the mobile homes piggyback loaded on railway cars and awaited word to move them out. Then they arranged for trucks at the drop-off location to transport the mobile homes to Texas.

Fitzpatrick had been surprised and relieved how well the company was living up to the agreement. And, they were continuing with their services. He made a mental note to call them on Monday and thank them again for their services. He needed to do it before Harper did and then bragged about it.

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The turnaround time has been great. Whenever I have called, they had them on the road and here in a couple of days. I’ve had the lots monitored, so I could anticipate when they would be needed and get the people in the homes sooner, rather than waiting a couple of days more.”