“A cake is a cake and cake is good, but when you have cake with icing, it’s great. Temple has given us the icing,” Craig Picker from Angleton said at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center about 11:30 Thursday night. Picker was having trouble sleeping and decided to enjoy the warm Central Texas night.
“The people here are real nice,” Picker said. “I couldn’t believe it. The bus trip took about six hours. We cheered when we saw the troopers that would escort us to register.
“Then they told us we were there - these people welcomed us with open arms. They had drinks and snacks for us. One lady on the bus wasn’t well; I was pleased to see the paramedics go straight to her. You just know you are in good hands when the officials here treat you so well.”
Picker was talking about volunteers from Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) who helped register them at the Belton Expo Center.
. . .
Meanwhile, it’s 12:20 a.m. at the old police building in Temple, where special needs evacuees are settling in for the night. Charles Plane from Freeport has concerns about his family.
“My nephew is helping look after all the animals at home,” he said. “I had to evacuate because of my medical things. I am worried,” he said.
“They have fed us and given us a bed and pillows and blankets,” and everyone here is so helpful.
Staff from Scott & White Memorial Hospital and other local medical personnel have been kept busy at the shelter.
Temple police and firefighters stationed at the shelters said everything was running smoothly and people seemed to be settling in.
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1 a.m. Friday and CERT volunteers with Bell County Amateur Radio Club volunteers await the last of the buses from Brazoria County. Karl Kolbe from Temple CERT has been at the Expo Center since 11.30 a.m. Thursday. “I am tired, but we are only expecting one more convoy of buses. When they are processed I can go home.”
Kolbe was called out Tuesday afternoon and has been working 12-hour days, but he isn’t alone. Most volunteers were too busy to stop and talk. Their aim was to ensure evacuees got to their shelters as quickly as possible.
Solange Blanchard from the Sheriff’s Posse made sure animals received water when they arrived before being transported to local veterinarians.
At 2 a.m., Blanchard, a high school student, was still preparing dogs and cats for their trip to kennels. “That’s my job, just looking after the animals,” she said.
Even though the days are long for local volunteers, there was still a spring in everyone’s step and a smile for those who had arrived with nothing more than a bag of clothes and some personal effects.
Bill Ray, Homeland Preparedness executive director, said that from the get-go planning has been excellent.
“Great plans and great cooperation from all the partners,” he said.
Ray had been awake for 21 hours and was ready for his head to hit a pillow. He was amazed by how smoothly everything was running at the Expo Center.
“I can’t believe the CERT volunteers,” he said. “They have been here since we started and they are still here.
“They stepped up and helped our county in a way that is really hard to explain.
“People taking time out of their lives to come help other people, just because it’s the right thing to do. I hope we never have to, but if we do ever have to, I hope we can do as good a job at our end.”
Ray said overwhelming support from volunteers was a good indicator about the kind of community Bell County is. Later, he choked up at a meeting of the Emergency Operations Center when he thanked them for all they had done for his county.
. . .
Finally … it’s 1.30 a.m. and volunteers spring into action when they see the flashing lights of state trooper vehicles heading toward the Expo Center. The last of the buses has arrived from Brazoria County. It’s the end of the day for some. The start for those who came in to relieve volunteers.
By 3 a.m. shelters were quiet with a few sitting outside chatting about Hurricane Ike.
“It really is all you can think about,” Robin Kyle of Freeport said.
“We feel safe here. Everyone has been so nice to us and they don’t even know us,” she said. “There are some really nice people in Temple. I don’t think I will be sleeping much tonight - maybe tomorrow.”
