Those Who Stayed

[Refugee 7]

In Hurricane Ike's wake, search-and-rescue teams have deployed throughout Texas's coastal areas looking for victims and those in need of help. On Galveston Island alone, an estimated 20,000 people (out of a population of 57,000) ignored or were unable to heed mandatory evacuation orders. Many of them have since fled, as living conditions in the foul, fetid aftermath quickly become intolerable. But some still remain. They're now being aided by first responders, including nine FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams, made up of engineers, medical personnel, canine units and search specialists, among others. One of them is Task Force Phoenix, led by Rick Bartee, 47, assistant fire chief with the Phoenix Fire Department. He has worked in the aftermath of numerous disasters, including the 1994 Northridge, Calif., earthquake and the World Trade Center after 9/11. His 34-person unit arrived in Galveston on Monday morning and has been working nonstop since. To learn more about the situation on the ground, NEWSWEEK's Catharine Skipp spoke to him by phone late Tuesday. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: Can you describe the scenes when you arrived on Galveston? What were the conditions like?

Rick Bartee: I-45 is the only way in and the only way out. The whole southbound side was filled with boats, debris and the tops of houses so it is impossible to pass. It's amazing how the storm put those boats up there. And the houses, especially along the shoreline, the water came in through the back and out through the front and took every piece of furniture with it. It is amazing the force of nature that occurred. The other thing is the sight of people that hang on and continue, the resiliency of folks that want to remain where they are and want to start over as soon as they can. That impressed me. I hope that if this ever happens to me, I have that same attitude and resiliency to stay and rebuild without being devastated and give up after I've been there all my life. But the people that stay behind do put the rescuers that came in early at risk.

What about people that stayed behind with children?

Somebody said that today you can be arrested if you leave your kid in a hot car, but staying here is OK?

What is going on with the people who rode out the storm on Galveston Island?

More and more are wanting to leave. We are encountering more and more who decided to stay who want to get off the islands. With the flooding, there are very few who didn't get water in, or the water went completely through and blew out the walls on both sides. Some people have been here all their lives and they were thinking that things were going to turn around quickly but I don't see that happening anytime soon. And more are realizing that every day.

How bad are living conditions?

We have moved into an area where the infrastructure is totally devastated to the point that there is no running water, no electricity and no gas. There are no stores and the only meals they are getting out here are bottled water, ice and MREs [military Meals Ready to Eat]. Many are at a school with no running water or electricity. We've had to make a home for us to live, and we are living the same as the residents.

And there are still people there who don't want to leave?

Today our crew and the fire department heard about a 98-year-old female who didn't leave during the storm and had refused to leave after. Neighbors were taking her food and water, but she was refusing to leave. Our crew went and sat with her, talking to her and were able to convince her to go to the hospital to be checked.

How have you been spending your days?

We've been working specific areas in Galveston going door to door. We have covered over 1,000 residents and encountered 120 to 130 needing transport to the collection area or hospital. Also, we've encountered animals and [in accordance with federal law], we are transporting animals to the ASPCA.

Have you found any fatalities?

No, not for us. I think there are probably shut-ins [homebound people] that will be found, but my teams haven't had any.

Are your duties there nearly completed?

Today they allowed the residents to come back and check their property and then they are supposed to be off at dusk although I'm not sure how they will monitor. We will be out tomorrow and the state of Texas has the resources to finish.

Has every area along the coast been checked at this point?

I'm not sure about on the ground but eyes in the sky [aerial surveillance] at least. There is still work to be done, but the state has a handle on those.

Is there an image or experience that will stay with you from this?

The image for me was being in the Reliant Center [which FEMA used as a staging area, next to the Houston Astrodome] at 1 a.m. when Hurricane Ike came through Houston. All you could hear for hours and hours was the sound of a freight train, and I was wondering when the windows were going to blow in. We got flooded. And then the sight of what the storm left behind. With all the technology we have, we watched the storm coming closer and closer. I knew they had low evacuation numbers on the coast. When we got there and could see how much water came over the islands, it was amazing that people survived. I wonder how they can live in the aftermath as long as they have with the mud and the flooding.

[Ladywiz 4]

Incredible! But then again, home is home! I'd probably do the same thing.

[Echosoftom 3]

I applaud these rescue teams, they are so amazing. I just don't understand these people who insist on staying and "riding out the storm". WTF? There's not a damn thing you can do once that hurricane hits except hang on and hope the hell that your life is spared. Plus, it makes me angry because it puts these incredibly brave rescue workers at risk. And for what? You can't save your home or yourself once it gets out of hand. I think mandatory evacuation should mean just that. Plain and simple, you have to leave.

[KansasPettyFan 1]

^ I don't get it either. I am sure it is easier said than done but still.

[agirl 0]

Sharon you said it! There is no way I would have stayed. Just the size of those waves would have sent me running.

[Marion 1,411]

It's all just so sad. Galveston was such a pretty city. I may have stupidly tried to stay thinking my home could take the storm but if all was lost I would move on, especially after seeing the pictures of the damage.

Here is a link to some pictures I found.

http://www.click2houston.com/slideshow/news/17466546/detail.html

[Magnolia 171]

I think it is totally selfish to put others at risk because you're too stubborn to obey the order.

There would not be a mandatory evacuation order unless authorities believed that lives would be

at stake. The same thing happens here when we have the wildfires. I understand some that COULDN'T get out, but the one's that wouldn't I think are just plain wrong. And, I believe

they should have to pay for the rescue efforts, too.

[Refugee 7]

^ Sharon and Barb, you took the words right out of my mouth.

[WildflowerNJ 136]

Just so sad.....I applaud those amazing and brave rescue teams, too...

[Starfish 0]

Just remember, it isn't always easy for people to evacuate. I'm not talking about the idiots who could leave and don't, but the people who are perhaps elderly, confused, physically disabled, worried about leaving their pets... I'm grateful that my sister has the means and the common sense to get herself and her family out of town when a hurricane threatens, but not everyone is so lucky.

[Echosoftom 3]

No, I'm not talking about those people Nancy. Those are the ones I feel sorry for. And, I'm not sure if I could leave my pets either. I'm talking about these people who were perfectly able to evacuate but chose not to for whatever stupid reason. I saw them interviewing many of them on the news, who said things like "well we're just going to stay here and ride it out and hope it doesn't get too bad" or "oh hell, we've heard this before". Well maybe so, but I'd rather err on the side of caution and save the lives of me and my family. Worse being if you come back and your home is intact, great but if you come back and it's destroyed, that is horrible but you have your life. There's absolutely nothing you can do to save your home in a hurricane. You're just another person out there that the rescue teams have to try to get to when it's all over. It just doesn't make any sense and like Barb said, it's totally selfish.

[kira 0]

When they thought it was going to Corpus, my best friend would not leave. Her husband could not. He is a pipe runner for natural gas lines. He has to stay and survey damage for gas line ruptures. Once you're out, you usually cannot return and his job requires he be there.

I flew through Houston yesterday. Southwest resumed flights on Tuesday. There was a flight curfew at Hobby as there were no lights on runway. Saw many houses with blue tarps on roofs. Hobby Airport is off I-45 en route to Galveston. Saw lots of standing water. The really wild thang is I have to be at a conference in Galveston in mid-October. I received email yesterday from the organization that the conference is still on. The conference center at Moody Gardens sustained little damage (go figure if you do a search for it - its on the backside of island and I thought water came in from the front and back) and the hotels on Seawall sustained little damage. I don't understand because the news reports I was watching were from the Holiday Inn Resort Hotel which I have stayed at. Looked like it was taking a beating and the Hilton is right next door. My coworker heard they had water damage to the 3rd floor. Go figure.

[Echosoftom 3]

^ Kira, that must have been so weird flying in and seeing all that damage from above. It looks like total devastation on the news to me too.

[Magnolia 171]

Just remember, it isn't always easy for people to evacuate. I'm not talking about the idiots who could leave and don't, but the people who are perhaps elderly, confused, physically disabled, worried about leaving their pets... I'm grateful that my sister has the means and the common sense to get herself and her family out of town when a hurricane threatens, but not everyone is so lucky.

^ Yes, that's why I said I understand that some people COULDN'T get out.

I'm talking about the idiots that wouldn't evacuate. I even saw footage of a man who

was swearing at and flipped off police that were begging him to leave his home.

[Marion 1,411]

I remember watching the news reports that people who stayed were calling for help during the storm.

[LizzieB 0]

I don't understand why people stay either, if they are able to leave. A mandatory evacuation is called for a reason, and not lightly, either. They told Houston to stay put and Galveston to go, so that should have told them something.

It must be hard to walk away, knowing that you won't be able to come back for a long, long time. And to worry that your home is being looted, or burning to the ground or something just as bad. But still, I wouldn't risk my life for my home.

I haven't heard of any deaths. That's amazing considering how many people stayed (although I'm sure they'll find some eventually).