Hello Everybody from Hurricane stricken Lumberton, Tx

[lbelle1214]

Well, we stayed @ home thru the disaster and weathered the western eye wall of the hurricane. Scarriest thing I've experienced yet. CNN, Geraldo and all the crew were here televising supposedly "during the storm". All I can say is only to believe half of what you see on national TV. There is no Cameron, Louisiana left. Our town of Lumberton is devestated, however, unlike NO, we did not suffer the flood damage. There is no electricity (temp today 97, heat index 110), no water, no sewage, no means of communication out except for a local clear channel radio station (www.klvi.com) which has been able to communicate with people that have cell phone service and by radio for those who were prepared enough to have batteries. Physicially we all made it thru fine. Every pecan tree in our 5 acres have been laid to rest...the only trees left standing were the 2 100 yr old+ oaks...but they have very few limbs left. We had some roof damage, water leakage, lots of wind damage....lost one dog due to heat exhaustion. We prepared with everything we could prior to the storm. But nothing can prepare you, even if you think you are, for something of this magnitude. They told us before we left, that if we sheltered in, we would be stuck and on our own. Although it's only been a little over 48 hours since the hurricane passed thru, military troops, every DPS officer, every police officer, FEMA, Red Cross.....everyone you can imagine was on their way to help. But it was the neighborhoods, the hometown people that have pulled together, helping each other, getting thru these first couple of days that have been amazing. I'm sunburned, blistered, dehydrated, tired, hot, irritated....but blessed. We've cleared trees from roads to get people out of their houses in rural areas...brought supplies to those needing it, because you cannot leave if you are sheltered in.....so we have to take care of our own. My husband and I have come to my son's house in Baton Rouge for tonight for one day of normalcy before going back to our hometown. There is no gas....no electricity to pump it, even if you had it. No water, unless you were fortunate enough to have a well....we have a septic tank, so if you went to the bathroom....you had to make sure you filled to reservoir tank to flush. No air-conditioner (funny how used to the creature comforts you take for granted). If you were lucky enough to have a generator, you could run a fan to make it tolerable. There is so much I want to tell ya'll....