No deaths or injuries were reported among Houston Jews two days after Hurricane Ike.
The fierce storm that pounded southeast Texas inflicted little damage on community property, according to Toby Newman, a social worker with Houston’s Jewish Family Service. Ike came ashore over Galveston on Sept. 12.
Power outages in Houston remain widespread, however, and Newman said authorities told residents that it could be up to four weeks before service is fully restored.
A meeting of the local Jewish response team was scheduled for noon Monday at Seven Acres, a senior-care facility in southwest Houston that has power from a generator. The facility housed an additional 300 people during the storm, including employees and their families.
“The community is really pulling together and doing the best that they possibly can to try and get help,” Newman told JTA.
Newman said the main priority is ensuring an adequate supply of food, water and ice.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
