FEMA will open 2 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) in Orange County. One will be in the Administration Building parking lot behind the Orange County Courthouse. The other will in the parking lot of the Tax Office in Vidor behind the Sub Courthouse.
Precinct Two Commissioner Barry Burton said they are hoping to open either Monday or Tuesday.
Life after Harvey will be different for almost everyone in Orange County. Burton observed that helping his wife get ready for her first day back as a school teacher had helped him realize we will all have a new normal.
Close to half the people in the county got water into their homes. Even those that did not get flooded might have had the homes of family and friends that did. The flood damaged many businesses where people worked or at least shopped regularly.
A number of churches received water in them while many congregations have come together to help others who need assistance following Harvey. Burton commented, “I can’t think of a single person that I’ve met that has not been touched in some way and usually in a significant way by this Harvey tragedy. It’s amazing the scope of it.”
One aspect of the new normal is piles of debris lining streets and roads in Orange County. Burton indicates efforts are already underway to remove the debris, but it will take time to take away the refuse from Harvey.
Three contractors are at work to clear the debris. Burton identified Ashbritt as the county’s contractor, and the commissioner informed that they have been working to remove debris on Highway 12 in the north end of Orange County. The other two contractors have been hired by the City of Orange and the Texas Department of Transportation.
Commissioner Burton advises it will be a long time-consuming process to get rid of the garbage left by Harvey. He reminds that Orange County was the last area impacted by Harvey, and the overall disaster area stretches from south of Corpus Christi to the Golden Triangle. Trucks and vehicles to haul off the debris are limited and extremely stretched as a result. “Unfortunately, we’re the last hit, they went south first and as they’re released they’re coming our way,” Burton concluded during an interview on KOGT’s Morning Show.
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