The Galveston County Daily News

During Hurricane Ike, thousands of Galveston County residents evacuated to communities where access to local news and information was limited.

As part of any plan to evacuate before an oncoming storm, include ways to stay in touch with local information and news through Galveston County’s primary news source, The Daily News.

The Daily News in print

As Ike proved, newspaper delivery after a catastrophic storm is difficult, if not impossible. While The Daily News never missed printing an issue, before, during and after Ike, getting those papers into hands of residents proved to be a challenge.

The Daily News will be available at mass distribution points across the county. Those distribution centers will be announced via the newspaper’s Web site — galvnews.com — and through The Daily News radio and television partners, KHOU-TV Ch 11 and AM 740 KTRH.

The Daily News online

As is the case every day, all of the local news content found in the printed editions of The Daily News also is available online at galvnews.com. During emergency situations such as a hurricane, The Daily News goes into continuous publishing mode and updates stories online around the clock.

If you plan to evacuate, consider taking along a laptop computer with wireless access card (also most motel and hotels provide free wireless Internet connections, as do major restaurants such as McDonalds and Starbucks). If you are taking one of the buses out of town, know that most of the Red Cross shelters have Internet access.

Galvnews.com is also where you will find Stan Blazyk’s Weather Watch blog and Twitter feeds from Daily News reporters with live updates from the county’s emergency operation centers, breaking news and more.

E-mail Extra

Sign up for Galvnews.com e-mail alerts for news as it becomes available. Registration is simple and free. E-mail alerts assure you will be notified of breaking news during a hurricane.

Mobile News

Many mobile phones come with Internet access that allows you to access the latest news from The Daily News no matter where you are. On your mobile phone, log onto www.galvnews.com/mobile. That will take you to a list of the top news stories.

It is the same news content you will find on galvnews.com.

Many of the mobile phone providers provide inexpensive data plans to allow Internet access via your mobile phone. If you have the Apple iPhone or the Blackberry Storm, you can also access the full Web version of galvnews.com.

On TV and radio

The Daily News has long had a partnership with KHOU-TV Channel 11, Houston’s CBS affiliate. That partnership is another way to get Galveston County news and information provided by our staff.

In addition to the television broadcasts with information from The Daily News, KHOU also provides links to information provided by the newspaper at its Web site, www.khou.com.

During a hurricane, Daily News staff members will provide updates for KHOU viewers.

In addition, KHOU Chief Meteorologist Gene Norman and hurricane expert Neil Frank will provide regular updates to The Daily News readers.

Don’t have a TV or mobile phone with Internet access? Galveston County news is still close by if you have a radio.

In May, The Daily News and AM 740 KTRH reached a partnership in which Texas’ Oldest Newspaper and Houston and Galveston County’s official radio news source will share information.

At 50,000 watts, KTRH AM 740 can be heard all the way to Austin if your evacuation plan takes you that far away. As part of the partnership, Daily News staff members will provide regular updates on KTRH during a hurricane or any other emergency situation.

Pick up the phone

If you have a news tip or need to relay information to Daily News readers you can call 409-683-5200 or 800-561-3611 to contact Daily News staff members or leave information on our news hot line.

If phone service is disrupted, you will still be able to contact The Daily News at those two phone numbers for news tips, questions about newspaper pick up points or even how to place an advertisement to let the community know that your business is open in the storm’s aftermath.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Twitter is a social networking and microblogging site that allows users to post updates in 140 characters or less.

Because users can post updates with their cell phones, Twitter is a great reporting tool for breaking news.

After Hurricane Ike, The Daily News used Twitter to post immediate damage reports and information about the progress crews were making in restoring water and sewer service.

You can follow The Daily News reporters’ Twitter posts on our Web site, galvnews.com.

You also can sign up for a Twitter account and follow us through the Twitter Web site or on your cell phone, a feature that comes in handy if the power is out and your computer is down.

To sign up for a Twitter account, visit twitter.com and click on the “get started” button.

Once you’ve signed up, you must follow us to receive updates. Visit the following profiles and click the “follow” link below each reporter’s picture:

http://twitter.com/leighjones

http://twitter.com/tjaulds

— Leigh Jones