HIGH ISLAND — Authorities began Thursday allowing residents to return to High Island to retrieve their belongings and survey damage to their homes.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Brad Crone said the order allows only High Island residents to return from dawn to dusk.
Crone was stationed at a roadblock just north of state Highways 87 and 124, prohibiting anyone but emergency responders south into Gilchrist, Crystal Beach or Port Bolivar.
“It’s High Island residents only as of right now,” Crone said. “And you have to have property identification.”
Crone said authorities are working on allowing limited access for residents of the remainder of the peninsula, but the bridge at Rollover Pass is damaged, and officials are working with the military to install a temporary bridge.
Rising water from Hurricane Ike has turned much of the pastureland south of Winnie on state Highway 124 into marshes.
The Rev. Marty Boddie and his wife, Nicole Boddie, of St. Matthews United Methodist Church, have tables of supplies, such as food, water and household items for residents who are in need.
“We’ve been slow getting assistance,” Boddie said. “They brought us some ice earlier, but David Malley, who has a house on Port Bolivar, brought in some supplies from family and his employees.”
Jack Marvin’s home on state Highway 124 has a view of the beach. He said it’s 28 feet above sea level.
“You can see where the water line came up,” said Marvin, who rode out the storm at High Island Elementary School. “I’ve never seen the water this high. During Alicia, we had a pretty good mess, but not this bad.”
The water line stopped about 20 feet from Marvin’s front yard fence, which was littered with debris, including an above-ground tank that he said might have damaged his neighbor’s house.
