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Hurricane Update: RitaHurricane Rita struck the Gulf Coast less than four weeks after and only 270 miles away from Katrina’s Louisiana landfall in August. The fourth most intense storm ever recorded in the North Atlantic, Rita had weakened to a Category 3 hurricane by the time it made landfall near Sabine Pass, Texas, September 24. Coastal communities were hit hard by the storm surge, especially Cameron and Calcasieu parishes in Louisiana, and rains enhanced the damage to areas struck by Katrina.After Lake Charles reopened October 7, Calcasieu Parish Public Library Director Jeffrey Rippel found that only one branch was severely damaged, although moisture and mold problems were present at five branches. “Our Maplewood facility in east Sulphur will be closed indefinitely,” he reported to the State Library of Louisiana. “At that branch, the winds pulled off a good bit of the metal roof, exposing the plywood decking and allowing significant water intrusion.” He estimated that 40% of the collection was lost at that branch. “Considering the devastation throughout the parish, it’s amazing to me that we have come through with so little damage to our facilities.” In Cameron Parish, the situation was much worse. The main library in Cameron is completely gone, except for a bookmobile and electronic equipment that Director Charlotte Trosclair managed to evacuate before the storm. The branches in Grand Chenier, Hackberry, and Johnson Bayou were also destroyed, leaving the Grand Lake library the system’s only survivor. The Elton branch of the Jefferson Davis Parish Library suffered extensive structural damage. The library staff put the collection in storage until a new building is finished in January. The Vermilion Parish Library in Abbeville reported the complete loss of its Cow Island and Vaugh-Copel Memorial branches. Director Jackie Choate said the Erath branch had about a foot of water, with many books on the bottom shelves damaged. The Terrebonne Parish Library in Houma reports that Rita destroyed its Grand Caillou branch in Dulac. The Chauvin branch was closed after taking in a foot and a half of water. Director Mary Cosper LeBoeuf told the state library that Branch Manager Tina Freeman was able to move books from the lower shelves before the storm hit, and she got the collection and computers out of the building before post-Rita dampness set in. A summary of all Rita- and Katrina-related public library damage is available on the State Library of Louisiana website. The McNeese State University Library in Lake Charles had significant water damage to the government documents collection on the fourth floor. Library Systems Administrator Joe McNeil informed the state library October 11 that the staff was able to cover shelves with plastic and remove some materials from the building before more severe damage took place. The floor will probably be unavailable when the university is scheduled to reopen the week of October 24. Many localities in southeast Texas were without power or water for much of October, so reports on library damage have been slow to come in. Director Anne Barker said the Nacogdoches Public Library was in good condition, but 60 FEMA personnel and 240 evacuees temporarily occupied the building after the storm. Beaumont Public Library Director Maurine Gray reopened the system for business October 11. Although the main library had some water on the bottom floor that damaged the carpet, the collection remained intact. “The Tyrrell Historical Library took the hardest hit from the storm,” Gray said in a letter to library Friends, and will be closed at least through mid-November. Some of the Tyrrell archives suffered water damage. Rainwater crashed through the roof of the Johns branch. “Many of the ceiling tiles are down in all the rooms, and the black mold is everywhere,” Gray reported. The Jefferson County Library in Beaumont has a hole in the roof in the technical services area, according to County Librarian Emil Ciallella. Housing in the county was scarce due to the number of Katrina evacuees, Ciallella said in an October 13 report, but “Rita further aggravated the situation by destroying one-quarter of all housing in the county.” The Port Arthur Library reopened October 17. Assistant Director for Public Services Mark Durham reported that the collection was fine but “our gallery had water intrusion and sustained mold damage to the floor and ceiling tiles.” Lamar University in Beaumont reopened October 19 to continue its fall semester, after repairs to damaged buildings were complete. The Mary and John Gray Library returned to service with the exception of the university reception center on the eighth floor, which was substantially damaged after windows and window frames were blown out, sending howling wind and rain to destroy the interior. Water leaks extended to the seventh floor where ceilings and carpets were damaged. Posted October 21, 2005. |
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