Stormed-tossed Texans set to return to
work as recovery picks up
Send a link to a friend
[September 05, 2017]
By Daniel Trotta
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Texas takes another
step toward recovery from Hurricane Harvey on Tuesday when many
residents return to work for the first time since the storm devastated
the Houston area, killing around 60 people and putting tens of thousands
into emergency shelters. Many large Texas employers, universities and
transit services are reopening or beginning full service on Tuesday
after Labor Day, some for the first time since Harvey struck the state
on Aug. 25.
Oil refineries, pipelines and shipping channels in the nation’s energy
center have begun a gradual return of operations. Exxon Mobil <XOM.N>,
Halliburton <HAL.N> and Chevron <CVX.N> are among the scores of Houston
businesses reopening their doors to office workers. Texas A&M University
in Corpus Christi and the University of Houston also are resuming
classes Tuesday.
The storm first hit Corpus Christi in the south and traveled up the
coast, dumping up to 51 inches (129 cm) of rain in places across the
region and flooding homes and businesses.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Sep/05/images/ads/current/lincolntheatre_sda_031016.png)
Texas residents who fled to Austin, San Antonio and Dallas ahead of the
storm returned to check on their homes as flooded streets drained.
In Houston, travel north and east of the city eased over the weekend and
highways filled as more gasoline stations opened and supplies, while
tight, proved adequate.
Exxon said its Spring, Texas, campus was unaffected by the heavy rains.
But employees who need to work remotely are encouraged to do so,
spokeswoman Suann Guthrie said.
Houston Metro, a regional transit provider, said it would open all its
parking lots and rush-hour lanes on Tuesday.
Most roads have reopened but travel in some areas west of the city
remains difficult. ConocoPhillips’ <COP.N> headquarters on the west side
is closed until Sept. 11 due to flooded roads.
Houston’s school district, the seventh largest in the nation, also
remains closed this week to repair flooded schools. The district has
said about 75 of its 275 schools suffered major or extensive flood
damage.
As Houston picked up the pieces from the devastation of Harvey, a new
hurricane threat appeared, this time headed for the Caribbean islands,
the U.S. East Coast and Florida.
Hurricane Irma was upgraded to a powerful Category 4 storm on Monday as
islands in its path braced for its impact. Hurricane advisories were
issued for territories that dot the West Indies, including parts of the
Leeward Islands, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in
preparation for the storm.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Sep/05/images/ads/current/humanesociety_sda022411.png)
ENERGY SECTOR
In Texas, shipping channels, oil pipelines and refineries restarted some
operations on Monday and authorities lifted an evacuation order for the
area around a once-burning chemical plant.
Port operations across the U.S. Gulf Coast oil and gas hub were
resuming, although many still had restrictions on vessel draft,
according to U.S. Coast Guard updates.
U.S. gasoline prices fell in expectation that the area can get back on
its feet after Harvey cut a path of destruction across more than 300
miles (480 km). Benchmark U.S. gasoline futures <RBc1> fell by more than
3 percent on Monday.
[to top of second column] |
![](../images/090517pics/news_c5.jpg)
A woman waves the U.S. flag as samaritans offer water and food to
residents who returned to their homes flooded by Tropical Storm
Harvey in Houston, Texas, U.S. September 4, 2017. REUTERS/Adrees
Latif
![](../images/ads/current/richardson_lda_080217.png)
The Coast Guard allowed some barge traffic to enter Port Arthur,
Texas, home of the country's largest oil refinery, and is
considering allowing ships to enter on Tuesday, a spokesman said.
Flooding from Harvey caused fires at the Arkema SA <AKE.PA> chemical
plant in Crosby, some 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Houston.
But on Monday, the company said the Crosby Fire Department had
lifted a 1.5-mile (2.4-km) evacuation zone around the plant,
allowing people to return to their homes.
The lifting of the order may help residents like Paul Mincey, a
31-year-old tugboat engineer who has been kept out of the ranch home
he shares with his girlfriend, return to normal.
"It could be full of snakes for all we know. We have no idea what's
in there," Mincey said from aboard a tugboat in the Houston Ship
Channel, which he said was polluted by floating railroad ties, trees
and trash strewn by the storm.
HOW TO PAY?
The question of how to pay for hurricane recovery became more urgent
in Washington after Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Sunday increased
his damage estimate to between $150 billion and $180 billion.
Republicans and Democrats returning to Washington on Tuesday after a
month-long break will need to put differences aside in order to
approve an aid package. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
challenged Congress to raise the government's debt limit in order to
free up relief spending.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Aug/29/images/ads/current/stclaras_lda_SPONSOR_2017.png)
The U.S. House of Representatives will vote Wednesday on $7.85
billion in emergency relief funds for the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration and
plans another vote later this month on a separate $6.7 billion
sought by President Donald Trump.
The Texas Department of Public Safety on Monday estimated damage to
public property at $382.3 million. Some 190,000 homes were damaged
and another 13,500 destroyed, the Texas Department of Public Safety
said.
(Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York, Gary
McWilliams in Houston and David Shepardson in Washington; Writing by
Alistair Bell; Editing by James Dalgleish)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Sep/05/images/ads/current/hicksgas_ldadaily_BALLOON_2016.png) |