Hurricane Ike brings devastation, power outages and arrests in 20 states www.privateofficer.com

Hurricane Ike brings devastation, power outages and arrests in 20 states http://www.privateofficer.com

Atlanta GA. Sept 16 2008

By: Rick McCann

Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers

http://www.privateofficer.com/

Though Hurricane Ike entered through the Gulf of Mexico in Texas early Saturday morning and rumbled through Galveston destroying buildings and flooding much of the island before hitting Houston with a knock-out.

More than 2000 persons were rescued there and at least six people were killed. But the story does’nt end there.
The storm continued up through the center of the country and headed north and then northeast causing massive flooding and power outages.

Dayton Ohio and Louisville Kentucky were two of the cities hit with huge storms causing power lines and trees to come down.

Dayton reported more than 200,000 without power and Louisville estimated more than 300,000 customers had no power. Both states were forced to call in the National Guard to help police the hard hit areas and apprehend looters, direct traffic, and aid victims. Police say at least thirty arrests have been made so far for looting and burglary.

In other parts of the country, winds blowing at over 40 miles an hour toppled a tree onto a Nashville golf course pinning two golfers in their cart and killing them.

A girl in southern Kentucky was also killed when a tree fell on her as she stood in her driveway. Indiana, Missouri, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and other states all became victims of the hurricane that had landed a thousand miles away.

The storm also kicked up tornadoes as it continued its path of destruction. Cities and towns were flooded and damage is now in the billion dollar range and deaths due to the storm system are now numbered at 60.
Police in Galveston say that they have arrested a dozen or so looters while in other cities police have also made arrests for burglary, thefts, and looting. And the devastation isn’t over yet. Neither is the pain, discomfort, or losses from the storm.

Back in Houston, police say at least 81 people have been arrested for looting. The crimes have hit several areas of our city as Ike was making landfall and after the monster storm moved out. “It’s very disheartening because there’s enough tragedy to infrastructure,…to the act of a theft,” Houston Police Department Capt. Bruce Williams said. So what did they steal during Ike? Officials say everything from furniture to clothes and even liquor.

Council member Adrian Garcia – a former Houston Police Officer– says the act is disgusting at best.”This is horrible when mother nature is upon you and is putting your life in danger and you want to be out there trying to steal from someone else it is unfortunate that someone would have that kind of mindset,” he said.

Williams says the criminals – the 81 people – Houstonians accused of trying to steal from Houstonians will be dealt with swiftly and with a firm hand.This was an image Houston frowned upon in New Orleans but now needs to deal with in it’s own backyard.

It’s going to be weeks before many areas in the country have power according to the Department Of homeland Security and FEMA.

In the meantime, aid is pouring in to the hardest hit areas, police and guardsmen have been on full alert and people are praying that this will be the last hurricane of the season.

JOIN THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PRIVATE OFFICERS

www.privateofficer.com/

Get news alerts, officer down, weather emergency news in your mailbox! Sign up;adminassist@privateofficer.com

Join us at www.myspace.com/privateofficernews

Come be part of our social network! http://www.privateofficer.com