Officials set up shop at Holiday Inn Park Central

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September 14, 2008

Anonymous The Port Arthur News Sun Sep 14, 2008, 03:02 PM CDT

Peter Rachwal said Holiday Inn-Park Central is a fortress.

A manager at the hotel, Rachwal said the building sustained minor damage but is still without power.

"This building is a fortress. We had some wind driven rain come in through the window sills and under doors," he reported Sunday. "When the lights went out, we were waiting for the 20 foot surge and were hunkered down in here."

Luckily for the hotel staff and the rest of Port Arthur, the city's seawall held and the storm surge was unable to penetrate the city.

American Steam-A-Way was already working to clean the carpets in the hotel as Port Arthur city and emergency management officials set up a command center inside the building.

The hotel is doing what it can to cater to the city and the DPS, who are both operating out of the hotel despite no electrical service.

City officials are working to acquire generators to power their operations.

City manager Steve Fitzgibbons and city electrical inspector Butch Hafs were using cellphones to direct restoration operations throughout the city.

Rep. Joe Deshotel, Dem., Beaumont, said he understands that people want to return from evacuation to check on their properties, but urged them to stay put while services are being restored.

Hal Ross, manager of the SETX Regional Airport, said county officials are communicating through conference calls, but admitted that it's hard to keep up with everything that is going on across the county.

Sgt. Rodney Harrison of PAPD said police have not had any problems of people breaking curfew that he knows of, but warned that police will be very active enforcing the hurricane rule.

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