7 pm. Aug. 29 Nederland ISD

Nederland ISD will be closed the remainder of the week and will resume Tuesday, September 5, 2017 following Labor Day.  The safety of our students and staff is most important. Thoughts and prayers to those affected. Please be safe!

 

6:59 p.m. Aug. 29 from Orange County

Emergency transportation will be suspended at dark, so we are asking citizens that need to be brought to shelter from their homes to do so before dark. Emergency medical services will still be available for life threatening situations.

 

Many roads in Orange County have standing water and that water is not visible in dark

conditions. Be aware of flooded underpasses. At 5:15 p.m. eastbound and westbound exits of IH-10 at Hwy 62 and eastbound exit at Woodlark were NOT passable. Do not attempt to take either exit to Hwy 62, eastbound or westbound. A good source of information on road closures in DriveTexas.org. If you do not have to be on the roads, stay home.

 

The city of Vidor has issued a curfew from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. beginning tonight.

A second shelter has opened in Orange County. Shelter locations are listed below.

 

First United Methodist Church, Mauriceville

11929 Hwy 12

Mauriceville, TX 77626

** shelter not equipped to accept pets

 

North Orange Baptist Church

4775 16^th Street

Orange, TX 77632

** animals must be in kennels & will be outside but under covered area

 

Beaumont Civic Center

701 Main Street

Beaumont, TX 77701

409-866-0490

** animals must be in kennels

 

Items to bring to shelter: ID & important papers, change of clothing, toiletries/personal items, medication, games or toys for children; special dietary needs, battery operated radio/ flashlights/spare batteries,

All Orange County Offices will be closed for the remainder of the week. The Emergency Management offices, the Sheriff’s Office, and the County Jail will remain open.

6:58 p.m. Aug. 29 update from Port Neches

This is an update on Tropical Storm Harvey.   The storm is expected to make landfall near Sabine Pass sometime between 9 pm and 2 am this evening.  Heavy rain will continue over night and there will be wind gusts in the 40-50 mph range.  We can expect to see around 4-8 more inches for tonight and into tomorrow.

As before, if you do not need to go out, please stay at home.  There will be localized street flooding again during the rainy periods.  IT IS ILLEGAL TO MOVE OR DRIVE AROUND BARRICADES, ANYONE CAUGHT DOING THIS WILL BE GIVEN A CITATION.

Until the significant rains subside, there will be no garbage pickup in the City of Port Neches.  We will advise when pickup will resume.

We are still looking to put together a list of homes affected by water.  Please contact Port Neches Emergency Management at 722-5885 if you have water in your home.

Residents are encouraged to visit the National Weather Service web site at www.weather.gov/lakecharles  for the latest weather information.   We will continue to update as new information becomes available.

6:57 p.m. Aug. 29 update from Groves

Tropical Storm Harvey is predicted to make landfall sometime between 9pm and 2am tonight.  We are expecting winds up to 50 mph, possibly uprooting trees and causing power outages within the City.  Residents should make preparations as these outages may be for an extended period of time.  Rain accumilations of 4 to 8 inches are expected through Wednesday.  Rain will be tapering off considerably after the storm moves inland.  Winds however will continue to be in the 30 to 40 mph range Wednesday.  There have been numerous residents in the city blocking roadways, and in some cases unattended vehicles have been parked across the street blocking access.  Emergency vehicles need to have access throughout the city for emergencies, and any vehicle or makeshift barricades will be shoved off the roadway to allow passage.  Your fellow neighbors life may be at stake.  There have been over 200 residences who have reported flooding in their homes throughout the city.  All public works employees, emergecny personnel, and other city staff are working diligently to reduce the impact this unpresidented storm has brought to our City.  Please work with us and heed our messages so we can all get through this with the least impact.  Thank You.

5:55 PM Aug 29

PNG School District will remain closed the rest of the week.

In addition, Motiva remains in operation, though in reduced capacity.

Finally, due to the weather, tomorrow’s newspapers will be delayed in delivery. Expect them in the afternoon. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are confident our readers will support our decision to prioritize our employees’ well being.

Please be safe out there!

4:08 p.m. Aug. 29

Motiva will Donate $500,000 to Texas Flood Relief Efforts

HOUSTON – (Aug. 29, 2017) –  Motiva has pledged $500,000 to support disaster recovery efforts in Houston and Port Arthur after Tropical Storm Harvey’s devastating impact over the past several days.  In addition, the company will match employee contributions as part of the company’s internal-giving programs.

Funds will be distributed to Houston Mayor Turner’s Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund, American Red Cross and other organizations to assist with disaster recovery efforts in both the Houston and Port Arthur, Texas communities.

“While Tropical Storm Harvey has caused unprecedented destruction to our community, it has also illustrated the Texas spirit,” said Dan Romasko, Motiva’s president and chief executive officer. “We are proud to be headquartered in such a remarkable state and are honored to join with our fellow Texans to support the rebuilding efforts on our journey of recovery.”

Working in coordination with agencies in charge of cleanup activities and with the safety of employees in mind, Motiva will be assessing opportunities and supporting employee volunteer efforts to aid in local recovery efforts after the storm subsides.

10:23 a.m. Aug. 29:

Lamar Port Arthur to remain closed for students through next week:

Lamar State College Port Arthur will remain closed on Wednesday, August 30, but will reopen in phases afterwards:

Thursday, August 31: Physical Plant staff return to work

Friday, Sept. 1: All other LSCPA staff return to work

Tuesday, Sept. 5: Faculty and students return for first day of Fall 2017 classes.

Any faculty or staff member unable to return to work due to flooding should contact their direct supervisor as soon as possible to advise of the situation.

Any additional information regarding the campus will be immediately distributed to the public via the College’s website, (www.lamarpa.edu), its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LSCPA), Twitter (#LSCPortArthur), and local media outlets. An email and text message will also be sent to the LSCPA student body, faculty and staff.

 

10:18 a.m. Aug. 29

Port Arthur seniors will not get their food bank deliveries today due to the weather:

10:12 a.m. Aug. 29 HEB announces early closures:

HOUSTON, TEXAS – As the Greater Houston area continues to battle the weather, H-E-B is working with suppliers and vendors to ensure that all stores in the region are able to meet our customer’s needs during this difficult time. We have placed a priority on the essentials in demand – water, batteries, nonperishable foods, bread, baby formula, ice and gas.

However to ensure the safety of H-E-B customers and Partners (employees) and in accordance with

H-E-B’s existing inclement weather protocol, H-E-B stores located throughout the area will close early today, Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 3 PM.

The following stores will be closing early:

Groves

Mid County

Orange

Port Arthur

9:21 a.m. Aug. 29: From Port Neches

Until the significant rains subside, there will be no garbage pick up in the City of Port Neches.  We will advise when pickup will resume.

 

8:53 a.m. Aug. 29 From Groves

The City of Groves will again have to suspend Garbage pickup, the primary and secondary landfill sites have both been closed due to flooding.  Residents will be advised when garbage pickup can be resumed.

8:16 a.m.

The tropical storm is offshore below Port Arthur. It should come ashore later today.

Situation overview ------------------ as of 7 am CDT, the center of Tropical Storm Harvey was over the Gulf of Mexico around 145 miles south-southwest of Port Arthur, Texas. Harvey was moving east-northeast at 3 mph and this motion is expected to continue through this morning. A turn toward the northeast is expected later today and tonight, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast on Wednesday. On this forecast track, the center of Harvey is expected to be just offshore of the middle and upper coasts of Texas through tonight, then move inland west of Cameron on Wednesday. Areas of rain with embedded heavier showers and thunderstorms well north and northeast of the center will continue to develop and track northward across much of the area today and tonight, with an increased risk of localized flash flooding. Isolated tornadoes are also be possible, especially over the coastal counties and parishes. Tropical storm force winds, mainly in the form of gusts, are expected to spread across coastal southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana by late this afternoon as the center moves closer to the coast. Storm surge of 1 to 3 feet above ground level will be possible along the coast through Wednesday night, primarily around the times of astronomical high tides.

8: 12 a.m. Aug. 29

Good morning! Power is out at the Port Arthur News office. Please email jesse.wright@panews.com for any updates on the situation in your part of town.