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>> HURRICANE RITA MADE LANDFALL
NEAR THE SABINE RIVER SHORTLY
AFTER MIDNIGHT THIS MORNING.
THE HURRICANE IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE INTO NORTHEAST
TEXAS LATER TONIGHT.
(wind and rain)
>> WHEN HURRICANE RITA
BLEW THROUGH EAST TEXAS
IN SEPTEMBER OF 2005,
IT CAME IN WITH A LOT
LESS FORCE THAN WAS EXPECTED.
WHILE RITA DIDN'T DO NEAR THE
DAMAGE OF HURRICANE KATRINA...
...IT DID DESTROY A GOOD
SHARE OF BUSINESSES AND HOMES
IN TEXAS AND LOUISIANA.
>> GOT ANYTHING TO DRINK?
>> WE GOT WATER!
>> AS TEXANS FROM PORT ARTHUR
TO SAN AUGUSTINE WERE
ASSESSING THE DAMAGE
AND STRUGGLING TO RE-ESTABLISH
WATER AND ELECTRICITY,
THE STAFF AT SEVERAL
STATE PARKS WERE DOING
THE SAME THING,
NOT JUST FOR THEIR HOMES,
BUT IN THEIR PARKS AS WELL.
>> WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN RITA
CAME THROUGH, IT BROUGHT ABOUT
A 10-FOOT TIDAL SURGE WITH IT.
>> AND THIS IS THE ENTRANCE TO
OUR WALK-IN TENT CAMPGROUND.
IT WAS AN ENTRANCE,
IT WILL BE AGAIN.
>> AS YOU CAN SEE THERE IS A
LOT OF WORK TO DO.
NONE OF THE CAMPSITES
ARE USABLE.
YOU CAN SEE THEM ALL.
>> TEN TEXAS PARKS AND
WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT SITES,
ALL IN EAST TEXAS WERE
DAMAGED BY HURRICANE RITA,
INCLUDING STATE PARKS,
HISTORIC SITES,
AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS.
(phone ringing)
>> 30 MILES SOUTH OF BEAUMONT
IS SEA RIM STATE PARK.
>> SEA RIM STATE PARK, THIS IS
GENE, CAN I HELP YOU?
>> GENE *** SPENDS A PART OF
EACH DAY EXPLAINING TO PEOPLE
WHY THE PARK IS STILL CLOSED,
OVER A YEAR AFTER
THE HURRICANE.
>> PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHY
WE ARE STILL CLOSED,
WHEN THEY CAN COME CAMPING.
THEY WANT TO KNOW WHEN WE ARE
GONNA GET OPENED BACK UP.
(ocean waves)
>> ON THE SURFACE, SEA RIM
LOOKS READY FOR BUSINESS.
DAMAGE TO THE MAIN BUILDING WAS
MINIMAL, THE GROUNDS HAVE BEEN
CLEANED UP, AND THE LAST OF THE
DEBRIS IS ALMOST GONE.
(backhoe sounds)
>> BUT OVER THE YEARS, PARK
USERS HAVE COME TO EXPECT
SHOWERS THAT WORK,
WATER TO DRINK,
AND TOILETS THAT FLUSH.
>> OUR WATER PLANT HAS BEEN
DAMAGED AND OUR WASTE WATER
PLANT HAS BEEN DAMAGED,
SO THERE'S NO WATER,
WASTE WATER FACILITIES AT ALL.
>> THE STORM SURGE FROM
HURRICANE RITA REACHED ALL THE
WAY ACROSS THIS ROAD TO WHERE
THE WATER PLANT SITS.
THE BUILDING WAS INUNDATED
WITH WATER, ESSENTIALLY FRYING
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
>> UNTIL WE CAN GET THOSE
REPAIRS DONE, WE'RE NOT GONNA
BE ABLE TO OPEN THE PARK UP.
(bird chirping)
>> ABOUT 40-MILES NORTH
OF SABINE PASS IS
VILLAGE CREEK STATE PARK.
LOCATED IN AN AREA KNOWN AS
'THE BIG THICKET'
THREE-QUARTERS OF THE PARK IS
UNDEVELOPED, WITH TALL STANDS
OF PINES AND OAKS.
>> WE LOST ANYWHERE FROM
30 TO 80% OF THE TREES
OVERALL IN THE PARK.
SOME AREAS LIKE ON MY SIDE
OF THE ROAD ARE WHERE WE HAD
THREE TORNADOS TOUCH DOWN
IN THE PARK.
IN THOSE AREAS WE LOST ABOUT
80 TO 90% OF THE TREES.
SOME OF IT WILL BE LEFT ON
THE GROUND, THE NATURAL CYCLE
OF TREES WHEN THEY GET OLD
AND DIE AND FALL.
AND ALSO AS THEY DECOMPOSE THEY
RETURN NUTRIENTS AND THINGS
BACK INTO THE GROUND FOR
THE NEW PLANTS TO GROW.
(chain saw)
>> ONCE THE ROADS WERE CLEARED,
LOGGERS CAME IN AND HAULED
OFF THE TREES THAT COULD BE
USED FOR LUMBER.
THEN IT WAS UP TO PARK
EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS
TO DO THE REST.
>> WE'VE HAD ABOUT 5 OR 6
OR 8 PEOPLE OUT HERE FOR
3 OR 4 WEEKS STRAIGHT.
WE'VE GOT THE CAMPSITES OPENED
UP SO THAT'LL HELP BECAUSE YOU
KNOW, NO CAMPSITES, NO INCOME.
>> OK THE ONES ON THE END ARE
ROPED OFF WITH YELLOW,
WE STILL HAVEN'T HAD A
CHANCE TO OPEN THOSE YET.
>> IT WAS 7 MONTHS BEFORE
VILLAGE CREEK COULD REOPEN.
AS THE WORD TRICKLED OUT,
VISITORS TRICKLED IN.
>> ONE CAMPER THE FIRST
NIGHT WE WERE OPEN,
2 THE SECOND NIGHT,
3 THE THIRD NIGHT
AND 4 LAST NIGHT.
IF THIS PATTERN KEEPS UP
WE'LL BE DOING GOOD.
(setting up tent)
>> A LITTLE TIME GOES BY
AND YOU FORGET WHAT
THE STORMS REALLY DID.
IT JUST REALLY HITS HOME TO
SEE HOW MANY OF THESE GREAT
BIG TREES ARE JUST GONE.
BUT IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
IT'S STILL BEAUTIFUL.
>> THIS IS OUR WALNUT RIDGE
CAMPING LOOP.
THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDEST
HIT AREAS IN THE PARK.
WE PROBABLY LOST MAYBE 40 TO
50% OF THE TREES IN THIS AREA.
IT WAS HIT PRETTY TOUGH.
>> MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS HOW
IN THE WORLD ARE WE GOING
TO GET THIS ALL CLEANED UP
AND GET OPEN?
WHAT WE DID WAS WE CHOSE
THIS SIDE BECAUSE IT
SUFFERED THE LEAST DAMAGE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF TREES DOWN
BUT THERE WAS NOT MUCH
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ON THIS SIDE.
MAINLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO
CLEAN UP IS WHAT WE CALL OUR
USABLE AREA, MAKE SURE IT'S
SAFE FOR OUR VISITORS.
(tree falling)
>> THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION CAME IN
AND CLEARED THE ROADS.
THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
SALVAGED THE DOWNED TREES.
VOLUNTEERS HELPED THE
STAFF CLEAN UP THE REST
OF THE GROUNDS.
(kids playing and yelling)
SIX AND A HALF MONTHS
AFTER HURRICANE RITA,
CAMPERS WERE BACK IN THE PARK.
>> I THINK THEY CLEANED UP
REAL GOOD OVER HERE.
YOU REALLY CAN'T TELL IN
THE CAMPING AREA HERE THAT
IT WAS A STORM.
CAN YOU CARRY THAT?
>> YES SIR.
>> WE WERE KIND OF
EXCITED WHEN THEY SAID THEY HAD
ONE SIDE OPEN SO WE HURRIED UP
AND MADE RESERVATIONS.
MARTIN DIES IS REAL NICE,
REAL NICE.
(truck rolling)
>> IT WILL TAKE YEARS BEFORE
THE AFFECTED PARKS WILL
BE BACK TO NORMAL.
BUILDINGS WILL BE REBUILT.
FORESTS WILL RE-GROW.
CAMPERS WILL RETURN.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD
PROBABLY JUST GIVE UP,
PARKS AND WILDLIFE
IS NOT GONNA GIVE UP.
WE KNOW HOW VITAL THIS
AREA IS TO THE PUBLIC.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME.
>> WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO
DWELL ON THE FACT THAT WE HAD A
STORM AND IT TORE THE PARK UP.
WE WANT THEM TO KNOW WHAT
WE'VE DONE TO BRING IT BACK
AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW,
AND IT IS STILL THE
SAME PARK THEY HAD BEFORE.
IT'LL ALL BE BACK ONE DAY.