Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

Night of the Great El Paso Flood of 2006 - Midnight

"The Rescue of Pee Wee the Fish at EPISD"

I’m real tired. It’s late on Wednesday August 2, a day after the Great Flood of 2006. Ben had his 18th birthday tonight and we celebrated a wonderful day--a long day.

Yesterday, our community witnessed the Great Flood of 2006. Over in Vinton, flood waters raged 10 feet high over a blocked underpass and veered into homes. A mom feared for the lives of her two boys who were in her mobile home while the path of a raging stream ate at the foundation.

At Mesa/Thunderbird, water sped off the mountain right into the Blockbuster and the house just downstream and destroyed both.

In the Southside, water rose four feet and 159 families moved the El Paso High for the night, where the Zetas from UTEP just showed up to help--just like that. Red Cross, Salvation Army, the Southern Baptist Men--all of them. They just showed up. And when newscasters said, “we need diapers.’ People came with armfuls.

When they said, ‘we need blankets’, Mr. Kim came with a bundle. When they said ‘we need food’, Mr. and Mrs. Snow came and delivered a bunch.

Pee Wee the Fish was rescued (first photograph below).

TXDOT did a heroic job for 27 straight hours--we’re so lucky to have Chuck Berry, the home boy in charge. Because that’s his cousin or his grandmother who needs the extra help.

DPS brought men and helicopters from Midland and flew all day. Guard came to Vinton to clear roads, go house to house.

John Cook, Joyce Wilson, the command center all working around the clock.

But what amazed me after countless hours on the ground, in the air, pitching sand bags, serving hot meals, feeding Pee Wee--is a community that cares. Here, government works--because people matter.

Katrina can’t happen in El Paso--because people care about what happens to all of us.

More later--after some sleep.

Keeping the Faith,
Tu Senador

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