In Cameron, La., a hamlet next to the Gulf of Mexico, Washington state Sen. Dave Schmidt, R-Mill Creek, witnessed the waste laid by Hurricane Rita.
“This is a town of 2,000 people that is totally, totally wiped out,” said Schmidt, an Army National Guard soldier deployed to the region as part of the recovery effort.
“Street after street, mile after mile, you only see concrete foundations,” he said by phone. “It’s like a tornado hit the whole parish.”
Schmidt, a staff sergeant, arrived Oct. 4 for a 30-day stint. He is based at Gillis Long Center 20 miles north of Baton Rouge, a one-time sugar cane plantation and later treatment center for people with leprosy.
His nights are spent in a sleeping bag on a cot in a tent. His days are spent helping coordinate the activities of 11,000 National Guard soldiers in the state, including about 580 from Washington deployed mostly in New Orleans.
His primary role is as a liaison between the National Guard and local government officials.
One of his first tasks involved Cameron, where city government could barely operate because it lacked equipment and resources.
“I suggested we send 10 National Guard soldiers with computers to get them up and running,” Schmidt said.
Last weekend, the soldiers and Schmidt flew there by Chinook helicopter. Shortly after setting down, another chopper landed. In that group were former President Bush and Army Lt. Col. Marcel Honore.
Schmidt met them briefly before his contingent headed into town. There, he said, the damage far exceeds what is shown on TV and captured in news photos.
With a “360-degree panoramic view, you get the feel of how big it was and how devastated the area is,” Schmidt said.
After two days in Cameron, he spent Monday in New Orleans, and on Tuesday worked with the Louisiana Department of Education to determine which schools are open or closed.
“When schools reopen, it is a sign of a parish returning to normalcy,” Schmidt said.
Normal life will not return for months, he said, adding that while many people want someone to blame, no one could have prevented the destruction.
“This storm was so big, so huge, I don’t think there was any level of preparedness that could have prevented this level of devastation,” Schmidt said.
Jerry Cornfield is a reporter with The Herald in Everett.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
