University mostly spared; evacuees make Tyler home for second time in month

Evacuee shelters opened throughout Tyler for the second time this month to offer a safe haven for some of the nearly one million people in the path of Hurricane Ike.

The Patriot Center served as a shelter during Hurricane Gustav, but got a break during Ike. This time University nursing faculty and student assisted by preparing the Glass Recreational Center on North Broadway in Tyler as a special needs shelter, said Dr. Linda Klotz, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Physical Plant employee Jimmy Spanko builds a sand-bag barrier on Friday outside the Administration Building to channel potential flood waters expected from Hurricane Ike. High winds toppled some campus trees, but flooding did not occur. It caused Friday afternoon classes to be cancelled as well as the Martin Short performance Saturday night. Photo by Allen Arrick

During Hurricane Gustav, Fisher volunteered for an eight-hour night shift, but said that compared to the time others put in during Hurricane Gustav, her shift wasn’t much.

“When we came to assist in the last shelter, everything was already set up. ..” “Can one of you girls help me?” an elderly evacuee interrupts quietly.

“What do you need?” asked Teresa Gonzalez, another Level 3 nursing student.

Fisher and Gonzalez immediately assist the man by adjusting his oxygen tank and engaging him in small talk. He smiled a little behind the mask before moving off, once again breathing comfortably.

With two large-scale evacuations in less than a month, nursing faculty are not requiring students to spend time at the shelter, Fisher said.

“I think they should require it,” Fisher said.

“I like it,” said Gonzalez, who did not volunteer during Hurricane Gustav. “It’s good learning environment.”