Bush Tours Areas Hit by Ike
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
HOUSTON — President Bush says that people displaced by Hurricane Ike need to listen to local officials before returning home.
He also is asking Americans to donate to the recovery effort, warning against “disaster fatigue” in the nation.
Mr. Bush spoke to reporters today from Houston, his first stop on a daylong trip through Texas’ most storm-battered areas. He landed at Ellington Field to sunny skies, and was briefed on Ike and its aftermath inside a U.S. Coast Guard hangar before taking a helicopter tour of the damage.
Mr. Bush next visits Galveston, where Ike made landfall on Saturday as Category 2 storm.
FEMA’s director, David Paulison, says the rescue phase is winding down. Officials are now focusing on providing blankets, tarps, water, and ice to victims.
