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‘The church was flattened’
By Flora Mae Comeaux Cox
Published July 27, 2003
We lived near the Bolivar Lighthouse. Early the morning of July 27, we were warned to get out of the house because of rising tides.
We walked to the Catholic Church about one and a half blocks from our house. It was raining, and the wind was blowing very hard.
We were all kneeling and praying when someone noticed the roof was literally lifting up off the church. So we left by the backdoor. We no sooner got out and the church was flattened to the ground.
We walked in pairs holding hands through the pelting rain and raging wind toward Fort Travis.
In fact, the wind was so strong it literally picked two of the neighbor children up off the ground — they looked like rag dolls being taken by the wind. They were scrapped up but OK.
We all crammed in to an immobile car to get out of the strong wind and rain at the crossroads near Fort Travis.
Two of the men went up to the fort to ask permission from the commanding officer to have his soldiers come down to help us. He refused, saying it was too dangerous to send a vehicle.
The winds calmed down right before the eye came over and we made it up the incline to the fort. The soldiers came to help us after we made it up. But, thank God, we all made it safely.
Our frame house was knocked off its blocks. We stayed in one of the government owned houses near the lighthouse while our home was being repaired.
Flora Mae Comeaux Cox League City
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