City officials, community members and first responders from around the county listen to speakers in the bay of Fire Station No. 1 during the grand opening in Galveston on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019.. (Kelsey Walling/The Galveston County Daily News via AP)
August 22, 2019 - 11:09 AM
Galveston, Texas, has a new main fire station as recovery continues since Hurricane Ike swamped parts of the city in 2008.
The Galveston County Daily News reports the $9.6 million Fire Station No. 1 was one of the last large projects funded by Ike disaster relief money. Construction continues on a public works building and a wastewater treatment plant.
Visitors on Wednesday toured the nearly 28,000-square-foot (2,600-square-meter) fire station. The base is 11 feet (3.35 metres) above ground level.
Fire Chief Mike Wisko says the station was reinforced to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Forecasters say such storms include winds of at least 157 mph (250 kph).
All six Galveston fire stations were damaged by Ike, with winds of 110 mph (177 kph) and a 15-foot (4.6-meter) storm surge.
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Information from: The Galveston County Daily News, http://www.galvnews.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2019