CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Sept. 18, 2008: Caribbean nationals are among Houston and Galveston residents trying hard to pick up from the devastating effects of Hurricane Ike on the areas.

Dennis Warner of the St. Kitts and Nevis Association of Houston, told CWN he`s been without electricity since the storm hit late last week.

`They do not know how long it will take to get Houston and Galveston back together,` said Warner, voicing his frustration. `Sometimes you`d be in a (gas) line for about three hours.`

The city is currently under a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and Warner said Ike forced his association to cancel its celebration this weekend for St. Kitts and Nevis` 25th independence celebration.

`The atmosphere is not conducive for such an occasion,` he said.

But Warner believes something good came out of the tragedy of the storm as the bonds between the various Caribbean communities and the wider Houston community strengthened.

`Everybody became one,` said Warner. `It was so fulfilling to see everybody - black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Caribbean people, whatever - trying to help each other. It was very inspiring.`

Kyle Lee-Young, a Trinidadian event promoter who lives in Stafford, on the outskirts of Houston, said his two young daughters only returned to school yesterday while electricity returned to his home on Sunday.

But Lee-Young said he`s still without Internet, telephone and cable services and is now coping with shortages of gas, ice and meat. But he still considers himself lucky when compared to what others are forced to endure.

`They were flooded real bad,` he said of people on Galveston. `A lot of people lost their homes. Some places are still flooded.`

Attempts to contact residents in other parts of Texas are met with the message,  `Due to the hurricane in the area you are calling, your call cannot be completed at this time.`

Ike has been blamed for 55 deaths so far in the US and has disrupted the normal operations of the cities, particularly the downtown areas, leading to long lines at gas stations, food shortages and disruptions in electricity, telephone and Internet services.

President George Bush declared 29 Texas counties disaster areas. On the island city Galveston in particular, there are concerns about mass health problems because of a lack of access to water for drinking and sewage, even as stray dogs roam the street and alligators show up on roads. – By Erline Andrews/CWN