Many Galveston residents heed evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Laura

GALVESTON, Texas — Galveston’s Seawall was built following the hurricane of 1900. At the time, it was the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. The wall makes a huge difference when it comes to storm surge.

But officials say leaving the island is the safest thing to do as Hurricane Laura makes its way toward land.

“We got enough going on with the virus and everything, now we got this going,” Wanda Callas, of Galveston, said.

Callas decided to leave with her two grandchildren. She joined hundreds of others who loaded onto buses headed for higher ground as part of a TDEM program for those with transportation challenges.

“We’re going to take one day at a time,” Callas said. “May God bless us and keep us all (safe), that’s all I can say.”

The city initially asked anyone who doesn’t live or work on the island to leave on Monday. On Tuesday, they ramped up the evacuation order after seeing the latest forecast models. No one is physically forcing anyone to leave and there’s no penalty for staying.

“I’ve been through two evacuations,” resident Patrick Brady said. “One went really well. One I was in my truck for 24 hours. I’m not doing that again.”

Staying on the island means you’re on your own in the event of an emergency. That’s something many people are not willing to risk.

“I pray for everybody in our little island,” Bolden said. “I love our little island and just wish everybody would leave if they can.”