Water supply may run dry for Baytown-area residents

Residents packed into the Harris County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1A meeting, demanding the agency pays the $249,897.64 it owes the city of Baytown before their water services get disconnected. (The Baytown Sun)

  BAYTOWN, TX (KTRK) -- Faucets could soon run dry at dozens of Baytown-area homes if a Harris County water supply district doesn't keep its promise to pay off an outstanding bill worth nearly a quarter-million dollars.

Residents who live near McNair recently received notices that their water services will be disconnected Tuesday if their water district, the Harris County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1A, doesn't pay the $249,897.64 it owes the city of Baytown from a 2009 agreement.

As a result, more than 100 residents packed into the district's regularly scheduled meeting Thursday and demanded action.

The district said it has withdrawn money from its reserves fund and plans to pay the entire bill no later than Monday.

We worked on this story with our Houston Community Newspaper partner, The Baytown Sun.
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Residents escape burning home in NE Houston

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A fire burned through a small home on the northeast side of town overnight. It happened just before 1am off Finch Road near Homestead.

Fire crews say people were living at the home, but all of them made it out safely. The house was heavily damaged by the flames and may be a total loss.

Firefighters wouldn't say what started the fire, but arson investigators were called to the scene to look into it.

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East End residents upset over utility poles in middle of sidewalks

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A lot of residents in Houston's East End are upset right now. Millions of dollars were spent to improve sidewalks but now neighbors say they can't walk on one without running right into a utility pole.

The community improved the sidewalks while trying to make the most out of light rail construction, but then came the utility poles. Now the complaints are coming in from folks who live and work along Harrisburg Boulevard and the new East End light rail line.

The sidewalk in front of her family business is almost useful, Sandra Mayorquin says, except for the utility pole right in the middle.

"I don't like it. It's in the middle of the street, especially for people who are handicapped. How are thing going to go through the street," said Mayorquin.

It's a problem up and down Harrisburg Blvd. as poles are popping up like weeds in the middle of new sidewalks.

"We got 24 percent of our people handicapped, so we regularly see people in wheelchairs and scooters," said Diane Schenke, who runs the Greater East End Management District.

The district built the new sidewalks when METRO began constructing a new light rail line. Everyone was supposed to work together so the new Harrisburg can be a gateway to Houston's East End.

"We worked very closely with the Greater East End Management District and the community through our community advisory board, all the neighborhood folks, so a lot of the things you see out there are the product of that collaboration. But when it comes to the location of those poles, you've got to talk to CenterPoint about why they're there," said METRO CEO George Greanias.

We contacted CenterPoint Energy about the wayward poles. Late Wednesday afternoon, CenterPoint released a statement saying, "As developments take place, adjustments need to be made."

Schenke says CenterPoint told her the poles are legal because they give at least 32 inches of clearance on one side. But she points out just because it's legal, doesn't mean it makes sense.

"There may be a 32-inch clearance, but literally it's in the middle of the sidewalk," said

Even if the poles are in compliance, the people who live and work in this neighborhood say it's not making the area walkable and they would like more cooperation with those involved.

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Residents evacuated after driver hits gas main

PASADENA, TX (KTRK) -- A Pasadena neighborhood was partially evacuated last night after a driver lost control, slammed though several fences and then hit a gas meter.

Authorities say around 10:30pm, the driver was headed south on South Richey near West Thomas when he crashed through a fence at the Richey Elementary school yard, missing the school buildings but hitting a gas meter in the alley.

He continued traveling into the yard of a house in that residential neighborhood. The driver stopped 20 feet short of the house, but the damage was already done. Neighbors were put on alert about the leaking gas.

They say the man was on the street, disoriented, saying he was trying to head home after dropping his daughter off.

"He took his daughter over to get her car or something. She went home," said neighbor Sherry Buchanan. "They said, 'Where are you going?' He said, 'Home,' but he didn't know where he was, that he was on bath salts or something."

The driver was taken to the hospital to be checked out. At this point, there's no word on what charges he may face.

The gas company came out to repair the leak. Everyone was allowed back into their homes. School will go on as planned today at Richey Elementary.

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Ft. Bend Co. residents worried about possible closure of two small town post offices

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Some folks in Fort Bend County are worried about how they'll stay connected via mail as two small town post offices are slated for closure.

If the offices close, they'll have to travel farther to mail items, even use post office boxes. But it's not a done deal yet.

The U.S. Postal Service is considering closing the Thompsons and Orchard post offices. The postal service has already closed more than 500 post offices nationwide. It says it wants to preserve small, rural post offices like this one in Thompsons. So it's asking residents to weigh in.

They are not the horses used for the Pony Express, but they graze near a modern-day post office that soon could be extinct just the same.

In the town of Thompsons, everyone gets mail at a P.O. Box.

"We have a lot of history out here. Most people don't even know we are here," said Rita Miller.

Miller has had hers since she was married in the 70s. The post office has been around a lot longer, since well before the turn of the century. It's part, however small, of what put Thompsons on the map. An address. A place 236 people call home.

"I would hate to see us lose our identity," Miller said.

But in an effort to cope with a nearly $12 billion budgetary shortfall, the U.S. Postal Service has identified hundreds of small rural post offices which could be closed.

The USPS is sending surveys to the communities, asking them what solutions they would support. A USPS spokesperson tells Eyewitness News they will only close post offices if 60 percent or more of those surveyed agreed to. Thompsons' mayor says no thanks.

"To go to the nearest post office would be approximately 11 miles," said Mayor Freddie Newsome Jr.

Other options include creating rural routes for roadside mailbox delivery. But that would also mean closing the post office and changing every address nearby to the next closest post office's city.

"You wouldn't have any way of knowing that we were here because we would have a Richmond address," said Miller.

She says it would be a blow to their identity. They plan to fight to keep the post office alive.

One other option that seems the most viable is that the USPS has suggested hours at rural post offices be cut in half to just four hours a day.

There are several public meetings coming up on this if your post office is affected.

Orchard Town Hall Meeting
October 23 at 5:30pm
Orchard Community Center
9714 Kindler St.

Thompsons Town Hall Meeting
November 7 at 5:30 pm
Thompsons City Hall
520 Thompsons Oil Field Rd.

You can also visit USPS.com here to get more information.

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Residents fighting against proposed landfill

  By Pooja LodhiaHOUSTON (KTRK) -- Imagine seeing signs reading "proposed landfill site" popping up near your neighborhood. That's what's happening in one Waller County community, and nearby residents are floored and ready for a fight.

Protest signs line the streets all the way to the proposed site.

"Our concerns are the potential environmental impact it'll have on Waller County and the community of Hempstead," said resident Bill Huntsinger, who's protesting against the landfill. "We are also concerned about the traffic and public safety impact it'll have on State Highway 6."

Pintail Landfill wants to build a 250 acre landfill near the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 290. It has agreed to pay the county $1.50 per ton of garbage collected here and has applied for a permit with the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality.

On Wednesday, Waller County commissioners voted to hire an attorney to look into the proposal.

Waller County Judge Glenn Beckendorff said, "No one wants a landfill in Waller County. At this point it's TCEQ's decision. These people bought land as a real estate transaction. That's something we do not have control over as commissioners."

County Judge Beckendorff says the county wasn't prepared when Pintail applied for the permit last year.

"We did not have an ordinance at the time to prevent them from coming to Waller County," he explained. "We have since produced such an ordinance that would prevent any landfills from coming."

But for now those protesting against the landfill blame both Pintail for wanting to build here and the county commission for letting the project get this far.

"It is kind of a David and Goliath story," Huntsinger said. "We, being the citizens, are having to utilize our own resources, our own expertise to fight the landfill."

Pintail is owned by a Georgia company called Green Group Holdings. They issued a statement reading, "The Pintail site is ideal for this project based on the results of the environmental studies and the site's location on a major four-lane highway away from schools and dense neighborhoods."

The state has not issued any permits at this time, and public input meetings are being planned.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Fifth Ward residents upset about illegal dumping

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Some neighbors in the Fifth Ward are complaining about illegal dumping and it's not just all the trash they're concerned about. It's also the fact that they say the city of Houston was doing nothing about it.

Neighbors say they're tired of it. We found out the city has been monitoring this site for some time. But the big problem is that as soon as crews clean up the mess, the illegal dumpers are back in action.

In the 3000 block of Amboy, neighbors like Earline Goffney say the mess is the eyesore they've been stuck dealing with for weeks.

"Now they just dumped this stuff out here. I don't know where this come from," Goffney said. "Next thing you know, it's a pile out there."

It's a huge pile of illegally dumped old furniture, dead tree limbs and other smelly garbage that's spilling into the street in front of an old abandoned and neglected house.

"You see over there, over there, over there. I don't know," said neighbor Manuel Trevino.

Frustrated neighbors say they don't know who's behind all of this dumping.

"The city can come out here and clean up the lot, by the time they are through with the lot, it'd be a truck come by from out of nowhere and be dumping it," Goffney said.

One neighbor claims he's called the city several times to report this nasty nuisance problem. When Eyewitness News checked, we found out the most recent complaint to 311 came in last Thursday.

After our calls Monday, a neighborhood protection inspector was sent out to look at the mess. A few minutes later, a solid waste inspector also showed up.

We've learned the city's inspections and public service division is scheduled to handle the weeds on this lot. And we're told the contractors will also handle the illegal dumping at that time.

Now homeowners like Goffney say they're just glad this garbage will soon be gone.

The inspectors took photos of the mess here and told us the site is under legal review. Solid waste workers showed up Monday afternoon and started removing the trash pile.

We heard from neighbors about a similar situation on Houston's south side back in February.

They told us they were fed up with people using their neighborhood as a dumping ground. They told us the trash had been piling up for months, and their calls to 3-1-1 had been ignored. We started asking questions and by the end of the day, the city was out cleaning up the trash.

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Residents upset with Houston's renovation to area pool

  CRYSTAL KOBZAHOUSTON (KTRK) -- Out of the 38 public swimming pools in the city of Houston, there is one brand new one on Houston's southeast side. The city spent $1.5 million rebuilding the facility, but some resident who live the area tell us they're not happy about the upgrades.

And with Houston's swimming pools opening Tuesday, they say they want their old pool back.

Hot summer days in Houston have arrived and just about everyone looks for a way to stay cool.

But some Houston residents say their new and improved neighborhood pool in the Glenbrook area is less than impressive.

"When we showed up, they had so many people trying to get into it, they had reached there maximum capacity of 60 people -- six-zero," resident Darlene Kirk said.

She says she was one of those who stood in line, waiting in the heat. But that wasn't the only problem she had.

Kirk says the replacement pool didn't even compare to the Olympic-sized pool that was once part of the neighborhood. It has since been filled in with dirt.

"As I've been speaking with people, they are stunned when they find out what they did to Glenbrook pool," Kirk said.

"I think the old one was better, because it was bigger. There's too many kids in the neighborhood. It's just getting more and more kids," resident Steve Rangel said.

Mark Ross with city of Houston Parks and Recreation Department tells us there was just no way to save the pool at this point; it was too old and outdated.

"It was just in a condition where we could no longer operate it. It just had to be shut down and filled," Ross said.

Ross says the new and improved Glenbrook pool is the direction the city is headed in when it comes to rebuilding any public pools in the future.

The new design is more family friendly with a shaded area, even a beach-style entrance.

"This is the new model, this is the recreational aquatic that we're building now. The old days of the big Olympic pools, that's just over for us," Ross said.

Right now, out of the 38 public swimming pools, the city currently still operates three Olympic-size pools.

Ross says so far no additional pools are in need of demolition but funding would be required for any replacement pools in the future.

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Some Ft. Bend Co. residents battling plan for low-income apartments

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Some neighbors in Fort Bend County are in a fight, battling a plan for low-income apartments near their neighborhood. They say the apartments just don't fit in the area near the Southwest Freeway and Grand Parkway.

Ever since Sugar Land City Council approved plans to move forward with apartments near the new Constellation Field, home of the Sugar Land Skeeters baseball team, other communities are looking harder at plans for apartments and not liking what they see.

In a Ft. Bend Co. subdivision so new, houses are still under construction and some streets have yet to be built. The one thing you don't see is apartments. Not yet.

"How is that going to affect traffic an how is that going to affect home values?" said Sugar Land resident Farha Ahmed.

But under a general plan between the developer and the city of Sugar Land, apartments are coming.

"We negotiated with the developers to put a cap on the number of multi-family units they could include and that cap is 600," said Doug Adolph with the city of Sugar Land.

That's not what Ahmed wants to see in this neighborhood.

"They're very concerned. They own a lot of high-value homes," said Ahmed.

The homes in River Stone start at $200,000 on up into the millions. And apartments don't fit in here, Ahmed and other residents say.

River Stone is currently outside of Sugar Land city limits, although there are plans to annex River Stone in the coming years, and 600 new apartments is a part of those plans.

A spokesperson for the city of Sugar Land says city council does not plan to take up the issue right now and says apartments in River Stone isn't going to change the future face of the city.

"Back in 2000, the percentage of multi-family to overall dwellings in the city of Sugar Land was just under 9 percent, when the city's ultimately built out, that percentage will remain at 9 percent," said Adolph.

But Ahmed says the neighbors don't feel that way and they'll be pushing the issue.

"They feel the apartments close by are going to affect the appraised value of the home, but also traffic and safety," said Ahmed.

Johnson Development Corp. did not return our phone calls.

The River Stone committee will have its first meeting Thursday night at 7pm in Sugar Land to talk about the possibility of apartments.

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Fort Bend County residents warned about jury duty scams

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Fort Bend County residents are being warned about jury duty scams.

The Ft. Bend Co. District Clerk urges residents to be wary of anyone calling about jury duty and asking for personal information such as Social Security numbers. The clerk's office says it does not call citizens to request personal information.

The clerk's office urges people who receive calls from an alleged jury duty coordinator to contact the Ft. Bend Co. Sheriff's Office.

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League City residents get ready for hurricane season

  LEAGUE CITY, TX (KTRK) -- Hurricane season is just weeks away, but the time to start preparing is now.

League City officials will meet with residents today to help them get ready for severe weather at a hurricane preparedness workshop.

The workshop will offer advice on planning for emergencies, preparing emergency kits, signing up for the city's call system that alerts neighbors about emergency situations and instructions on what to do before, during and after a storm.

League City's Office of Emergency Management will walk people through the entire process.

The workshop starts at 10am at Helen Hall Library on Walker Street.

Those who can't attend can get tips, watch informational videos and download toolkits on the city's emergency preparedness website.

For more information on hurricane season, visit our ABC13 Houston Hurricane Guide.

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Residents encouraged to bike to work today in Pearland

  PEARLAND, TX (KTRK) -- Pearland is encouraging residents to leave their cars in the garage and ride their bikes to work today.

The city has declared today 'Bike to Work Day' and plans to make it an annual tradition.

Some city employees will observe the day by riding their bikes from the Recreation Center on Bailey Road to City Hall this morning.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Chemical exposure testing underway for Freeport residents

FREEPORT, TX (KTRK) -- Hundreds of residents in the Freeport area are being asked to line up to be tested for possible metal exposure. A frightening thought for many families; it's the first step in determining whether residents may have been exposed to potentially hazardous pollutants from a nearby chemical plant.

Experts have started collecting samples for the voluntary test that will help the state figure out if residents are being exposed to high amounts of some metals.

Mary Galvan is a Freeport mother of four.

"Constantly I'm taking them to the doctor, wondering why are they always suffering allergies," she said.

Galvan was among those getting information early Thursday on tests which the state is conducting. It's collecting urine samples from those living in certain neighborhoods in an effort to determine if those living there are being exposed to excessive levels of cobalt, molybdenum and nickel. They've been found here in both the air and soil.

Dr. Carrie Bradford with the Department of State Health Services said, "I think if people are concerned, they should be tested. It's a chance for them to have a free test done to see what they have in their body."

While state officials have not said publicly where the metals originated, Gulf Chemical and Metallurgical Corporation admits it produces them as a byproduct of its operation. A company executive says it pled guilty to 11 felony charges in 2010 of violations of the Clean Water Act, paying a $2.5 million fine.

Three hundred samples will be chosen at random from those who participate in testing. The metals can cause skin, eye or airway irritation, and in some studies can cause cancer.

Mary Galvan characterizes her level of concern as "high."

"Ten! It's my children. I want to know what's going on with their health," she said.

You can pick up everything you need at the Freeport Historical Museum at 311 East Park. To participate you just have to have the sample returned by 6pm Sunday.

Collection will take place at the following times: May 3 from 4pm - 7pm May 4 from 10am - 7pmMay 5 from 10am - 7pm May 6 from 1pm - 6pm

Residents can pick up urine collection cups with sample collection instructions at the clinic and can drop off their urine samples for testing. No appointment is needed, however urine samples must be provided to DSHS staff before 6pm on May 6.

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Spring Valley Village police urge residents to be on alert after two burglaries in the area

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Authorities in Spring Valley Village are urging residents to be on alert after two burglaries in the area.

On March 15, Spring Valley Village police say between 11:15am and 11:45am, officers responded to two residential alarms within minutes of each other, one at a residence in the 8400 block of Winningham Lane and the other at a residence in the 1400 block of Cedarbrook Drive.

Upon arrival in both cases, officers found that an unknown suspect or suspects had forced entry into the residences.

In one case, it does not appear that any items were taken. In the other incident, valuables were removed from the home.

In the incident on Winningham Lane, police say a witness observed a vehicle parked in front of the residence shortly prior to the police department responding to the alarm. She described the vehicle as an older model Dodge mini-van, dark blue in color. She also stated she observed a male driver in the vehicle and a second male walking from the residence to the vehicle.

Authorities encourage you to immediately report any unusual or suspicious activity to the police department.

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Sugar Land residents concerned about new development where Imperial Sugar refinery once stood

SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- It's been more than a year since the Imperial Sugar factory in Sugar Land came tumbling down and now the land left behind is at the center of a controversy pitting homeowners against developers.

Developers want to bring luxury apartments, restaurants and shops to the area, but residents worry about the impact that could have on their own communities.

The city of Sugar Land says there is some bad information out there about this project and they want to set the record straight. Homeowners, though, wonder if the city is telling the entire story.

Janie Gonzales grew up in a house in the shadow of the Imperial Sugar refinery.

"This house, it means everything to me," Gonzales said.

Developers want to take 800 acres of land around the Imperial site and turn it into shops, restaurants, new homes and apartments. It's the latter that worries Gonzales.

"I've asked how they're gonna control the noise, traffic, everything -- I get no answers," said Gonzales.

The Sugar Land Planning and Zoning Commission recently approved unanimously a plan to move forward.

"The work that the planning and zoning commission did and compromise that the developer did has resulted in many of those concerns having been resolved," said Sugar Land City Manager Allen Bogard.

He says plans are in place to alleviate traffic congestion on the roads, even to create buffers between existing homes and apartments.

The current recommendation to City Council includes 625 apartments, the first 300 to be built near the new baseball stadium. If occupancy exceeds 75 percent, the developer can then construct another 325 closer to the old refinery.

The city says that's better than the prior plan, which limited construction to 459 apartments near the refinery site and contained no cap on the number of units built elsewhere.

"It's still more than the 459," said realtor Diana Miller.

Miller has gathered more than 2,000 signatures against it. She says the project is already hurting homeowners who live closest to the old refinery, who've tried to get their property appraised for a reverse mortgage or refinance.

"It could be valued at $30,000; it could be valued at $200,000. There's just too much uncertainty here," Miller said.

Some have even heard rumors of the city one day using eminent domain to take homes here. The city of Sugar Land insists it has no plans to do so.

The recommendation still must be discussed in a public hearing on April 3 and then voted on by City Council.

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Fifth Ward residents want city help to demolish abandoned homes

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- They're dangerous, they attract criminals, and bring down property values -- and neighbors want them gone. Old abandoned homes are literally falling apart in a northeast Houston neighborhood. So what, if anything, is being done about the problem?

On a quiet street, along Lavender near Liberty, tucked in the middle of the Fifth Ward we found homes no one would want for a neighbor.

Frustrated families on Lavender say they're dealing with a big neighborhood nuisance.

"It's just horrible," said neighbor Barbara Beal. "It's just like something out of another country."

Homeowners are calling nearly half the houses on the 2900 block of Lavender "abandoned or neglected properties."

"I'm glad somebody came out to see what we are talking about," said neighbor Sandra E. Richardson. "On paper, it's nothing. But if you can get to see what we live next to, maybe they'll do something."

The neighbors say some of the vacant homes are hazardous and caving in. They say others are raggedy, attracting too many rodents, squatters and other strange traffic. Neighbors say they're asking the city to do one thing.

"Demolished. Just clean them all up," Beal suggested.

"It is a serious problem," acknowledged Houston's Chief Development Officer Andy Icken. "It's one that we are trying to get our hands on right now."

Icken says the city is trying to tackle the abandoned property issue. Last month, council members approved $3.5 million from the affordable housing fund to demolish hundreds more homes. But Icken says the city's dealing with several challenges.

"Finding who the owner is, getting them to respond," he said. "That's the biggest challenge as we start here."

That reality isn't a good enough excuse for neighbors on Lavender who say they've been complaining about the eyesores for years.

Richardson said, "We need some help from somewhere and all we are asking is them to come in and help us."

Just like the city, we also had a tough time tracking down good contact information for those property owners. The city's next scheduled demolition day is May 19.

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Forecasted storms weighing on some residents' minds

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The images of intense flooding from two weeks ago are fresh on the minds of many who lived through it.

Families were flooded out of their homes and students were stuck in schools around MLK and Griggs and now some are worried this week's rain could bring fresh flooding.

Some of the residents in Sunnyside say the high water two weeks ago was the worst they'd ever experienced so they wanted to find out what caused it and how to prevent it from happening again.

The January 9 floods caught many lifelong residents off guard.

"The water was coming up on my yard. The water could not flow off and then it was really bad by the schools. It was bad all over," resident Joyce Lowe said.

They were driving in water and wading in it. At a neighborhood meeting Monday night at Sunnyside Park, many homeowners demanded answers about what caused the flooding, and with more rain in the forecast, whether their lives will be disrupted again.

"People said tonight that the flooding even backed up to Calhoun, so it wasn't just Griggs, Southpar and Reed Road, traffic jams. So it was a cascading effect," said Charles X White with Sunnyside Southpark Super Neighborhood.

Railroad officials say a broken culvert caused some problems and have promised City Councilwoman Wanda Adams it will be fixed by the time there is more rain.

"In this particular area it didn't drain. That's the concern some of the residents had and they have every right to have that concern because some of them lost a lot of things in their homes," Adams said.

From broken culverts to plugged drains, many of the residents spread the blame between the city, railroad and METRO.

"Homes that flooded that never have before. We're trying to find out exactly what is the problem, what's causing the flooding, since it's never flooded before," resident Norman Tibbs said.

A task force was formed within the neighborhood association to address the flooding issues and hold the various city entities accountable.

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Displaced residents stay at Red Cross shelter

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- People displaced by the floods spent the night at a Red Cross shelter.

The Red Cross set up this shelter at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church on Reed near Cullen. Although there are only a few cars in the parking lot more than 40 people, including some children were asleep inside.

The Red Cross says it's too early to tell if the shelter will close later today.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Fort Bend County residents cleaning up tornado damage

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Bayou City was slammed with severe storms on Monday, and some parts of town are still having to deal with high water and lots of damage.

Those storms actually spawned two tornadoes, one of which touched down near the Mission Bend subdivision in Fort Bend County.

"You can feel the wind inside the house, that was pushing against the house," said resident Umar Sayyed.

On a day when Sayyed is still trying to come to terms with the tornado that hit his house, the street where he lives is full of activity; insurance claim adjusters, Red Cross workers, contractors are all invited.

"The front door was locked," said Sayyed. "It was shut and it flew open."

"I got a couple of calls from customers and I made it out here and I saw what condition it's in," said Juan Villalovo with Mr. Goodpainter.

There is plenty of work to be done there, after the EF-1 tornado tore through the neighborhood Monday morning.

Sayyed pushed his mother and sister into a tiny closet to get away from the twister.

"I didn't have no time to think," he told us. "I just did whatever I could, grabbed my mom and my sister. That's all I worried about."

Afterward, the damage was -- to him -- unbelievable. Much of the roof was gone. The ceiling was gone. And the insulation was on the floor.

"I've been looking at it all day," said Sayyed. "Now I'm starting to believe it."

But his little sister's breakfast is still sitting on the table. And a china cabinet, curiously enough, survived, along with all the delicate glass and knickknacks still intact.

The family is staying with friends for now, knowing it's going to be a long time before they can come home. But they're grateful nonetheless.

"I'm just happy I made it," said Sayyed.

If your home is damaged, you should always check with your insurance company first. That hasn't stopped contractors from trying to drum up some business, even leafleting our live truck just in case we had any fences that needed to be fixed.

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Apartment fire displaces NE Houston residents

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Several northeast Houston residents were displaced Sunday after an apartment fire damaged their homes.

The fire broke out just before 1:30pm on Irvington Blvd. at Soren Ln., right off the Hardy Toll Road near Parker.

Ten units in all sustained damage,authorities said. Two were damaged by flames and eight were damaged by smoke and water.

According to firefighters, all 10 units were occupied. Everyone got out safely, but officials said one person suffered minor injuries from breaking a window.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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