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Claudette cleanup under way
(CNN) -- The remnants of Hurricane Claudette, now a tropical depression, drifted westward across Texas on Wednesday as authorities cleaned up behind a storm that did more damage than expected. Claudette hit the Matagorda Peninsula with 80- to 85-mph winds, churning up strong surf as it came ashore Tuesday and killed two people as it moved inland. It did not inflict major damage, but left behind more property damage than officials in coastal towns expected, Galveston Mayor Roger "Bo" Quiroga said. Quiroga said much of the damage in the area was beach erosion, which undermined roads and foundations on the west end of Galveston Island. "Houses were under water. Half of the homes were basically caved in," Quiroga said. "The houses that were on the beach were undermined by the currents. They were still under water to a certain extent." In Port Lavaca, more than 140 miles south of Galveston, high winds peeled back roofs, overturned motor homes and knocked down brick facades of buildings downtown. In addition, the surf churned up by Claudette dumped large amounts of trash onto the beaches, Quiroga said. Gov. Rick Perry has asked President Bush -- his predecessor in the governor's mansion in Austin -- to declare 15 counties a federal disaster area. A federal disaster declaration would make residents eligible for federal aid to help them rebuild. Remnants of Claudette prompted flood watches and warnings Wednesday across southern Texas. Forecasters estimated the storm would bring 2 to 3 inches of rain to the upper and middle Rio Grande basin in the next 24 hours. 'Nothing minimal about Claudette'The hurricane came ashore Tuesday with high winds and heavy rain. Tropical storm force winds extended as far out as 140 miles, the hurricane center said. "There's nothing minimal about Claudette," said Jack Colley, state coordinator for the governor's Division of Emergency Management. "Fifteen counties were impacted, we're still in the response mode, and our objective now is to ensure the health and safety of our citizens," Colley said. In Victoria, just inland of Port Lavaca, a woman was killed after the worst of the storm had passed through. A spokesman for the Victoria County Sheriff's Department said the woman left her house to inspect damage outside when a tree limb fell on her and killed her. In Jourdanton, Texas, about 35 miles south of San Antonio, a 13-year-old boy was killed by a tree that fell in the storm, officials said. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescued two men after their 92-foot shrimp boat sank at the entrance to Sabine Pass, a narrow slip of open water through the bayous east of Galveston on the Texas-Louisiana state line. Flooding strands some residentsThe storm surge stranded some residents of Surfside Beach, near Freeport, but the hurricane center said the flooding along the north Texas coast would subside as the high tide ebbed. In the Galveston area, more than 100 miles from where Claudette came ashore, 8-foot waves crashed over five lanes of highway on the seawall built nearly 1,000 feet from the tide line, and waterspouts spun wildly over the choppy water. The Galveston City Council declared the western end of the island a disaster area. Many beach front houses were damaged and several roads were impassable because of high water or from storm damage. Red Cross spokeswoman Suzanne Hogan said Wednesday that workers had moved in to the stricken East Texas area to provide relief. Workers are providing residents with food, clothing, shelter and cleaning supplies, Hogan said. The Red Cross' disaster relief fund is dangerously low, Hogan said. Anyone wishing to donate can call 1-800-HELP NOW or can contribute online at www.redcross.org, Hogan said. Local Red Cross chapters are also accepting donations. CNN correspondents Martin Savidge and Ed Lavandera contributed to this report.
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