When Hurricane Ike hit, plans were put into motion. People were plucked from rising waters, pets were rescued and matched with anxious owners, and rations were distributed to the displaced and homeless. However, no plan was in place to maintain the livestock forced to run for higher ground after 20-foot storm surges destroyed almost all of the fences throughout Chambers and Jefferson counties and surrounding areas.
Responding to the plight of ranchers and livestock affected by Ike, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) launched Operation No Fences. Texas AgriLife Extension Service (TAES) became an integral part of this effort along with several other agencies, said Dr. Ed Smith, director of TAES, a part of The Texas A&M University System.
Smith presented a moving video detailing Operation No Fences at the 51st Annual County Judges and Commissioners Continuing Education Conference and Educational Exposition conducted March 9-11 in Austin. Some 530 officials attended the conference, sponsored by TAES’ V.G. Young Institute of County Government.
Operation No Fences resulted in the delivery of more than 9,000 hay bales, 165 tons of feed, and 400 water troughs for ranchers who were unable to feed their cattle, according to the TDA.
The role of the commissioners court in disaster response was discussed multiple times throughout the three-day educational seminar, with officials providing personal testimony on their response to hurricanes, floods and tornadoes. As responders, officials are tasked with meeting immediate needs of victims