Portable Showers Filling a Need in Cuero 

Release Date: October 28, 1998
Release Number: 1257-011

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SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- More than 100 people a day are stepping into hot showers, thanks to the installation of two portable units set up in Cuero for individuals displaced by the recent severe storms, flooding and tornadoes. Since the units were installed, 416 individuals living in the nearby temporary shelter have taken advantage of the hot showers.

The Department of Defense brought the showers on October 24 from Fort Hood in Killeen in response to a request from the City of Cuero and set them up next to the Baptist Church. The showers are designed for use by troops in combat and include equipment that boils the shower water before it is used. They will remain in Cuero as long as they are needed.

"We appreciate the Army providing us with this important disaster relief asset," said Federal Coordinating Officer Robert E. Hendrix. "For all those individuals who cannot occupy their homes because of the floods, the shelters and nearby showers provide a welcome relief."

Thirty-eight of the 74 soldiers who installed the units are staying to operate them. The self-sustaining soldiers brought their own medical supplies, shelter and food, so they would not place an additional demand on the disaster relief agencies.

"The very soldiers sent to erect the showers had earlier experienced damage to some of their equipment when the floodwaters interrupted their training at Fort Bullis," noted Col. Joe Hunt, Defense Coordinating Officer. "They were happy to help others who had also been affected by the flooding."

The showers are part of the overall disaster relief effort currently underway by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Texas Division of Emergency Management (DEM), and a number of local and volunteer agencies. The American Red Cross is providing immediate help while FEMA and DEM are coordinating long-term disaster assistance.

Last Modified: Friday, 03-Oct-2008 15:18:46