Sister Wilfred Shorten

We, who live inland, hear and read about hurricanes, and may have experienced inconvenience from them such as heavy rain, street flooding, or an electrical outage. I found out what it is like to weather a hurricane at close range when I was administrator of St. Mary's Hospital. On September 11, 1961, the eye of Hurricane Carla came ashore at Matagorda Bay, just south of Galveston. Termed the most dangerous hurricane since the ill-fated 1900 Storm, it was followed by two tornadoes, which along with the winds and rain from the hurricane, devastated much of the island city.

I arrived in Galveston in July. By the end of August the weatherman was watching a tropical depression in the Caribbean. By September 4, it was in the Gulf of Mexico and heading our way.

I wondered what one did to prepare for a hurricane like this. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and we were expecting a big hurricane.

Thankfully, most of the directors and supervisors had previous experience with hurricanes and knew exactly what to do to prepare his or her division or unit for a hurricane.

St. Mary's School of Nursing in Ave Maria Hall was directly across the street from the hospital. Nursing students occupied four stories and the fifth floor was used as a Sisters' Convent, housing approximately 25 Sisters. As soon as it was known the hurricane was coming our way, the nursing students were sent home.

The Director of Nursing Service assigned day and night duty nurses for Sunday, September 10 and gave each one a room in Ave Maria Hall. Each one could bring their family to that room.

The Food Service Manager made sure he had a four-day supply of paper service and food for everyone. Patients were served lunch-style boxes for breakfast, dinner and supper.

The Stock Room Manager, an elderly Sister with loads of hurricane experience, was prepared with plenty of bottled water. Every division drew and stored as much water as they could, and filled the bathtubs for flushing toilets.

The Sisters coming on duty Sunday morning knew they would be on duty for the next 24 hours. Because of the strong wind and heavy rain, they crossed the street from the convent to the hospital in groups, clinging to each other and all barefooted. They set up their command post in the hospital dining room.

The Director of the School of Nursing, Sister Agnesita, opened the first floor of Ave Maria Hall as a public shelter for storm victims. A Civil Defense Director and his teenage son were among the first to arrive, offering to take charge of the shelter. They checked people in as if they were registering at a hotel, took away any liquor, labeled it with the person's name and returned it when they left.

The Sister on Night Duty slept in her own room on the fifth floor of the nurses' building. When Sister Perpetua came down to cross the street to the hospital for night duty, the water was waist-high and topped by white-capped waves. Two Civil Defense fellows in swim trunks met her at the door and carried her across to the hospital.

At a time like this, elderly people, invalids and shut-ins were brought to the hospital for shelter and care from the storm. Every bed was filled to capacity. And each room held not only the patient, but usually the patient's entire family.

The storm did not pass quickly. It stalled in the middle of the Gulf for more than 24 hours, the winds gathering momentum all that time.

The highways in and out of Galveston were closed by 11:00 a.m. Sunday. We felt isolated with no communication except a few transistor radios and, miraculously, one public telephone booth that we were able to call out on. Sunday afternoon, Father Montendon, our Chaplain as well as a gifted guitar player and wonderful singer, entertained the people in the shelter by singing and playing cowboy songs and ballads.

Not only the hospital, but the entire island lost electrical supply very early in the storm. The Hospital Engineer rigged up a very small auxiliary electricity unit to light the stairs and make coffee. The kitchen had a gas line for cooking. With no elevator service, the box lunches were delivered to their destinations by family members.

Hurricane Carla went inland about 12 noon Monday, September 11, with winds up to 175 miles an hour. Rain came in sheets. Somehow, utilizing all the volunteer help we could find, we had moved everything upstairs including all the typewriters, business machines, tables, chairs and most importantly, the medical records.

The following morning around 6 a.m., we had a huge downpour of rain, and shortly thereafter, we heard sirens, ambulances bringing patients to the ER. Two tornadoes had struck the island earlier that morning in the aftermath of the hurricane, destroying homes, and entire city blocks. A few casualties were brought in and many needed emergency care. The devastation on Galveston Island was unbelievable.

However, in spite of some minor roof and water damage to the hospital, there had been no interruption in the care of St. Mary's patients. A census taken during the day on Sunday indicated there were 325 men, women and children in the hospital besides the patients and employees.

Although our emergency plan was meant for one day, it worked well for more than two days. All the people who got shelter in the hospital and Ave Maria Hall helped to carry out the plan and in doing so, got cared for themselves.

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