"Houston Community News: Relief After Hurricane Rita"

Hurricane Rita ripped through northeast Texas but spared the greater Houston area. The Chinese community in Houston sustained minor damage from the hurricane, reports the  World Journal.

According to the 2000 U.S. census, about 24,000 Chinese (roughly 1.2 percent of total population) live in Houston.

On the morning of Sept. 24, many Houston residents discovered that their city escaped most of the damage. With the exception of flooding in the southeast section of Houston, other areas in the city looked much like it would after heavy rain.

In the heavily Chinese area of Bellaire, a suburb of Houston, there was little damage. Many Chinese residents said they felt scared but were not in real danger.

At Diho supermarket, a popular Chinese market in Bellaire, several store signs were blown off by the wind. At the nearby Welcome Center, another Chinese supermarket, cars soon filled the parking lot of the market last weekend.

Despite warnings from Texas Governor Rick Perry and Houston Mayor Bill White to stagger their return to the area, many Chinese residents rushed back to see if their homes were damaged.

In the greater Houston area, 600,000 households were without electricity. State officials have said that classes will be cancelled until September 28.