Lyda Ann Thomas
Encyclopedia
Lyda Ann Thomas is the former mayor
of Galveston, Texas
, United States
. She was first elected in 2004 to succeed Roger "Bo" Quiroga. Thomas was the third female mayor of Galveston.
in Dallas, Texas. Thomas ran for District 4 for the Galveston City Council in 1998. She won both permitted elections after that until term-limited out. In 2004 she ran for, and was elected, Mayor of Galveston. Thomas proceeded to serve three terms as mayor, and stepped down in 2010 after reaching her a city-imposed term-limit.
, Thomas declared a state of emergency and ordered an evacuation effective 6 PM the following day. When added to the panicked flight from Houston, this exacerbated the congestion in the area. She was however praised for her caution, receiving the 2007 National Blueprint Best Practices Award from the National Council on Readiness & Preparedness.
When Hurricane Ike
approached Galveston, on September 10 at noon Thomas said that although she did not expect to be ordering an evacuation, she asked for a voluntary evacuation of the western part of the island. At 5 PM this hardened to a mandatory order and she suggested voluntary evacuation for the rest of the island.
Thomas ordered the full evacuation 9:30 AM on September 11, in a news conference with Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough. She told the media at the time that she had wanted to avoid an evacuation order.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Galveston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She was first elected in 2004 to succeed Roger "Bo" Quiroga. Thomas was the third female mayor of Galveston.
Education and politics
Thomas attended The Hockaday SchoolThe Hockaday School
The Hockaday School is an independent, secular, college preparatory day and boarding school for girls located in Dallas, Texas, USA and surrounding areas...
in Dallas, Texas. Thomas ran for District 4 for the Galveston City Council in 1998. She won both permitted elections after that until term-limited out. In 2004 she ran for, and was elected, Mayor of Galveston. Thomas proceeded to serve three terms as mayor, and stepped down in 2010 after reaching her a city-imposed term-limit.
Hurricane Rita
On September 20, 2005 during Hurricane RitaHurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
, Thomas declared a state of emergency and ordered an evacuation effective 6 PM the following day. When added to the panicked flight from Houston, this exacerbated the congestion in the area. She was however praised for her caution, receiving the 2007 National Blueprint Best Practices Award from the National Council on Readiness & Preparedness.
Hurricane Ike
On August 4, 2008 when Tropical Storm Edouard came ashore, Thomas limited her statements to a warning.When Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
approached Galveston, on September 10 at noon Thomas said that although she did not expect to be ordering an evacuation, she asked for a voluntary evacuation of the western part of the island. At 5 PM this hardened to a mandatory order and she suggested voluntary evacuation for the rest of the island.
Thomas ordered the full evacuation 9:30 AM on September 11, in a news conference with Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough. She told the media at the time that she had wanted to avoid an evacuation order.
External links
- The City Council of Galveston, Texas
- Evacuation worked, but created a highway horror O'Driscoll, Patrick; Richard Wolf and Rick Hampson (9/26/2005 7:47 PM). USA Today
- With Rita strengthening, Galveston orders evacuation
- Gulf Coast residents watch surprise tropical storm
- Ike's changing course delayed Galveston's evacuation call, city says