By Darragh Doiron

Port Arthur News staff writer

FANNETT — Chocolate bars, gum and candy is still on the shelves of the Exxon station on FM 365, but the walls and roof of

Mubeen Merchant’s station in Fannett are lost to Ike.

Merchant’s not along in this tight knigh rural community in the shadows of urban Beaumont and Port Arthur. Many of the houses here are still standing in water two days after Hurricane roared through with violent winds, buit the damage was from the silently rising waters.

Merchant stood atop a pile of rubble that was the business he left intact on Friday. A friend called him in Tyler to tell him of the complete destruction. Holding two cartons of filter king cigarettes, he shrugged when asked his future plans. He was more certain on the support he’d received from passing neighbors

“This is a great community, I’ll tell you that,” he said.

Hats and other merchandise was scattered about the area.

“We took a lot of stuff and gave it to the fire department. The people here needed food,” he said.

On Monday, patrons ate at the Homestyle Café in Fannett, which fried up burgers on generator power.

Johnnie Byrd, cook, told how she spent the hurricane night in a booth, but it was too noisy to sleep.

“I didn’t have nowhere else to go and they told me I could stay in the café,” she said. “I tried to put my head back but it made too much noise I said ‘dear Lord,’ please let daylight come.”

Lisa Franks, manager, said the parking lot was filled with rescue air boats that morning.