HOUSTON — Supermarkets here and in other areas hit by Hurricane Ike are gradually reopening, although many areas remain without power. H.E. Butt Grocery Co. said one of its stores, in Galveston, Texas, was flooded and has been inaccessible. It is among 12 H-E-B locations that remain closed. “We’re working feverishly to get the stores open as quickly as we can,” said Winell Herron, an H-E-B spokeswoman. Of the 56 H-E-B stores that have reopened in Houston, 22 are running on generator power, she said. The company said more than 500 employees from across the state have traveled to Houston to volunteer their help. In addition, H-E-B has deployed its H-E-B Mobile Kitchen to provide hot meals and dispatched more than 40 vehicles, including fuel tankers and trailers carrying food, ice and water. According to reports, Kroger and Safeway-owned Randalls are each preparing to reopen a store in Galveston that was among several that had closed in the region. Officials with those chains could not be reached for more information. According to Kroger's website, as of yesterday morning nine Houston-area stores were still closed and 15 were operating on generator power.
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