Rhiannon Meyers and Leigh Jones were reporters for The Galveston County Daily News when Hurricane Ike struck in 2008. They rode out the storm in Galveston and spent the next 12 months writing about the storm’s aftermath. Both worked in Galveston before the storm, gaining an intimate knowledge of the city and access to diverse sources. They also experienced the storm’s destruction personally — Ike’s storm surge forced both Leigh and Rhiannon from their homes. Leigh and Rhiannon, along with the rest of The Daily News staff, received the 2009 Star Breaking News award from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors for their coverage of the storm.
Leigh, a graduate of Texas State University, has worked as a reporter since 2004. She has received first place awards from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors for feature writing, spot news coverage, specialty reporting and stories written with the help of open records laws. She spent three years covering the city of Galveston for The Daily News. She now lives in Atlanta, where she is an editor for a legal newspaper.
Rhiannon, a graduate of Texas A&M University, began reporting at age 20 for a weekly newspaper. She also has been honored by the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors for her work in investigative reporting. She covers the city of Galveston for The Daily News.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Reynolds, The Galveston County Daily News