Free Calling, Internet Access Continues at Verizon Plus Store in Baytown, Texas; Additional Verizon Phone Banks Offer Free Calling Services for Hurricane Ike Victims

BAYTOWN, Texas - The Verizon Plus store in Baytown is open for normal business operations and will continue to offer free local and long-distance calling, as well as Internet access through Verizon's High Speed Internet service, to individuals affected by Hurricane Ike.  The store, located at 3413 Garth Road, is open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Verizon also has set up a dozen payphone sites across its service areas in southeast Texas where the company is providing free local and regional calling services.  The free payphones can be found at the following locations:

• In Bacliff, at 4500 10th St. and at Bayshore Park next to the spillway, 5437 FM 646.

• In Baytown, in front of the Verizon Plus store at 3413 Garth Road.
• In Clear Lake Shores, at Shores City Hall, 1006 S. Shore.
• In Kemah, at Kemah City Hall, 1401 Highway 146 and at the intersection of FM 518 and Highway 146.
• In League City, at the intersection of FM 518 and Highway 3.
• In Lear Lake Shores, in the parking lot at 225 FM 2094.
• In San Leon, at 9th and FM 517, at 903 Avenue H and at 9th and Bayshore.
• In Santa Fe, at the Santa Fe Police Department, 12002 Highway 6.

Verizon serves more than 150,000 customers in a number of communities in the Houston metropolitan area, including Baytown, Dickinson, Hitchcock, Kemah, League City and Stafford, as well as communities northwest of Houston, such as Bryan and College Station.  

Verizon's crews have completed damage assessments in nearly all affected service areas, and restoration efforts are under way to replace damaged poles and repair communications cables and equipment.  Virtually all of Verizon's facilities are operating on commercial power or on backup generators or batteries, ensuring that customers served by those facilities are still receiving phone service, even if commercial power has not been restored.

Verizon customers should call 800-483-1000 to report any landline phone outage.  Verizon repair representatives can arrange to forward calls being made to a customer's out-of-service landline to another number such as a wireless phone.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 69 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 228,600 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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