192 replies to this topic

[Mitch0129]

I just returned home a couple of hours ago from helping a friend whose parents live in Galveston and can report on the conditions there. This friend's parents live about four blocks from the seawall and their home was flooded about four feet deep. I was part of a crew that pulled up the carpet and knocked out the sheetrock, as I understand it, they will rebuild the home. After all, the parents have lived there for nearly 40 years.

Anyway, after we got done, we took a tour of the area along Seawall Blvd then worked our way through the Strand. You can not even begin to imagine the mess until you see it for yourself. For example, the Balinese Room, a famous nightclub noted in the ZZ Top song "Balinese" that was located 600 feet out over the water, is nothing more than a bunch of poles sticking out of the water for the birds to roost on. The Flagship Hotel, also located out over the water, took some very serious damage including several walls knocked off. It is also inaccessible at the moment as it's entrance ramp was destroyed.

I do have a positive take on this, though. From what I could see, it appears that while many buildings along the seawall and in the strand did take exterior damage, the worst of it was because of the flooding. Since I know you have heard reports whether or not Galveston will ever come back, I think it will. All along the Seawall and the Strand, you could see people doing what I was doing today, they were gutting the inside of their homes and businesses and they are going to rebuild. The structures seem to survive the storm, it was the storm surge and the flooding that did the most damage. It will probably be a year but I do think Galveston will be back.

[Cajun Diver]

I think most of the areas hit by the storm surge will rebuild. I'm not sure if we will rebuild our cabin at Crystal Beach since there were only 5 pilings left and we didn't have flood insurance.

Here's some before and after pictures:

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[DiverBabs]

I think most of the areas hit by the storm surge will rebuild. I'm not sure if we will rebuild our cabin at Crystal Beach since there were only 5 pilings left and we didn't have flood insurance.

Here's some before and after pictures:

Oh, Butch.... I'm so sorry....

I'm sure you have a ton of memories of times at that cabin. That is heartbreaking....

Thankfully, no one was there at the time though.

[mantarraya]

It will probably be a year but I do think Galveston will be back.

I don't think Galveston will be back - I KNOW it will be back....and soon. There are many businesses that will not re-open and many residents that will decide that Ike is just one hurricane too many, even though they love the island and view it as their home. For others who love the island there is no question but as to come back. My former neighbors moved into to town behind the seawall a few months ago (they had lost their West End beach house in Hurricane Alicia, but rebuilt and lived there until a few months ago, when health problems made it difficult for them to care for the yard and negotiate the stairs). Due to Ike, they, like most behind the Seawall, have had to rip out carpets and throw out moldy furniture. Their former West End home took as little damage as my house and is perfectly livable. It was amazing to me that the real heavy losses as far as personal property damage was behind the Seawall - just so much surge there and so much more flooding - just too close to the eye...However, I have little doubt that G-town will pull it together and that they will figure out a way to still have some version of the Lone Star Motor Cycle Rally in late Oct (at least they are still planning on doing it at this point), Dickens at Xmas, and Mardi Gras in Feb. G-town will pull it together kind of like Cozumel and Cancun pulled it together after Wilma. The town has to, in order to get those tourists back!

Believe me, I know how very, very lucky I am. I spent the last two days at my house in Sea Isle on Galveston's West End, cleaning out my garage. I lost very little, and certainly nothing that can't be replaced. I even had power, and from what I hear, power came back on in most areas of my subdivision Thursday morning - hours before it came on in my daughter's neighborhood in Humble. I don't think water will be that far behind as city workers expected it to be on in my area by mid-week. At that point, this is one Galvestonian that will be most happy to come home. I know full well that if that storm had come into Freeport or San Luis Pass, I would be the one with no house. Would I rebuild then? I'm not at all sure, but perhaps. However, when I left my home during the evacuation, I mentally wrote my home and belongings off as the best way for me to get through the aftermath (very necessary since I ended up having to work almost around the clock for 3 days at the Houston Emergency Center [HEC] - mainly because there was no way to contact my relief help and also getting trapped at HEC by flooding). The one thing I definitely learned from Ike and the Bolivar stories we are hearing, is that one gets out WELL before the storm is scheduled to come in - 18 hours before the eye is scheduled before landfall is cutting it too short. So many folks ended up getting trapped there by not leaving before the surge came in. I don't need my city officials to call a mandatory evacuation before I get ready to leave. I try to stay mostly ready to leave throughout hurricane season. I had no problem in being able to leave in plenty of time. I left around 2 pm Thursday afternoon, and was in Humble back 4 pm - as there were few people on the roads at that point. If I'd left around 6 am Thursday, I would have hit the major slug of evacuation traffic, so perhaps waiting those few hours was a good thing as no surge at that point, just big waves slapping against the seawall. The only reason I waited that long was I was making sure my neighbor's house got boarded up, and luckily all ended up very well for me. At any rate, I am definitely weighing my personal experience against others to reformulate my hurricane prep/evac plans for the future.

[Mermaid Lady]

For example, the Balinese Room, a famous nightclub noted in the ZZ Top song "Balinese" that was located 600 feet out over the water, is nothing more than a bunch of poles sticking out of the water for the birds to roost on.

That was a particularly sad loss for those of us in the swing dance community. Of course people and homes are more important, but most of us expected this place to be around long after we were gone...

See my writeup (with pictures) here

Edited by Mermaid Lady, 29 September 2008 - 06:21 AM.

[shawnabbott]

For example, the Balinese Room, a famous nightclub noted in the ZZ Top song "Balinese" that was located 600 feet out over the water, is nothing more than a bunch of poles sticking out of the water for the birds to roost on.

That was a particularly sad loss for many of us in the swing dance community. Of course people and homes are more important, but most of us expected this place to be around long after we were gone...

See my writeup (with pictures) here

It is great that most Galvestonians have something to go back to and got out alive...can't say the same for the Bolivar peninsula, where I spent so much of my youth. There aren't even posts left where my dad's cabin was in Caplen (by the cut).

[Cajun Diver]

Oh, Butch.... I'm so sorry....

I'm sure you have a ton of memories of times at that cabin. That is heartbreaking....

Thankfully, no one was there at the time though.

We actually recovered a few things - the scaffolding my brother had brought down while we were renovating, a serving plate (found about 600 yards away along with some plates), a hammer that was in the tool chest (found in the same area as the serving plate) and piled up next to one cabin about 1/2 a mile away most of the roof and parts of the side (I could spot that green paint anywhere ) but the pile was about 20 feet high and densely packed next to a cabin that survived (I walked on top with no problems it was packed so tight - the cabin owner didn't know where to start for removing it around his cabin though).

The strangest things were the vehicles - 90% were pointed toward the beach... I guess the motor was the heaviest so dragged behind.

[Mermaid Lady]

It is great that most Galvestonians have something to go back to and got out alive...can't say the same for the Bolivar peninsula, where I spent so much of my youth. There aren't even posts left where my dad's cabin was in Caplen (by the cut).

I saw the before and after photos. It was heartbreaking. The whole area looks to be scoured clean. Many of the people who died in the storm may never be found, having been washed out to sea. Scary.

The Rollover Pass bridge in Gilchrist was all but destroyed, making the peninsula more of an island now.

[shawnabbott]

It is great that most Galvestonians have something to go back to and got out alive...can't say the same for the Bolivar peninsula, where I spent so much of my youth. There aren't even posts left where my dad's cabin was in Caplen (by the cut).

I saw the before and after photos. It was heartbreaking. The whole area looks to be scoured clean. Many of the people who died in the storm may never be found, having been washed out to sea. Scary.

The Rollover Pass bridge in Gilchrist was all but destroyed, making the peninsula more of an island now.

The Pass is what we called "the cut"...cabin was only a mile south of it...

[mantarraya]

I am going to miss the Balinese, too. Saturday AM, there was a brown pelican roosting on every single piling when we drove by...big birds already taking advantage of the new perch real estate.

Butch, sorry to hear of your property loss on Bolivar. I know a lot of people on Bolivar, a handful of them still missing. Things aren't looking good for them at all at this point, but cell phone communications are almost impossible still with some vendors on the coast (for once, Sprint works well), so am hopeful that some will still turn up. There is even a family in my subdivision missing, and while their house is still in good shape, people are worried they got out on the road when the West End started to flood. However, it now has been over two weeks, so definitely a reason to worry. There is just so much loss and heartbreak in the wake of this storm, but also a lot of good things that I have seen - communities pulling together, people sharing, etc.

[Mitch0129]

The one thing I definitely learned from Ike and the Bolivar stories we are hearing, is that one gets out WELL before the storm is scheduled to come in - 18 hours before the eye is scheduled before landfall is cutting it too short. So many folks ended up getting trapped there by not leaving before the surge came in. I don't need my city officials to call a mandatory evacuation before I get ready to leave. I try to stay mostly ready to leave throughout hurricane season. I had no problem in being able to leave in plenty of time.

Lee, if there is one lesson to be learned from this is that you do get the hell out of there, even a cat-1 hurricane is nothing to fool with. Yesterday, I read the story of a 58-year-old Bolivar woman whose body was found floating on the shore in Chambers County some 25 miles from her home. She had ignored the initial mandatory evacuation order and pleas from her family to get out because she was confident that her home could survive a cat-2 storm. When the surge came in and the winds started to rip her house apart, she called 911 but by then, the winds were so strong and the surge was so high, nothing could be done. It was simply too dangerous for first responders to go out and folks were warned.

Across the street from the house where I worked at at this weekend lived a 90-year-old woman. She also ignored the evacuation order and pleas from her son to get out because she "did not want to leave her cats". Her house suffered the same 4-foot flooding and she was trapped in the home until two days after the storm when paramedics got her out. She was in a catatonic state of shock when she was brought out although she is alive. The cats did not make it.

[ScubaSis]

I have had grown men say they rode out Ike at home and that they would never do it again. These people didn't even have damage to their homes.

You know it's a crying shame that our jobs do not treat us like we matter....only the business matters to them and they require you to stay till the last minute with no chance to secure your home and get out before everything breaks loose.
Luckily I was able to go to a local church for the ride out and it was a really well built and sound structure.


Did anyone else have this problem with your job???

I know some of you work Emergency Responce and go to the problem rather than away. Thank You for giving!! The world is a much greater place with you in it!!

[shawnabbott]

i talked to my dad again today...he's going to bolivar tomorrow to look at where his cabin was. He said the reason people weren't allowed back sooner is because of bodies being recovered...he said in Beaumont, Broussard's Mortuary had to hire refrigeration trucks to utilize...he said over 400 people are still missing for the galveston/chambers and surrounding area, including friends that went down there to secure their places and never could get back out. I am so grateful he changed his mind and was not one of them!

[Scubatooth]

Sis

Thats the thing in SAR/FF/EMS thats what we are paid to do is to go in when everyone is running the other direction(think of 9/11 there are many tales of off duty personnel coming in grabbing there gear and then going to the towers without being asked or paged). The only time you need to worry is when we turn and run then you had better keep up. ifyouknowwhatimean


People who ignore the manditory orders should not expect to be saved, and shouldnt get any help afterwards either or if they do they need to be billed the full cost of the rescue and supplies. someone told be the average cost of a rescue cost north of $30K per person via ground and 3x that if a helicopter was used(yeah and you thought helicopter EMS bills where expensive at $10-15K and up). Then I have seen some photos that i cant post and i dont think anyone here of those that decided to stay and got swept out to sea and or got caught in debris, including one photo that on the ceiling of a room is a written a final note. So next time they say get out do so, you would think especially after what happened this time around and katrina people would listen, but no apparently Darwin hasnt worked well or quick enough in the population. Life is hard, It's alot harder when your stupid!

[georoc01]

I have had grown men say they rode out Ike at home and that they would never do it again. These people didn't even have damage to their homes.

You know it's a crying shame that our jobs do not treat us like we matter....only the business matters to them and they require you to stay till the last minute with no chance to secure your home and get out before everything breaks loose.
Luckily I was able to go to a local church for the ride out and it was a really well built and sound structure.


Did anyone else have this problem with your job???

I know some of you work Emergency Responce and go to the problem rather than away. Thank You for giving!! The world is a much greater place with you in it!!

My company shut down its office in the Woodlands the Thursday before the storm hit and was closed the week after the storm to allow families to recover. They had power by Tuesday, but elected to stay closed. They also relaxed rules to allow workers to work remotely as many of them did from whatever they chose to go.