Galveston After Hurricane Ike

The other day I decided to drive to Galveston to see what it's like 40 days after Hurricane Ike rolled over the Island. I was in Spain when it hit but I had heard it was a strong storm. On September 13 it rolled right over Galveston and Houston during the middle night. Most all of Houston was left without power. For some it would be 2 to 3 weeks before power was restored. The streets were littered with debris and many of the sky scrappers downtown had lost numerous pane glass windows....

When I arrived home, over a month after the storm, Houston was pretty much cleaned up and seemed relatively back to normal. But I was told it was a much different story for the local Gulf Shores. I live less than an hours drive from Galveston and like to go there fairly regularly. Obviously I needed to see for myself.

On my way I passed League City, Clear Lake and Nasa with things looking pretty normal except for an occasional blown out sign or fallen tree. Nothing big. As I got closer to Galveston things became a little more noticeable as all of the bill boards are completely stripped clean. I then continued over the causeway.

Wow, what a difference! The first thing I saw were a number of boats littered along the highway. Not much further the mounds of debris. Mounds and mounds. Then I passed a very large multi acre lot where debris is being transported so that larger semis can load up and truck it out. Ike had pounded the Island hard with sustained winds well over 100mph coupled with a large storm surge that flooded most of the Island. Mounds and mounds of debris.

I first went to the seawall. Amazingly the seawall area looked pretty nice. It appears as though the wall did a good job. This area was likely the first to be cleaned up for image in order to help get something of the Galveston tourism business started as soon as possible. There is noticeable damage to parts of the seawall but the beaches actually look nice and clean. The most unfortunate loss to area are buildings that were built over the water extending out from the wall. Most notable is the loss of the famous Balinese room that stood since 1929. Known for being one of the hottest night spots around it hosted greats like Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope. It also survived a number hurricanes over the years. Now it's totally completely Gone ! Also gone is the famous Murdocks which was a famous bathhouse turned souvenir shop. Also gone, for better or worse, is Hooters. The large Flagship hotel suffered major damage and the drive to get on the pier its built on is gone. It stands alone. A wounded mass of building with windows broken and curtains in the flailing in the wind.

From the Seawall I headed to West Beach. It's an area beyond the seawall that's a great place for a long walk or run. I often like to go there.... Many beachouses are built along west beach but right now there are a lot fewer !... Basically, all of the front row beach houses on west beach are gone. Completely gone.. Scraped... All of the remaining houses have sustained various degrees of damage ranging from major to not too bad. It appears as though most of west beach is still without power, water, and I imagine sewer. West beach is a mess. The beach has a completely different landscape due to how the storm rearrange sand. Many, Many large piles of debris etc.... Big mess...

After west beach I returned to the city proper and decided to check out an area of historic homes located near 12th and Post Office. Many had survived the hurricane of 1900 so I wanted to see how they fared under Ike. Well, I guess they're built in the right place because things appeared to be pretty much unchanged. I didn't notice piles of debris like everywhere else on the island so I assume there wasn't flooding in that particular area. From there I headed over to the Strand which is located near the ship channel and cruise ship dock. Wow, what a mess! It's really terrible. The heart of some of Galveston's richest history had been flooded under 7-8 feet of water. Terrible mess. The actual structures look fine but it's going to be quite awhile before anything opens up on the Strand again...From there I headed back home..

I feel really bad for all of those who suffered loss over Hurricane Ike . My hopes and prayers go out to all that are affected. There's no doubt in my mind that Galveston will rebuild and get back on its feet as soon as possible. Alot of contractors and relief workers have moved onto the Island. I saw many out of state plates. It's going to take time but when all is said and done I'm sure Galveston will be better than ever.