Ike - Finale

It’s been three weeks since Ike left town. Our part of Missouri City is almost normal – except that all the Bradford Pear trees have decided it is spring again and have come into flower. How one night of high winds can induce the same response as four months of winter is perplexing but the blossom adds a touch of wonder to what was an unpleasant experience.

The beach home in Galveston fared very well. Dirt marks on the garage wall indicate that the storm surge on the west of the island was about five feet above ground level – probably about eight feet above normal high tide. The dwelling area upstairs is comfortably above that level so we were spared any water damage except in the garage. Power and water were restored to our area of Sea Isle last week and we were able to power-wash the mud out of the garage. The next test will be to return the batteries to the golf cart and see if it can be restored to operation. All this is very trivial and mundane and our feelings of relief and “survivor guilt” grow each time we travel down to Galveston. During the past couple of weeks people have begun the clean-up process. Along the side of the roads in Galveston (and surprisingly along some parts of Highway 6) heaps of debris are growing. These piles of ruined fridges, sodden furniture, saturated walls and broken structures represent people’s lives, their homes and hopes for the future. I can’t imagine the heartache of seeing a lifetime of memories destroyed or the stress of dealing with insurance claims and bureaucracies - all while trying earn a living and maintain a semblance of normality. Somehow, sending $700 billion to Wall Street to try to fix a crisis caused by greed doesn’t seem to be an appropriate use of our resources. I appreciate my congressman’s fortitude in voting against the bill both times it came to the House. I only wish my senatorial representative displayed the same backbone.

And now for something different . . . . a gratuitous commercial plug. For years I have been a fan of Venezuelan rum. It has a distinctive flavor that is very different from other Caribbean products. IMHO it is infinitely superior to the mass produced liquors (especially the ones with the bat trademark) sold in most US bars and restaurants. But recently I discovered something even better. It is “hand made Texas Rum” produced near here in San Leon on Galveston Bay. Railean distillery has survived Hurricane Ike and their nectar is readily available in your local Specs store. A recent article in the Houston Chronicle describes some of the eccentric residents of San Leon and their efforts to recover after Ike. I encourage y’all to help San Leon in a practical way. Get rid of all those imported rums. Help local industry and our national economy which needs all the help it can get. Be patriotic - Drink Texas rum!

Ike – interim

It is amazing to watch nature. Ike’s winds shredded leaves on most of our rose bushes but the buds continue to bloom as if nothing had happened. They are certainly more restful than images of splintered trees or piles of downed branches and the media have enough photographs of distraught people and destroyed homes. If you are interested then check out this series at the Boston Globe.

Ike blew in early on Saturday morning (Sept 13). He destroyed much of Galveston and wreaked havoc on Houston. By mid morning the worst winds had passed and folks were able to survey the damage. Our electricity ceased about 2:00 AM during the storm so the neighborhood was quiet without the background hum of air conditioners. Our home in Missouri City fared well with only one large pear tree succumbing to the winds. Two-thirds of that tree was lying on the grass and the remaining sticks and the stump will need to be removed and replaced.

Several years ago we invested in a gasoline-powered generator and I installed a transfer switch which allowed the generator to feed kitchen circuits for lights, refrigerator, microwave, and coffeemaker and those for the lights, TV and overhead fan in the family room. By chance, those same circuits also provided lights in the toilet and bathroom. So, by mid-day on Saturday we were able to have hot coffee and watch the full scale of destruction unfold on TV.

Mains electricity was restored to our part of Missouri City by Sunday afternoon so the generator was dispatched with a friend living in a part of the city still without. Now we are experiencing increasing “survivor guilt” as we sit in air-conditioned comfort watching the plight of those who still don’t have power. N & T are part of that group so along with their greyhound they moved in. TV announcements suggest their part of Houston (the NE) won’t have power restored until sometime next week – about 10-12 days after Ike struck.

As for our home on Galveston there is no official news. However, Google Earth has a new feature. It allows "before" and "after" pictures of Ike. We can see our home and it looks like the roof is intact! The planned “Look and Leave” program to allow residents to visit property, assess damage and depart is suspended indefinitely. Hopefully it will be resurrected again soon – maybe with staggered days based on name or house number to even out the first mad rush of visitors. In the meantime we watch every helicopter news video and wait for the time when we will be able to resume weekends in Galveston.

Waiting for Ike

Hurricane Ike is getting close. We closed up the house on West Galveston and left it to the tender mercies of the elements. Even on Thursday morning at sunrise the storm surge was beginning to show. This photo is where we normally park the golf cart when we visit the beach. I assume that the whole of Sea Isle is under water by now.

Here in Missouri City late Friday evening the wind is picking up. The city has introduced a dusk to dawn curfew but I have no inclination to wander outside and see what is happening. The generator has gasoline in case we loose power; we have water in the bath in case the treatment plant is flooded and we are waiting patiently for Ike to pass. At current speed, Ike should be a memory by this time tomorrow. That will be time to clear up here and wonder if we can get down to Sea Isle on Sunday afternoon.