I do not really know where to begin with this blog. I have been through hurricanes and tropical storms before, but not many of them have been as truly devastating as Hurricane Ike was for the region of the Texas coast that I live in. My water was restored on Sunday night and my power was restored Tuesday afternoon, but there are many people who do not have water and over one million people still do not have power and it may still be another week until some people get electricity.
Several of our coastal counties have received what I can only call catastrophic damage. On Galveston Island 80% of the homes are either gone, have had structural damage, or have received several feet of water damage. I have cried several times while looking at the news coverage of the beaches where I have spent a lot of time since I was a child. Whole neighborhoods are gone and many will never be the same. Many of the businesses are damaged or the buildings are gone and our fishing industry has taken such a hit that it may be a year or more before it is anywhere near where it used to be.
For those who do not know, Hurricane Ike started pounding land on Friday night and the eye moved onshore at a little after 2:00 am on Saturday morning. At that point is when I lost power at my apartment, even thought the eye was still some 50+ miles away. We received a lot of wind and rain, but living in the southwest part of town, we were luckier than many of the people in the inner loop and eastern parts of the city and county. We did receive some damage though. One building in the front of the apartment complex lost both of its outer walls and the 2-story townhouse on the western wall also had its roof cave in. In the back of the apartment complex apartment building 18 lost its western wall which was for a laundry mat and a storage area for the apartment complex.
I am sorry if my writing is all over the place today, but I have never been through a worse storm, except Hurricane Andrew in Florida, and then I was shell shocked for about 2 months after wards. Even Hurricane Alicia here in 1983 was nowhere near as devastating as this storm even though it was a Category 3 Hurricane and this was was a moderate Category 2 Hurricane. I have some pictures and video of the storm from Saturday morning and some pictures of the damage in my apartment complex and will try to post them at some point. I will also try to get around town and take some pictures of the damage that my beloved city has had inflicted upon it. Some of this may take time to get on here as I am trying to get assistance from FEMA or the American Red Cross as Pamela and I were both out of work. She was out of work for 4 days and I do not know when I will be able to get back to work as my restaurant lost all of its food.
Before I end this; which I am going to do because I cannot go on any longer, I ask that those of you who believe in God please pray for those living in and around Galveston, Brazoria, and Harris counties. Many of us have a long and difficult road ahead of us. Also, if you can afford to, please donate whatever you can to the American Red Cross because many of us in disaster areas need the help that agencies like it provide. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
