IKE in the Media - Enough Already...

Ike has come and gone and, yes, we are still talking about him. The local news is still covering the aftermath 24 hours a day. And I don't mean to sound insensitive, but enough is enough. I absoulutely understand the importance of the news, but is 24 hour coverage necessary? I wasn't affected by Ike as badly as many others were, but the 24 hour coverage is tiring and depressing, and I'm so ready for the local stations to get back to their regularly scheduled programming. Give us all a much needed break from Ike, if there is anything "NEW" to report do it during the commercial breaks or during the regularly scheduled news. Is that too much to ask? Am I the only person that feels this way?

On a side note, I'm including a before and after picture of Crystal Beach. This picture illustrates the PURE devestation that most of the island is feeling today. We rent a house on Crystal Beach every April to celebrate a friends birthday. Unfortunately it doesn't look as if that will happen again for a LONG, LONG time.

Ike - The Aftermath (video & photos)

Slideshow - KHOU

Video of Survivors - KHOU

Video of Squirrels that were rescued - KHOU

More of Crystal Beach - KHOU

Ike has passed, and he is still NOT my friend...

Ike has come and gone, and left lots of damage behind.

First and foremost, I am safe and my apartment suffered no physical damage. Power did go out here around 2 a.m. and finally came back on about 9:00 p.m. I will NEVER take electricity for granted again. I still have no water.

I was awaken this morning, about 3:30, when my mom called to check on me. Gotta love her. She couldn't believe I was sleeping through the storm. Well, I wasn't sleeping after that. The strom was crazier than anything I have EVER experienced. The wind was brutal, it felt like my roof was about to be torn off and the windows were about break in. I'm in a thrid floor apartment and I could feel the wind shaking me. I'm not even sure I know how to describe what it sounded like. Maybe a freight train breaking through my walls.

I did finally fall asleep on and off until about 11 a.m. My parents power had come back on by this point so I headed over there for breakfast and to store some food in their freezer.

As I have stated before, I'm about 150 miles from the coast. I'm thankful to have come out of this one unharmed and with minimal damage in my area. Others were not so lucky. I'm attaching some photos of Galveston, Houston and the surrounding cities and the damamge they have seen.

I hope that all of my Texas peeps are well and unharmed too.

Ike may have caused lots of destruction, but the Lone Star still flies.

On the Seawall, the Murdock Pier and Hooters use to be here.

I-45 to Galveston, flood waters brough in boats and debris.

A house fire on the island. Flood waters made it difficult for emergency crews to come in.

Surfside, a house was swept off it's beams, right into another house.

The Kemah Boardwalk, under water. A residentail street in Seabrook.

I-45 near downtown Houston.

I-10 near downtown Houston.

The Chase Building downtown. The windows blew out over-night, that's the glass on the ground.

Photos of Ike...

Here are more photos, courtesy of The Houston Chronicle, of Ike's storm surge hitting Galveston and it's surrounding areas.

It's hard to believe that anyone would chance this storm and stay in their home, but some are. I wrote about some stubborn Surfside residents this morning that were refusing to leave. Only one remains, he is still refusing to leave, as he wants to stay and protect his home. How do you protect a home that could possibly collapse around you? Authorities have asked the man to write his name on one arm and his social security number on the other so that he is easily identifiable, just in case. That's all I would need to hear, they could rescue me after that.

A truck driving along the 17 ft. high seawall, as waves crash over the wall.

A fire engulfed a house and ultimately destroyed it. Water levels were too high and impassable by fire trucks. Luckily the house had been evacuated.

The Strand is under 2 feet of water.

Water rising at Surfside Beach

Hurricane Ike - updates

Here are some pictures of the rath of Ike, note he's still a good 190 miles from landfall and the destruction/flooding has already started. All pictures are courtesy of our hometown newspaper The Houston Chronicle.

Galveston Seawall, it's 17 feet high and usually has beach access. Today the water is at the top, the waves are crashing and throwing debris along Seawall Blvd. People are still out and about taking in the sites, some still refusing to leave, even with the mandatory evacuation.

The last picture is of the mayor of Surfside surveying the flooding. It's been reported that water has overtaken atleast 1 house. Again, the storm surge is overtaking the island already with Ike still not predicted to make official landfall for atleast another 5 or 6 hours. Police have tried to get the last few remaining residents out of Surfside, to no avail. They have now told all remaining residents, in the flooding Surfside, that help will not be available from this point on. The water is rising and quickly and help will not be able to get to them safely. They have opted to stay at their OWN RISK.

Hurricane Ike is not my friend and he isn't yours either...

Yes, I am in Houston, no I am NOT evacuating. I'm in northwest Houston, about 150 miles from the coast. Far enough out that there is no evacuation order for us. I'll be safe in my home.

As Hurricane Ike sets his lone eye on the Lone Star State, Galveston to be exact, many residents are fleeing to higher ground, as they should be. All local news stations have been covering the storm for the past 24+ hours straight. I understand the importance of being informed, but really non-stop coverage?

The news has been the same for the most part (here is the Cliffs Notes version)...the hurricane is coming towards Galveston/Houston head on, there will be lots rain, wind, flooding and a HUGE coastal storm surge (possibly 20 feet). If you're in an evacuation zone your life is in danger so please get out, even if you're worried about traffic, or lack of gas or lack of food. Just because Hurricane Rita turned at the last minute and didn't hit you head on doesn't mean Ike will do the same, stop being stupid. If you stay, there will be NO help available to you once it starts to get bad. Go it? Sounds easy enough, right? You would think so...

There are some stubborn ass people out there. How do I know, they keep showing/interviewing them on the news. The folks that live in low lying Galveston who think they are invincible and that nothing will get to them.

There was the mother of 3 who said she's not leaving because she knows that the hurricane is going to turn and she won't be in danger, oh, and she doesn't want to sit in traffic for a few hours. Really? So, lets go ahead and put all 3 of your young children in danger because your stubborn, know it all, ass doesn't want to sit in traffic. She's the same lady that will be crying on the phone with 9-1-1 when here house is surrounded by water and expects emergency help.

Then there are the few Surfside residents that have refused to leave, even with police at their front doors begging and pleading that they hit the road north before it's too late, it will get bad. Well my friends, it's too late. The water has already started rising and is surrounding lots of low lying houses. One of these Surfside residents has already called for emergency assistance to get out of his flooded house, they have no way of getting to him, so he's stuck for now.

Thousands of people live on the coast of Galveston. When you choose to live on any coast you know that the chance of hurricanes and BIG storms is greater than non-coastal living. During hurricane season the threat is always there and MOST of the time the storm doesn't hit us head on, but regardless of the threat, you may feel, if you are asked told to leave I'm thinking you should probably heed the warning and leave.

I know that there have been many false hurricane alarms in the past, enough to make a coastal resident weary about leaving, but isn't it always better to be safe than sorry?

I hope that anyone on the coast, who has decided to ride out the storm, stays safe. The storm surge is already pretty high, and Ike is still about 200 miles away, I can't even imagine what will happen when it does arrive.

I'll be updating regularly, as long as my power stays on.