Ike...reports from the ground

I was able to email him up until 1030 on Friday night but haven't heard from him since. The one thing that keeps popping in my head is how he stated that he and his neighbors on High Island were working class people, not rich beachfront owners like you find in some areas. I know he was not a beachfront owner but unless he was very lucky, he is probably in trouble. I emailed him earlier but haven't heard back....

I was able to email him up until 1030 on Friday night but haven't heard from him since. The one thing that keeps popping in my head is how he stated that he and his neighbors on High Island were working class people, not rich beachfront owners like you find in some areas. I know he was not a beachfront owner but unless he was very lucky, he is probably in trouble. I emailed him earlier but haven't heard back....

But, yet, he is out there helping others. You have a wonderful friend.

But, yet, he is out there helping others. You have a wonderful friend.

I have learned there are a few good ones in Texas... ;-)

Composite TV news coverage from the area:

http://www.maroonspoon.com/wx/ike.html

They live out in the country, and according to what we have heard so far, he was out mowing, a limb came down and hit him in the head.

The high wind caught so many by surprise- I just talked to another friend who lost 3 trees. School is canceled in Louisville today, so she and her son are outside trying to clean up. She said it was scary, the wind was strong for several hours, then the 75 mph winds started. Apparently the area looks like a war zone, and about 300,000 are without power.

CHEERING! I need to see if she is OK.

Thank you Jenny. I survived. I am so sorry for your friend who lost their son. My thoughts and prayers are with them. We lost 6 trees on my block Sunday and still have no power. Schools are closed again today, but we have power at work now so I am online. It does look like a war zone but it's just an inconvenience compared to what everyone has suffered in Texas.

Thank you Jenny. I survived. I am so sorry for your friend who lost their son. My thoughts and prayers are with them. We lost 6 trees on my block Sunday and still have no power. Schools are closed again today, but we have power at work now so I am online. It does look like a war zone but it's just an inconvenience compared to what everyone has suffered in Texas.

Thanks for checking in...glad you are okay. Ike was so far reaching. Did y'all have any idea what was coming?

Thank you Jenny. I survived. I am so sorry for your friend who lost their son. My thoughts and prayers are with them. We lost 6 trees on my block Sunday and still have no power. Schools are closed again today, but we have power at work now so I am online. It does look like a war zone but it's just an inconvenience compared to what everyone has suffered in Texas.

yay cheering! good to see you here!

the news reports are so moving and inspring to see fellow americans finding skills they never knew they had and supporting one another directly or from afar.

keep us posted ya'll.

Thanks for checking in...glad you are okay. Ike was so far reaching. Did y'all have any idea what was coming?

Thanks Miss Kitty. No it caught me off guard. I was expecting a chance for rain and an isolated thunderstorm. (I prefer a surprise to come with cake and gifts) I'm so glad PawPaw is with you and hope things get back to mormal soon for your sister.

yay cheering! good to see you here!

the news reports are so moving and inspring to see fellow americans finding skills they never knew they had and supporting one another directly or from afar.

keep us posted ya'll.

Thank you Toostsie. We had a block party and cooked everyones food that was going to have to be thrown out. I may be the only person to gain weight because of wind.

Thanks Miss Kitty. No it caught me off guard. I was expecting a chance for rain and an isolated thunderstorm. (I prefer a surprise to come with cake and gifts) I'm so glad PawPaw is with you and hope things get back to mormal soon for your sister.



Thank you Toostsie. We had a block party and cooked everyones food that was going to have to be thrown out. I may be the only person to gain weight because of wind.

One of many stories that has restored my faith in my fellow Americans.

Cheering needs to evacuate to SoWal for the next Louisville hurricane.;-) Or just evacuate for a margarita.

One of many stories that has restored my faith in my fellow Americans.

I was touched to see so many extension cords running across streets and yards, from neighbors with power to neighbors without power. People have been, for the most part, very helpful. Once again I feel embarrassed to mention this after reading of the destruction this storm caused for others. We were lucky and can't complain considering the losses of other people. But it is nice to see the good in people.

Cheering needs to evacuate to SoWal for the next Louisville hurricane.;-) Or just evacuate for a margarita.

That's what I needed!!

Front Page of Last Saturday?s Houston Chronicle

The caption below this incredible photo by Johnny Hanson read:
The powerful ? and poignant ? combination of headline and design reminds us of what only a newspaper can do. (h/t: Obsidian Wings)

posted by Wick Allison | September 16th, 2008 7:38pm | filed under Local News | 6 Comments ?

The statue you see in the picture is located at the seawall in Galveston. It is a memorial to all the victims of the 1900 storm.

7 out of our 21 offices in the Houston and Greater Houston offices are open, with 13 temporarily closed due to power outages. Our Galveston office was completely destroyed during Hurricane Ike, and will have to be rebuilt. I hope for the best for those people in the path of Hurricane Ike.

Well, I heard about my friends today. The one who lives on Galveston Island has heard his garage is gone but nothing else. He is safe and feels very fortunate. He expects power to be out for a while and to not be able to go home. He is in Houston.

My other friend is busily working for Galveston County Emergency Management and is tired. The good news is that his house on High Island on the Bolivar Peninsula DID NOT GET FLOODED He also won't be home for a while but will have a home to go back to. Thanks everyone for your prayers for my friends. Good luck to all of you who were affected or know people who were. It is a mess.

Well, I heard about my friends today. The one who lives on Galveston Island has heard his garage is gone but nothing else. He is safe and feels very fortunate. He expects power to be out for a while and to not be able to go home. He is in Houston.

My other friend is busily working for Galveston County Emergency Management and is tired. The good news is that his house on High Island on the Bolivar Peninsula DID NOT GET FLOODED He also won't be home for a while but will have a home to go back to. Thanks everyone for your prayers for my friends. Good luck to all of you who were affected or know people who were. It is a mess.

Wonderful news- thanks for letting us know!

Well, I heard about my friends today. The one who lives on Galveston Island has heard his garage is gone but nothing else. He is safe and feels very fortunate. He expects power to be out for a while and to not be able to go home. He is in Houston.

My other friend is busily working for Galveston County Emergency Management and is tired. The good news is that his house on High Island on the Bolivar Peninsula DID NOT GET FLOODED He also won't be home for a while but will have a home to go back to. Thanks everyone for your prayers for my friends. Good luck to all of you who were affected or know people who were. It is a mess.

This is good news. I know you were really worried. Glad they're ok. And yes, thanks for letting us know.

...oh, happy day! BeachSiO2...tell your friends that their friends on sowal.com are relieved for them!

CNN: Remnants of Ike caused 75 mph winds in ICELAND!

CNN: Remnants of Ike caused 75 mph winds in ICELAND!

Wow!

Hello to all:

Just a short note as I'm finally getting a few hours off duty to rest. IKE was a very catastrophic storm that will end up as one of the top 2-3 to hit America. Please keep people focused on giving as they did with Katrina. The area will need it for years. I haven't seen much of the news lately, but it surprises me that the national coverage on this less than a week later, is updates only.......IKE may not end up with as many deaths as Katrina, but will have as much destruction associated with it. The death count has a good chance of going up significantly. Feds continue to hint in our State briefings, and have asked for more DRMOT (mortuary) teams to be deployed. I imagine this will become clearer as the SAR teams continue their searches and the waters continue to receed.

Galveston and the barrier islands are severly damaged and will take years to recover. The local hospital UTMB will more than likely be condemned. Several areas remind me of Bay St. Louis after Katrina with only slabs remaining.

Please remember to continue to donate to your charity of choice for those who have suffered. Always remember, that it could have been our beloved SoWal.

Arkie

Thought you might want to see these-amazing photography.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html ---

Thank you, Arkiehawg. So glad to hear from you. I have tried to keep the TV coverage off for PawPaw's sake and didn't really know what the national news was showing. Perhaps people are thinking that Texas will pull up it's boot straps and take care of it's own as well as possible? We do have a wonderful state., but you are right...please give what you can.

Here are a couple of pics from my sister:

Thanks for the pics, ssb. Does she have power? Remind me where she is.

PawPaw and my sister still have no power, but according to energy company maps, they are zeroing in. My BIL's vet clinic got power yesterday (Woodlands) and that is a silver lining for them.

People are starting to unravel with the stress. I hope they get some peace soon.