Hurrican Ike

[cheryls]

This was shown on the news here last week but that's about it. I lived in Galveston for two yrs when I was a teenager and this Hurricane was massive! My half sister wrote to me yesterday from the Beaumont area and their electrics have only come back on yesterday and she says it is still sporadic and they have to have a generator for it. Generators are run on fuel and she said it's hard to come by. She said food is a shortage as well. She said if you want bread you had better be there when the bread truck arrives or else you go without. Beaumont is a 2.5 hour drive away from Galveston if you drive there by taking the ferry from Port Boliver however, the ferry landing has been washed away by the storm too. So the alternative to drive there from Galveston is a one hour drive to Houston and about 4 hours from there!

They mayor of Galveston let some people go back the other day to survey the damage but then declared the entire island inhabitable and they are now saying it may be months before they let anyone back in. This is scary in itself as school started there in August and now all the records are washed away as well as criminal files form the police and courts etc.  I have seen pics of alligators wandering around. The pics are showing the area of the Flagship hotel which is about 25th street and also the area of 69th ave. I lived on 9th and K and the press can't even get there. I just can't imagine what life would be like with all the devistation, food shortages, fuel shortages, no electrics etc. We take such things for granted.

I hope people here will not forget the people of Galveston or Texas in general. If ever anyone needed help, these people do. Although I swore years ago I would never step foot back in Texas, Galveston has a place in my heart.

http://www.klvi.com/main.html     If you go onto the Hurrican Ike Update you can see the power shortages and when they are estimated to be restored. My Uncle is not due until 23/09.08.

MTA: Lived and Loved.....

[steveg]

I loved in Galveston for two yrs when I was a teenager

Really?  Something you want to share with us Cheryl?  Hehehe 

Seriously though, I agree there has been hardly an mention on UK news about Hurricane Ike, you rpost brings it home the devastation these things can cause. A workmate of mine who sits next to me at work was to fly to Houston last weekend, but had to dealy until Monday and now will not be returning until the middle of next week in consequence. Not much of a problem you would have thought, but it seems almost the whole of Texas was closed down last weekend due to Ike.

Lets hope that support and assistance comes to the displaced residents faster than it did after the disaster in New Orleans.

Steve

[Lotus Freak]

I've not heard much about it. My cousin is living in Ohio right now and she says they were affected by the hurricane. She was telling me they didn't have electricity for some time and even they finally got it back not all the services were available as she didn't have internet access for 6 days.

[cheryls]

Here are two links my half sister just sent me. Perhaps you can now see what these people are going through.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2008/09/16/after-ike/

[Lotus Freak]

I don't need to read a story to know what it's like in the aftermath of a hurricane. Every time I hear one is heading somewhere I always hope for the best for the people in the area. Charleston was hit pretty badly in 1989* by hurricane Hugo and we had to evacuate. Driving back home was surreal because you saw the devastation it left behind. Once we got home we had to drive all over just to find a grocery store and petrol. The grocery stores that opened didn't even have electricity so I can remember being let in a few at a time to get a few things. We didn't have electricity for 16 days. It was weird not knowing what was going on around you because we couldn't watch the news. I can also remember there was a curfew for the cities that were hit.

I wish I had the pics that I took. My friend and I went walking around once things started settling down a bit and I've got pictures of the old oak trees uprooted on their sides...they've got a massive root system. I also have pictures of all sorts of boats in trees. I always get antsy when I hear there's a hurricane heading towards SC.

MTA: *changed the date, hurricane Hugo was in 1989 and hurrican Floyd was 1999 we evacuated for both of them.

[cheryls]

Those are not stories, they are pictures. Galveston will never be the same. It will take years to re build it. Even the Ferry terminal was destroyed. I am so glad I was not there but I feel for the people who's homes and lives have been destroyed by this. My unclle and half sister are in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area and they were hit hard as well.

[Windsong]

Pretty awful pictures!  It will take years to rebuild.....if some people ever do.  I think I would move way, way into the interior.......like maybe next to the desert!