Ike a Disaster for Many in Multiple States, Especially TX & LA

Ike made landfall (defined as when the center of the circulation crosses land) at 2 a.m. CDT on Saturday as a category 2 storm with 110 mph winds, 1 mph from being a category 2 storm. Though there are those who are saying that Ike did not live up to the hype, those who have seen the Bolivar Peninsula, and people from Galveston to New Orleans, would tell you Ike was all that and then some. Not only that, but had Ike’s official landfall been just a few miles further down the Texas coast (as little as 20-50 miles, which could've happened with just one wobble of the storm), the story could have been even more tragic. The thousands upon thousands who did not obey the mandatory evacuation order for Galveston Island could have all perished. Not even the most well-educated, forecaster can predict the exact intensity or exact landfall of a hurricane with the tools currently available. There was no "hype" with this storm. Ike was a large, ugly, mean storm and if the damage estimates are correct, Ike will be the 3rd costliest storm in U.S. history.

Many people who ignored mandatory evacuation orders called 911 Friday night, only to be told (rightfully so) that they would have to wait until rescuers could safely venture out again after the storm's passage. We can only hope that more people evacuated than was originally estimated, and that those who stayed & survived will spread the word to friends and family about the importance of obeying evacuation orders. It’s believed that as many as 400 people are missing from the Bolivar Peninsula.

Many parts of the area saw significant flooding, wind damage, & power outages. Bayous & creeks overflowed their banks. In downtown Houston, glass was blown out of the windows of high-rise buildings. Many parts of IH-10 were completely submerged. Neighborhood streets were impassible due to downed power lines, uprooted trees, and water flowing like raging rivers. On I-45 South, large boats and debris completely blocked the highway.

While the Bolivar Peninsula was likely the hardest-hit, there were other areas hit that have not received much coverage. I do not mean to discount any of the problems experienced by these other communities and hope to address them later. Being a Texan, my concentration has been Texas & some of the info on the smaller communities is quite limited at this time. I hope to dig into that this evening. Until then, try the links for Beaumont, Port Arthur, & Orange. Flooding in Louisiana is significant as well. The surge there has breached several non-federal levees and flooded an estimated 13,000 homes. An area that took a direct hit from Gustav saw more flooding from Ike’s storm surge than it did from Ike.

The storm continued to cause problems, and that’s an understatement, after it exited the state of TX. For more information, see Dr. Masters’ blog (nope, can’t get a post from me w/out a link to his blog).


THE ANIMALS

One report out of Houston said that the SPCA had rescued 300 animals as of Saturday afternoon, so I can only imagine that number has risen exponentially since that time. As of Friday, San Antonio was playing host to over 500 visiting pets of evacuees. The first shelter was overflowing and a second had to be opened. While I’m sure some of the evacuees have headed home, there are also more that have come in because of the numbers of homes that are completely gone or uninhabitable on Galveston Island, the Bolivar Peninsula, and in so many other communities along the Coast. Many evacuees and their pets were transported to San Antonio by bus yesterday and more have come in today.

DISTURBING IMAGES

The image above, courtesy of Google Maps, shows the Bolivar Peninsula & some notes I've made. Clicking on the map will take you to the satellite image in Google Maps, where you can zoom-in to navigate the “before” image of the peninsula. You can then go here and view new satellite pictures from NOAA. The degree of devastation is just unimaginable.

YOU CAN HELP

• Donate to the Humane Society/SPCA of Bexar County to help defray the costs of caring for these pets. Visit their website here.
  
  
• A regular fixture of Dr. Masters’ blog, Pat, has started a grass-roots effort to get some relief directly to the people who need it most. Pat is a New Orleans resident & a hurricane Katrina survivor. Pat is coordinating with another one of the good-guys of the blog, Paul, and his 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Paul is a hurricane Hugo survivor himself. These 2 men have an understanding of what it means to help your neighbors and how someone who has "been there, done that" can bring a whole new level of compassion to a relief effort. They are truly honest men putting a lot of effort into making this a success. Pat hopes to have the truck rented, filled, and on the way to the Houston/Galveston area with the first load of donations by the end of the week. You can read more here & you can make donations through PayPal. Click on Pat's name above & read the comments in his blog to see some of the items he has already received for this first trip, and for more testimonials about Pat & Paul.
  
  
• Donate to another charity of your choice.
  
  IN SE TX or the SAN ANTONIO AREA?
  
  
  • Donate blood! Blood shortages are expected. You just need to be over the age of 18, weigh at least 110 lbs, and be generally healthy.
    
    
  • Volunteer to help with the evacuees or the evacuees’ pets! Visit the VOAD Center - originally located at the Freeman Coliseum, the Volunteer Operation Center has moved to Brooks City Base, 8039 Challenger Dr. The phone # is 210-224-5365