Hurricane Ike Aftermath Pictures

[JonathanBelles]

I hope it is ok to open this, but I would really like to see some of the pictures and not have them get lost in the thread.

[BigB0882]

You can go to http://www.jakeabby.com to see the devastation that took place on Crystal Beach, to the East of Galveston. My Aunt and Uncle had a beach cabin there, had being the important word. I thought the front row or two would be gone but there are only a few cabins left standing no matter where they were. How horrible for all of those people, especially those who lived there. At least my aunt and uncle have another home, this was just a vacation home for them.

I also heard that in some places, the first 4 or so pieces of land were eroded away too badly and they can never rebuild. That apparently means no insurance money on losing the land, just insurance for the home and belongings. Those plots of land costs upwards of $300,000! It is such a shame.

[Chris_in_Tampa]

Gilchrist, Texas, before and after:
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/687/ ... ttxbi3.gif

[Ed Mahmoud]

NWS HGX web site has this before and after

[Shoshana]

from The Big Picture Blog

from the KHOU Galveston forum (I haven't had a chance to look at these yet)

The Google Earth and Maps team has created an overlay of the NOAA aftermath images. Once you've downloaded it, you can turn the layer off to see the pre-Ike image.

This GE file can be downloaded from: Aftermath of Hurricane Ike

If you do not have Google Earth, it may be downloaded for free from: Google Earth

Advantages: Use the Fly To box to enter your address. The Pre-Ike pics and Post-Ike pics are the same size and same coordinates. I do not know how old the pre-ike pics are, so the address feature is a blessing.

[VeniceInlet]

I hope this does not sound insensitive to anyone who lives/lived there, but looking at these pictures really confuses me. I don't really see the appeal of building a huge stilted home on what is essentially a flat, unprotected marsh. It's really not the most attractive geography in the "before" pics. I think what would probably be best is just to turn it into a state-held preserve, let people camp there but not build. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

[Ed Mahmoud]

I hope this does not sound insensitive to anyone who lives/lived there, but looking at these pictures really confuses me. I don't really see the appeal of building a huge stilted home on what is essentially a flat, unprotected marsh. It's really not the most attractive geography in the "before" pics. I think what would probably be best is just to turn it into a state-held preserve, let people camp there but not build. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

My wife's grandfather, "Popo", has (had?) an RV parked at a rental campground by the Chevron station in Jamaica Beach, on Galveston Island, and there were a lot of palm trees planted all around Jamaica Beach, so it didn't look as bare as Crystal Beach did. Lots of BBQ-ing, swimming in very comfortable water (I grew up on Long Island, and if Jones Beach water temps got over 70º F in the Summer one was lucky), surf fishing. Popo would do shots of tequila with me at the trailer. The whole extended family would gather on holidays.

Texas' Open Beaches law means if the dune/vegeation line winds up behind one's property after a storm, one can't rebuild. The Crystal Beach pictures suggest a lot of beach was lost, and some people won't be able to ever rebuild.

[Canelaw99]

http://news.aol.com/article/grim-scenes ... 1200570247

Can anyone tell me what that one yellow house is made of? It looks untouched!

[HURAKAN]

It's a house that was built to resist hurricanes.

http://www.bolivarchamber.org/Gilchrist.aspx

[alicia83]

I hope this does not sound insensitive to anyone who lives/lived there, but looking at these pictures really confuses me. I don't really see the appeal of building a huge stilted home on what is essentially a flat, unprotected marsh. It's really not the most attractive geography in the "before" pics. I think what would probably be best is just to turn it into a state-held preserve, let people camp there but not build. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

VeniceInlet,

The problem in any flood prone area anywhere in the US rests with city and county governments who approve subdivisions in such areas to the benefit of their tax base, ca-ching, ca- ching. It's all about the money.

I would agree with you that Bolivar peninsula should likely not be rebuilt. It also remains to be seen how much money state and federal government would contribute to rebuilding there, roads, schools, and the like. This stretch of beach is so narrow to begin with, and had already lost some land to erosion during Alicia. It remains to be seen what amount has been lost this go round. Tides are higher in the winter, so after winter we'll have a good idea as to what usable? land still exists.

[BigB0882]

Your home can be devastated no matter where you live. Should people not be allowed to live in California because they have earthquakes? No one in Kansas because of tornadoes? There are risks no matter where it is you live. People "pay" for the risk in higher insurance costs. Hurricanes happen all the time you might say but when was the last time that Crystal Beach was wiped off the face of the earth? I don't recall it in my lifetime. Someone mentioned Alicia, was it this bad? For some people, a once every 25-30 yrs chance may not be enough to scare them away. That is their personal choice.

[stormy1970al]

People choose to live where they do because they love to wake up each morning and smell the salt air. Hear the ocean waves crash on the sand. I guess you would have to live in such an area to get the glimspe of why people choose to live in such areas. For example Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are very close to the Gulf of Mexico but they are striving communities in Baldwin County. They have schools, shopping centers, doctors, etc like all communities have. They are also prone to flooding. I guess it is a decision that one chooses. I would rather live in a hurricane prone area than an area that has tornados or earthquakes. Maybe it is because I have lived here all of my life.

For example my manager at the store I work at is from up North and when Gustav was in the Gulf and we were put on hurricane warnings down here he made the comment that he was scared XXXXXXXX of hurricanes but give him an ice storm any day. Ice Storms down here would scared the daylights out of me. I guess it depends on where you live. Another words all areas have their taste of natural disasters and all you can do is deal with it and make the best out of it.

I know right now TX is hurting. Hey it hurts to see those pics because many of us on the Gulf Coast have been there at some point in our lives. But I know one thing...TX will rebuild and they will be stronger. Ike will never be forgotten but I know that Texans will not let Ike bring them down for long. They will survive!

[pawlee]

(Shared this on ST, figured it would be ok to drop it in here since it falls into the category post event imagery. Mods are welcome to move it if need be. p)

I had some time today so I grabbed a few satellite images and put together a pair of timelapse videos. Ok so it was more like a few hundred images but I figured what the heck. I was initially just wanting to make a clip of Ike skoozing across C IL but then decided to go all out. Quality is what is being as all I have is Windows Movie Maker but perhaps some of you will find them useful. Skips are due to blackout during 0415Z - 0615Z and no images available for that period each day.

GOES East Conus, 09/05 - 09/15, 473 stills, 2MB
http://pawleewurx.com/st/east_conus2.wmv

GOES East Hurricane Sector, 09/02 - 09/14, 559 stills, 2.95MB
http://pawleewurx.com/st/east_hurricane_sector2.wmv

(if the download goes slow it's just because of multiple users)

[Diva]

Still evacuated to Katy. Going home tomorrow though, electricity or not!

Here's the site that has helped us stay up to date on what's happening in Orange. Thought I'd share it with y'all....
http://kogt.smugmug.com/gallery/5953607_Nn2hu#371134406_jLgnE
I know that Gilchrist, Crystal Beach and Bolivar all had horrible devastation. But please don't forget about those in Bridge City and Orange who lost alot to flooding. From what I hear, there aren't many homes in Bridge City that didn't get flooding.

[vbhoutex]

Still evacuated to Katy. Going home tomorrow though, electricity or not!

Here's the site that has helped us stay up to date on what's happening in Orange. Thought I'd share it with y'all....
http://kogt.smugmug.com/gallery/5953607_Nn2hu#371134406_jLgnE
I know that Gilchrist, Crystal Beach and Bolivar all had horrible devastation. But please don't forget about those in Bridge City and Orange who lost alot to flooding. From what I hear, there aren't many homes in Bridge City that didn't get flooding.

20 homes in the entire community did not get water in them. I know Bridge City is not a thriving metropolis like Houston, but it isn't a commmunity of 40 or 50 homes either. Houston will take quite a while to get back to normal, but there are entire communities basaically wiped out all along the SE TX coast and inland. I know some areas 15 miles inland had 13 feet of surge.

And yes SE Texas will come back bigger and better thank you.

[Canelaw99]

:uarrow: It's a house that was built to resist hurricanes.

http://www.bolivarchamber.org/Gilchrist.aspx

Thanks! Guess it worked Other places along the Gulf ought to check into those being codes/mandatory IMO.

[bvigal]

Pics are pretty grim. 1st was the relief and joy that there wasn't a great loss of life from Ike. Now the sadness looking at what so many have lost. I know Texas will rebuild, as others have said. But can't help thinking about those individual families, and their children, who have lost a sense of security with the loss of what may be the only home they've known.

Thanks to all here for posting the photos. I have a photo question.
http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/ike/geo-C25883946.jpg
The above link is to one of those huge NOAA pics. Can someone tell me what is that dark green or black snake-looking thing running the whole coastline next to the ocean???? Is that a blacktop road twisted up? Or, is it an oil slick? I've zoomed in but still can't make it out, it doesn't look real!

WARNING: When you load the photo, you will see NOTHING but all white. That's because the pic runs catty-wampus lower left to upper right. Scroll down or across to see the photo.

Per the house built to withstand hurricanes, I could not see it, because I would not lower my security to allow AOL to write 12 COOKIES onto my computer! If someone wants to post a link to it from elsewhere, that would be nice.

[Ed Mahmoud]

I think that might be some kind of erosion device planted under the dunes to reinforce them.

[O Town]

bvigal:
Check out this link HURAKAN posted above.
http://www.bolivarchamber.org/Gilchrist.aspx
I think Ed is right, and its called a Geotube, I believe that is what we are seeing in that picture. Very interesting idea.

[bvigal]

Thanks!!! Wow, looking at the pictures of the geotube installed and at this aerial, one can really understand how destructive Ike's surge was!