News ‘copters and crews are making their way to the Bolivar Peninsula and High Island, north and east of Galveston Island. This area took the brunt of the storm’s right side, and is pretty much devastated. The pictures aren’t quite as spectacular as the Mississippi coast after Katrina, but that’s largely because the area wasn’t as built up. I described it to someone as a “blue-collar beach community,” and that’s about right. No gambling boats, not a major tourist attraction, just homes on stilts and a few businesses. Evidently no one was paying attention to the huge storm surge built up by Ike; approximately 500 (est.) people were caught on the island when the water came up at 4 a.m. Friday morning, twenty-two hours before the storm’s eye made landfall. The Coast Guard and others were able to get 130 or so off before they had to suspend operations. There are obviously a number of survivors, but no one knows how many, nor how many died yet. Those that remain are running out of gas for their generators, but many are still refusing to leave. There are some houses left, many with severe damage. The San Martin ferry is sitting in someone’s front yard, half out of water. Saw a picture of a commercial building sitting in the middle of an intersection on Hwy. 87. (Update: “15 miles of neighborhoods completely wiped out” — official on High Island.)

Back on the other side, of the bay, the West End (of Galveston island) fared somewhat better, but the amount of beach erosion has placed many damaged houses right on the water, which means even if they’re viable (and many don’t appear to be) the state will condemn them. Erosion patterns looked like most of it was done by outflow; I’d bet the water was shoved into the bay through the main channel, then went down behind the island until it could get around the seawall, where the west side of the hurricane pushed it back over the island. Chunks of that seawall are missing; not large ones, but it was beginning to break apart under the pounding of the surf, and overtopping. It’s widely reported as being 17.5 feet high, but it’s actually settled to a height of only 15′. A cat 4 would have destroyed it. Probably 2,000 people have accepted offers to be evacuated from the Island, which will remain closed for the foreseeable future. It will be a week before the top priority structure, the University of Texas Medical Branch, can get power. I’m not impressed by the Galveston mayor, who declared a 6p.m. curfew. Hello, it’s light until 8 p.m. The military is standing around with trailers of ice and MRE’s, wondering where their lines went. Good show. (This is the brilliant mayor who had to be shown a slide show by Governor Perry to get her to call an evac, which she did too late, IMHO. Still, she’s not quite Ray Nagin. That would require lots of flooded buses and no mandatory evacuation order.)

Further north, the Kemah Boardwalk is pretty much totaled. The ferris wheel is “pretty banged up.” Few stores are open south of the Beltway. Entire strips are missing from Reliant’s roof; it was supposed to survive a hurricane with no damage. Not surprised by this; conspiracy freaks will obsess over the fact that it was designed by KBR; those of us who watch local government will look at the involvement of some politically connected firms that got handed part of the work. Houston is under curfew also now. Downtown is still closed. I’m hearing something about 100-150 people from an assisted living center screaming where’s their food, where’s their lights. The national media should be there shortly to blame it on Bush.

A cool front has arrived and the humidity dropped a lot. Feels nice out there; too bad the city’s a wreck from a hurricane.

Locally, our neighborhood came through in great shape, aside from a few fences down and one unfortunate fellow with a large tree added to his roof. Not to mention a hole to put it in. Long line at Kroger’s, which opened late today.

Removed most of our boards today; left one one near where the generator sits… just in case. Water pressure almost normal but can’t trust it yet. Washing lots of clothes and such before they mildew. I have to report to work tomorrow. Will try to post pictures next…