Pictures of damage to Galveston from Hurricane Ike 4 weeks after the storm.
A newspaper stand down at The Strand still showing the day’s paper. I tried to buy one but it was jammed and would not open. I hope this is preserved somehow.
The memorial to the 1900 storm along the The Seawall.
I was so happy to see this as I had heard reports that it was gone. What was gone were the plaques attached to heavy granite. And the granite blocks had been moved by the sea almost 12 feet away.
Boats on Highway 45. Many, many boats washed up all long the road leading in to Galveston. Coming into Galveston was… it touched my heart. And much of the trip was spent with tears for what I saw.
I didn’t feel right about taking pictures of people’s houses. Suffice it to say that streets were filled with debris and every house had it’s contents piled out front.
But I did take this one picture of a beach front house just to show that there is hope and humor even in the worst of times.
This is the beach at the 61st Street Pier where I always stop. Before and after…
Before Hurricane Ike
After - very sad.
Looking down the beach at the debris piled up along the seawall.
Truck washed up on a pier.
I don’t know where all these rocks came from. I am thinking possibly from the sandbars out from the island? But there was beach here and the drop off from the Sea Wall is normally about 12+ feet.
This was in front of the old Balinese Room. Notice how the wind and water shifted the heavy stone.
Gone. The Balinese Room would have been where the piers are standing closest to me. What is left of one of the sea shell shops beside it in the back of the picture.
Looking down The Strand - the historic district close to the docks.
Looking the other way on the Strand. Jean Lafitte’s building down at the very end survived, as did most of the old buildings. Water damaged inside for sure but the buildings are still there.
The waterline mark shows how high the water rose. The Strand is on the other side of the island from the beach, in the ship channel bay. It is lower than along the sea wall which was built up after the 1900 storm. This side of the island got the water surge coming into the bay. I found a shell washed up along a curb.
Some things just strike you - notice the sign.
Open for business? Many places had opened and for that I was happy. I stopped at Dennys along the Sea Wall for lunch. Spent time talking to the waitress and listening to locals talking about how they were getting along. My waitress was staying at a local shelter but was hopeful and cheerful. She got a big tip.
