Yes, Galveston is really THAT bad...

Hello all again. I was talking with some friends (as we all shoveled mud out of the house and tossed couches molded over into the street) and there are people that don't believe it is really "all that bad." Well, this particular person was finally convinced when told that their church sustained damage in the millions (old wood features that have to be dried slowly because they are essentially unreplaceable, ruined wooden floors, destroyed organ, pews that need refinishing just to name the big stuff).

Port Bolivar essentially has one house standing each square mile. It was decimated. Galveston was flooded and covered in mud. Use your imagination - imagine your place with a foot of water for 12-24 hours. Where would the water wick to? Don't forget, no cheating - you are not there, can't get there for a day or two, have no power, no water, and nothing to start aerating the house for a few days. Do the same for 5 feet. Also realize that the muck (oily stuff in mud makes it sticky when wet and also makes it "waterproof") coated everything that the water touches. You cant walk easily for 2 or 3 days because it is wet and very slippery. Don't even think of walking poochie on anything but your dry porch - the toxic muck and the debris make it bad for you, just think if you walked barefoot and then licked your feet clean. Oh yeah, the vet clinic was flooded out also.

So eventually the muck dries out. Cars and trucks in the street stir up the dust. You sweep and rake the stuff into the street because the cleanup crews are taking all of the debris (and this stuff is not good for plants or anything else really). You stir up the dust from all of that. Parking your car (you may be living nearby, or you may be going elsewhere) is treacherous as all of the debris is incompletely removed. Glass and nails litter the ground and act as divining rods for rubber. Gas stations were destroyed or were small businesses who did not have a disaster plan so you had better be able to fix that flat (knock on flotsam, I have been fine).

Take a look at Galveston (city), a webcam or two, and a review of the storm.

"Green" debris from clearing downed plants / trees and those that died as well.

A life in perspective as someone's stuff is tossed from mold and water damage