Storm Stuff

Galveston, let's make lemons out of lemonade (actually pencils out of trees)

2009-03-18T12:25:00.000-05:00

Hello all who may be still tuned (the financial thing kinda wrestled the news away from Galveston kinda quickly). Many houses have been worked on, but not many completed. Between walking around town and driving on Broadway I have been paying attention to the trees. The city has done a beautiful job on the medians of Broadway (few parts left to put bricks on but each end of every median has new oleanders and shrubbery planted and mulched with automatic watering systems installed). They have been and are still watering every live oak. Unfortunately despite best efforts it looks like less than half are budding. I walked around the East End Historic District and every deciduous tree (trees with leaves) is daad (dead as a doornail). This area had several feet of brackish water for about 36 to 48 hours contaminating the soil and it burned many plants. After the storm we were lucky as there was little to no rain to come in through the damaged roofs but we were unlucky as there was little to no rain to wash the salt away.
Ok, so in order to help the economic state of things I vote to use the wood constructively. Take a tree or two and make Galveston pencils and other doodads. Sell the rest of the trees to wookworkers. Live oak (note to those not from the area - that is the name of the tree, not their state of being) is a marvelous wood, very strong and good to machine. these trees are also, unfortunately for us but good for woodworkers, about 100 years old. You really can't get great wood like that these days. Old, great wood with historical significance should sell for a decent price. That's something the City could use. Oh, and since I thought of it I only have two stipulations. I want a piece (a small branch'll do) and I want a part of the money to go for new planting and bicycle lanes first, then other stuff. Why bike lanes? Being green is in, that's all.
Good luck Galveston, and remember that you are not alone.

Sorry, have been tired and tied up

2008-11-20T00:54:00.003-06:00

Well, the past few weeks have certainly been exciting!!! Have hooked up and / or had lots o'stuff installed - hot water, washer / dryer, furnace and a/c. Still, many without electricity (they were close to the Bayous and had a surge destroy their home). People are coming back in little bits. Many are still in hotels and other dwellings (rented and friends). This certainly was bad and I don't think that folks elsewhere have seen the whole picture (other newsworthy items affecting them) and the lack of coverage makes it difficult to judge.

The large central debris field on Broadway and 59th street has been cleared and cleaned. There were stories about it possibly being a spot to put a FEMA trailer park. Visited the Post Office trailers, they will be here a while.

With the massive cuts going on at UTMB (while it may not look that way from the reports that they are laying off 3800 from about 12000, and since about 800 have already left or retired, they only have to decrease by about 3000) the island will be slower to recover. The layoffs affect the hospital side only essentially (research and the hospital prison are relatively unaffected due to their stable funding) which has a cadre of just under 5000 personnell. Go to the Galveston Daily News and you can also google utmb layoffs to find more info.

I will try to get out and photograph a few things and post them as well as keep up a bit better. I hope that you all are okay, and remember that you are not alone :).
Thanks

Stuff and please post personal points on disaster preparedness...

2008-10-16T00:35:00.000-05:00

Hello there. We all have alot of it. We accumulate, despite not liking it, not using it, or just not remembering it. People will be logging hundreds of items (if they are "lucky" enough that the "stuff" did not just get washed away) on each of their insurance claims. You see evidence of it all around in all of the piles. Some things were probably loved and used frequently, other things just cataloged and passed into the street.

Notes to self: Every once in a while, at least, walk through the house with a video camera slowly and capture everything. Also make sure that everything that you put away in your "emergency" kits not only are in a safe place (i.e. not near ground level, not under other things and only in plastic containers) but also have been played with (a disaster is the wrong time to figure something out or realize it is broken. Also make sure that you focus on things that really mean something to you so that you don't realize you should have focused on other things with your time.

What tips do you have for disaster preparedness? Please leave a comment. NOTE: You can leave a comment anonymously, you don't have to sign in if you don't wish.

Remember that you are not alone.

There's a hole in the roof, dear Liza, dear Liza...

2008-10-15T00:03:00.003-05:00

Hello there all, tall and small, wet and dry, fixed and not. I went to check on the water heater in the attic after the storm, and noted a defect in the roof (you can see the moon thru the hatch).

An access hatch had blown off into the yard, revealing a neat place to look through. It also, in this great post storm weather is providing a nice ventilation port. The wind at rooftop height is more active and keeps the house cool. No a/c yet (electrician is working on the breaker boxes which broke and then need to work on replacing a/c units). Read a few articles that stated there are various things including water heaters washing up on shore around here.

Just to get an idea of the destruction that has befallen Port Bolivar, realize this - the debris (the peninsula was raked clean essentially) piles are more debris fields, each something on the order of 7-10 yards tall and the size of half a football field or more. The property and souls lost will not be found for a long time at best. Good luck to all having to deal with any disaster, whether it is massive from nature such as the fires in California, or on a personal scale.

The lights are slowly coming on. This is a shot from rooftop towards UTMB. This is definitely going to be a whole new world for the university no matter how you slice it. Everything points to everything being effected.

Remember that you are not alone. Go find someone who can help you, then go find someone you can help.

The Cleanup

2008-10-14T01:53:00.003-05:00

Hello All!!! Sorry, I have been tired at night and not as inquisitive as to the rest of the island right now. Working on the house has been consuming my time and energy lately. I promised a friend that I would put up a video of the trash collection process on the island and here it is. They come in different sizes, typically a very large dumpster truck with another dumster trailer. On the back of the truck is an arm similar to the machine on the video with two hydraulic legs to stabilize. The video has a tractor trailer being loaded by a separate second machine.

So then, other than just watching another construction-type video, why show it and talk about it? Well, the contract that was put out for this service (fulfilled by many different companies, all with similar equipment) is somewhere between 18 to 24 months. That tells me that perhaps someone with some experience on disaster recovery has said that this is needed for that long of a period. Tell me that is not significant. No, really please tell me that this is not what is happening. Oy.

This is a short video of the piles of trash around. It gets cleaned up. The piles are then refilled as if the homes and apartments are magicians hats that can produce prodigious portions of detritus in perpituity. I recently saw The Weather Channel special on the Galveston Storm of 1900 (other site here)and the pictures there more so reflect how it feels now. Currently the buildings are standing but the spirit is temporarily gone. Make no mistake - the majority of buidings were affected and need some combination of gutting, re-roofing, or major fixing.

Remember that you are not alone.

A few observations in the dark...

2008-10-02T20:41:00.003-05:00

Hello all. Sorry, no pics tonight. I will put some video up tomorrow of some of the cleanup (I realize I left the cable and charger elsewhere and can't get it as it is after curfew). At first there was a lot of debris, it was cleaned, then many came home and emptied / gutted their homes and the streets filled up even worse. The estimates are now coming in. 6 to 8 weeks for the hospitals, 3 to 6 months for individual houses (that were severely affected), 6 to 9 months for apartment complexes (many are repairing all units). I am gutting my ground level. The monstrous trucks that are clearing the debris will be here for 18 to 24 months.

Last night I spent the first night at home, here again tonight. We are having terrific weather. Warm, but not hot during the day and cool at night. Really nice to sleep without AC going. I have a generator going powering ventilation equipment and to run this computer (listening to veep debate on battery powered radio, will watch some website tv later). Today got a little buggy about working inside the house so raked and swept the dried muck and piled it up for collection. Back in the mine tomorrow.

At home the best things have been a small ac fan and a battery fan (the radio and fan are part of a product line that uses the same batteries a group of tools use. Rechargeable stuff works very well as there is usually power somewhere not too far away and you can recharge the batteries at least at night and get some work done with those tools (there is alot of manual labor to be done regardless). Another thing that is great is a headband that has three LEDs on it and with 3 AAAs it lasts 50+ hours. Very bright and easy to use as it is obviously hands free. Another thing that is more along the morale line is powdered diet drinks. The sweeteners dissolve even in cold water. You will drink lots and lots of water. Between working / sweating and meals there is a lot of water. A lot. I usually drink water and iced tea and occasionally diet sodas. Enough to give a bit of variety. Both the half gallon sized powdered drink tubs and the individual "sticks" give a little something of interest.

Having said that I am thrilled to be supported by a system that can swoop into a disaster area and support it with ice / water / food, free laundry (thanks Tide), medical services, communication services (Army National Guard - Signal Corps, Oklahoma), and many others. If I have left you / your group out, please leave a comment!

Last night and tonight there is a gorgeous waxing moon, and when travelling provides a wonderful accent to a dark island. The stars are amazing without the usual light pollution around.

Please remember now and in the future, you are not alone. Help yourself, help your friends and neighbors.

Yes, Galveston is really THAT bad...

2008-10-01T21:54:00.006-05:00

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

A little hiatus...

2008-09-30T00:36:00.002-05:00

Hello all, I am sure you have noted it has been a few days. Have been tired, helped some friends pack up their moldy belongings, chuck some of mine and otherwise take a deep breath and a warm shower. More pictures to come, I have been snapping and filming.
On a separate note, Happy New Year and have a healthy one too if you are one of the tribe.

Other pics from around

2008-09-25T23:50:00.004-05:00

To see some slide shows from UTMB look here:

UTMB website

UTMB on Flikr

A sign borrows from some customs closer to New Orleans

Evidently the sign did not refer to this item, though.

A sunken boat is raised from Bovine Bay via a barge crane

The ambulance deck parking at UTMB at night

Some info collected

2008-09-25T03:50:00.000-05:00

Let me first say that today went reasonably well. Traffic seemed to move reasonably, not too many accidents. I did hear something disturbing - some just think that you can stay through the storm and if need be get in a little boat and be safe. I couldn't tell if they were kidding but I unfortunately don't think so. I will not comment on the absolute lunacy of that proposal.

Here are a few local links (non-meat) that will give you some info and pics on what is going on:

Where can I find basics?

Disaster declaration extended and curfew changed to 8p to 6a

Healthcare needs rise after Ike

A day frozen in time - evacuations were started after this day.

A tree may grow in Brooklyn, but fire ants grow in Texas.

A Cherry Tree rests on a power line in the East End Historic District. The flooding was 5-6 feet in this area and so will be the last to be energized. Homes in this area (and others) will be required to have their gas lines inspected and pressure tested by a licensed plumber before gas can be turned on as well.

Some power restored and a look at the seawall now

2008-09-24T22:19:00.007-05:00

Hello and thank you for checking in. I hope that this finds you in a better position overall. On the island an odd phenomenon occurred - from (roughly) 25th-ish street to 50th-ish street there was a foot or less affecting many of the houses south of Broadway (the main thoroughfare). Due to this, many of those houses have had their power restored! The water, weak pressure as it is, has returned to most spots east of 61st St.

Speaking of odd things check out these two findings in my house (I didn't set these up, really, they are pictured as they were found, no joke)

When I opened up the toilet lid, the brush had evidently gotten inside...

The Mexican lizard had floated (swam?) from a nearby mantle and pushed the TV off of the cart, claiming its new place. Must've been eyeing that spot for a while, I guess.

OK. In my travels today I took a slightly longer trip and took the seawall back. Remember that it was at the top pre-storm (first video). The Seawall's Gulf face is concave to help "reflect" the waves and decrease water over the top onto the roadway. That shape helps to make some spectacular waves. Also, the way the waves came in (and just as a reminder this was before the storm came) they "travelled" down the Seawall. Also note the same potatohead that I referenced earlier holding onto a sign while the waves beat on him (I assume it was a him as testosterone lowers IQs sometimes).

Today the tide was out a little but there was roughly a normal day today (second and third videos). During / After the storm there were reports that the Seawall broke up. No such thing. I have travelled the entire length and there are pieces of asphalt out, but it is fine and none the worse for wear.

End of comparisons (almost).

2008-09-24T10:17:00.007-05:00

Okay, here is what you have been patiently following for -

The front end of the storm. Note the wind, the water levels. The median in the road had water over it during the peak of the high water.

After the storm, taken yesterday. The cars reparked by Ike are still there. Many recovery trucks are present providing services including gutting and removal and dehumidification of areas.

This is a scan over the area now labelled as Bovine Bay. The ship anchored was the one ping ponging back and forth. Now it serves to keep the flotsam nearby with all of its associated "scents."

For today I will see if I can get some regular Seawall video on my doings of the day so that I can give you another comparison shot (the wave action was awesome). In the meantime enjoy this one with monuments of the original building of the seawall.

The serenity of the ocean is compelling sometimes, dangerous others. Remember you are not alone. Today you will be a little less alone here if your neighbors come back.

More Comparisons

2008-09-24T03:34:00.003-05:00

Let's start with a during shot (the storm was not here fully yet - was "gale force" winds if you will, kinda pre-tropical storm force winds and pre-pre-hurricane force winds).

This was a shot at the tail end of the hurricane. The patients that were "stuck" in the hospital during the storm had just been flown out while the wind was still blowing and quite gusty. A few animals are seen out of their environment.

A ship, loose from its moorings drifts back and forth in bovine bay until it is secured. Note the water levels dropping a pinch.

Well, I am sorry for doing a double cliff hanger sorta deal, but I will get some recent shots up in the next blog. Today I put hasps and locks on the back door and garage door because all of the swollen wood doesn't allow the doors to close. The 6a-6p curfew is in effect for the next while. The water is to be boiled until further notice (i.e. no drinking, pets drinking, teethbrushing, and only very careful showering with it). The natch gas is not only off to the island, you cannot get it turned on unless you have a licensed plumber do a pressure test on your system and give the permitted test in to the city for the gas to be turned on. The main power poles have been cleared but all of the ones down the alleyways still have to be cleared (a cherry tree, rubber tree and some others are on the lines near me in the alleyway). Also, if your place was flooded with any significance, they are going to replace the electric meters before they reconnect your house. All of Tiki Island (900ish) fits that bill, and many on Galveston too (like mine).

Before and After (well, sort of...)

2008-09-23T23:03:00.004-05:00

Hello all, hope you are well. In the "I can't believe that I am doing this department" you slowly set the bar higher and higher. Shower only every 7 days, did that. Do your morning biz in the parking lot with running ambulances and helos around? Yup. Help others break into their house by kicking in the door for them? Yup (you don't think about it but when the floodwater gets over your lock the gunk in the water goes into the keyhole). Well, did some clothes shopping (for me) with the girlfriend at respectable shops recently. Went to Home Depot (open on the island now) and they had shorts and shirts on 1/2 off and picked up some. Clean is clean after all.
Okay, now back on track. I wanted to show you and drive home the start of what happened with the storm. The floodwater (which initially backed up thru the storm drain as it did not breach the Seawall) started MORE THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE THE STORM HIT!!!

The water got high enough and there was enough wind that there was a fire (not UTMB, but the marina nearby). The tall building next to the ED is our locked facility for Texas state inmates. Note the smoke obscuring the ED (and then blowing over the main hospital). The smoke smell was strong within the hospital, worse in the ED. Furthermore, we worked and relocated the "ED doors" to the front of the hospital since we worked for a period out of the SICU. The smell abated quickly and we went to the ED within 36 hours.

Look all around on the ground. See where the water is. Look to appreciate water levels. On my next blog I will give some better comparison shots for this side of the institution, anyway. I "heard" the quiet of the eye and woke up (the storm shutters stopped rattling). I think I remember saying to myself that the quiet is probably the eye and fell back asleep. It was the middle of the night so I couldn't get pics for y'all anyway. Sorry.

Where am I?

2008-09-23T12:36:00.000-05:00

Hello all again. Just remember your neighbors and help where you can. I think that many already have as I have commented before. While walking about it is more than evident when seeing power, water, and all other services from all around the USA. Thank you everyone. This is a chance to advance your own life and volunteer once this is all over to help around your area, country or the globe.

Thank You,

Galveston (and all other points affected)

UT Austin Police arrive to help at UTMB to give officers that have been covering continuously since before the floods began.

The Oklahoma Army National Guard - Signal Corps left yesterday. Note the Master Sergeant to my left has a UTMB ID on. In the background are the contemplation chambers.

A New Day and Week begins

2008-09-23T10:22:00.002-05:00

At 6:30 am the line to reenter the isle was already 2 miles long. These clouds only brought brief sprinkles. Just remember that the muck is waterproof and very slippery - sticks very well to anything touching it - shoes, flipflops, feet.

Hello everyone and good morning. Sorry that I didn't post more last night but despite decent sleep over the weekend I actually passed out for 12 hours. I am going to post some during and normal shots later so that you get an idea of the ridiculous strength of this 600 mile wide storm (the eye alone took around 3 hours to pass). Here is a link I finally was able to bring up and has some quality pictures of the devastation yielded by this storm: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html

When you come back - remember to gas up your cars, go potty before you get here, bring lots of food (that doesn't spoil) and water, don't drink the tap water quite yet, don't waste gas, and observe the curfew.

Safety when you return is #1

2008-09-22T20:43:00.003-05:00

Hello all. Please read the following link and its information. It has what to and not to expect on the island and at UTMB. Listed are what services are on and which aren't and where, as well as several other links for good tips.
Thanks!
Safety Tips

Some pics from around our area

2008-09-21T20:23:00.004-05:00

Hello all. I was able to get out and about (picked up some stuff that I needed to clean up and make do with less). Below will be some pics of area damage in and around Houston. By the time that Ike hit H-town it was a weak Cat 2 hurricane, but still caused plenty o'damage.

Just a quick note on picking a generator. I chose the Honda EU series as it not only among the quietest on the market (57-59 dB depending on model size, but it is one of the most energy efficient and you can actually plug a computer straight into it (but I would suggest using a UPS in between, though). Yes, it is considerably more expensive, but you would hardly know that you have this one.

Damage typical of far too many intersections in Houston.

Trees falling down all over. One got this fence. Counting the rings of the trees on this property showed that the pines (almost all of the trees that fell on this property were pines) were 80-95 years old.

Piles of debris and treetrunks 6 foot high and more than 100 feet long left after partially cleaning up the above property.

The same property with the damage covered up temporarily (the stump showed that tree to be 80+ years old).

One houston home protects their freezers with a generator while...

Another Houstonian looks on.

The Hi_ton suffered some damage too.

The cows in the bay take a hike

2008-09-20T20:36:00.003-05:00

Well, the right people were contacted and the contracts signed and the cows amscrayed. A special thanks to Jason S for being my lookout for this. A few other beautiful pictures of our area from a good vantage point were supplied by this information specialist.

Things are getting better. Water and sewer service are provided to a good chunk of the east end. Please remember to conserve the water as our ties to the mainland are still not solid. No open fires. Beware of the temptation to switch on power as soon as it gets to your neighborhood. That saltwater, mixed with the oily muck can easily short out everything and destroy even more. Today I had the pleasure of scouting around off of the island. Houston is still semi-crippled with the blackout causing most of the stoplights to be out. Please be careful all over in the dark as it is hard to see where the stoplights are. Remember that all stoplights that are out or are flashing red are treated as stop signs.

This is where the trickyness begins. When going home, I know it is hot and we are all used to shorts and sandals but I would implore all to wear long pants or jeans as well as socks and shoes. You'll also get fewer skeeter bites. Please, now that we are going to be in the recovery phase I can't tell you enough to be careful.

Please note that despite those that stayed in harm's way (many of which I have heard would never do it again, and many of those business owners) we were VERY lucky with the last death toll in Texas from Ike totalling 26. Please remember that you should not feel alone. We will be whole again in this area of the world.

Git them doggies

Roped in

Towing the car-cass away

Looking northeast with Pelican Island on the left and the ferry port on the upper right

Looking southeast of campus

Down Ferry Road

2008-09-20T03:37:00.001-05:00

Hi all. Went down ferry road and saw a few things. The gas station is not doing well. The USS Stewart has run aground. The ferries will be out for a bit while the docks and ferries get repaired. Having said that, they wont be running necessarily because alot of the roadways on Bolivar are affected one way or another leaving them impassable.

The Shell station exterior did not do well, inside unknown.

UTMB from the Ferry loading docks

The Ray Stoker Jr. waits for the next time it will see service.

The USS Stewart has run aground.

A closer shot of the grounded destroyer escort.

Galveston, we will return, we will make you stronger, we will make you whole again.

Technophile Geekout

2008-09-20T02:04:00.000-05:00

Today I had the pleasure to visit "Big Blue", run by the Texas National Guard. It is a communications vehicle. Actually, that is like saying that the super mega cable TV package has a few channels. They can set up support for a command post / base of operations (boo) with broadband speed internet and voip support from satellite, satellite phones, RF support of local units, reception of news and radio, as well as workspace with workstations.

Big Blue, herself

The radio and telephone communication corner and two workstations.

I was permitted to go beyond the line and inspect their setup / casings and deployment of the satcom dish

Intents of purpose

Let me apologize first...

2008-09-19T23:00:00.004-05:00

I am sorry to spoil this with a negative blog but I really have to take a minute to blast Dolph Tillotson and his material ways. Today he wrote about how "Officials' actions are undermining the public's trust." He went on to speak about the Look and Leave program and that the idea was good (I can agree that people want to get back to normalcy ASAP) and the last minute execution of it was bad (I can agree also having seen the chaos, looting and injuries it caused). He even listed a few ways of doing it orderly in a piecemeal fashion (I appreciate the positive) by "geographic region of the city, or by alphabetical order." He further goes on to say he prefers by license plate because that would "allow police to inspect the cars and trucks without examining each individual's credentials." I am going to skip over the obvious of freeloaders coming on the island to loot because only "the car" lives on Galveston. Stop being obsessed with stuff. I am sorry if everybody feels like they will be better "if they will just see their stuff." That only leads to wanting to fix everything and staying. And eating, using power (there is none), using toilets (no water, no sewer), and getting gas (from less gas stations). I hate to say it, but the true misery if you follow this path has not begun. The government (federal) is still inspecting and pulling down houses from Katrina. They have not even started here. We are safe, stay that way. Bad sanitation will kill people.
If the weather predictions had not gone out, not only more would be dead but then you would be screaming why you (the general public) didn’t get warned. The predictions were on target. The island for a period was almost totally submerged. Staying was ridiculous (don't even get me started of what should happen to the parents who kept any children on the island during the storm), and returning en masse, even if over a week is dangerous.
This brings me to another article in today's paper. There is another opinion piece on "Islanders who stayed are an inspiration." Are we all nuts? Are we going to televise the naked guys running on the football field now? Stuff or no stuff, get off. You were (for the most part) properly warned. There were several reports of calls for help during the storm. No one except for superman can do anything during the storm. Just because some people are hard headed does not mean that they should put others in harm's way. In this country our ethic is to rescue. People choose to be military pilots who will fly in 70 mph winds (Coast Guard and Army were present here). You were warned, why do you get to risk a life because now you see how dangerous things are? In this game there are "no backsies."
Thank you for reading. Remember that where ever you are, don't be sad, you are not alone. Despite the arguments, we will be made whole again.

A storm so bad it washed out the end of the seawall

After the same storm, kittens survived it.

UTMB bemoans bovines

2008-09-19T14:57:00.003-05:00

They're still here. 'Nuff said.

Brown lump bottom right

Black lump bottom left

Just a little humor

2008-09-19T08:52:00.003-05:00

After throwing on some clothes and running outside for the portajon it just hits you. How absurd is this? Portajons in / near traffic, near generators, near others rescuing folks from this. Thank you all. Here is a little sillyness. Obviously, this was not taped here.

Who's open so far?

2008-09-19T04:29:00.000-05:00

Well it seems some stores have been able to open or are working feverishly to do so. Dennis Byrd was "SPOTted" sitting out at his place. Kroger's was open and doing a brisk business (giving a big bag of ice and pack of water with each customer). Walmart was working on opening with their global disaster recovery truck. Walgreen’s at 61st and Stewart Road. CVS is sending an 18-wheeler Friday that is a rolling full-service pharmacy. Please note that currently due to security and supply lines, I do not think that they are filling *any* narcotic prescriptions for a while.

The Spot front deck shows little damage. Maybe once the island gets communication service back we can see thru the Spot Cam again!

I was happy to see Dennis running his place.

The sign took the worst of the beating.

Thank You, Gaido's

2008-09-19T03:29:00.000-05:00

Today, Gaido's showed their respect for those helping to save, protect and rebuild. They sponsored a Shrimp Boil on their grounds with wonderfully set tables and real flowers. Thank you.

What is all of this traffic???

Signs at Gaido's

They served many from 12 to 3 pm. They had real flowers on the tables.

The lunch was a delicious, very welcomed treat for a bunch of people living off of warm bottled water, sandwiches and MREs.

Animals

2008-09-19T00:54:00.002-05:00

Several animals were left in houses as people were evacuating as they expected to return quickly. As you may have heard elsewhere there were dogs roaming and cats too. The ASPCA in conjunction with police have been rescuing animals stuck in houses.

You can see the oil slick on this standing puddle of Ike water (maybe it should be pronounced icky). Don't let your animals drink any standing water or even the tap water yet.

I have heard conflicting news on the tiger. It may still be out there, not sure yet. I can however, tell you definitively that the cows are still there. This is a sign outside of the NDMS DMAT (National Disaster Medical Service's Disaster Medical Assistance Team) living quarters (all you scouts out there know that as a tent). Their tent is in the parking lot next to the boyant bovines.

Signs of life returning

2008-09-19T00:45:00.000-05:00

Hello again. Thank you for keeping up. Over the past few days I noticed a few signs of life returning. I saw a Tuttle's Natal Plum blooming, grass regrowing and what I think was either a crab or crawfish hole. There also were formations of pelicans flying (added after this blog published). See below. Wow, I am tired. Many people are and everyone (the vast majority of which are not from the Island are thankful for your (the readers who are islanders) patience. The rapidity of not having many folks really helps. Please remember that this is a dynamic time and any news heard about one service or another should not be treated as "fresh" and shouldn't be spread. Actually, just think of it as bad cream cheese. You wouldn't spread bad cream cheese on a good bagel and pass it to a friend, would you? Rumors do disasters no good, so try to get the story from the source. Enjoy the pix below.

Blooming Tuttle's Natal Plum. They smell terriffic, don't they?

The grass was greening up and growing nicely.

Anybody home?

The lopsided Vee formation of 13 seagulls.

Straight as a Texas telephone pole

2008-09-18T20:57:00.003-05:00

Hello all. Just two pictures for this blog, more to come later, just want to talk straight (frankly) for a bit. I finally saw part of the west end. Lots of damage there as well as the east end. Make no mistake, this was a very devastating storm. I would not be suprised and I don't think that it is far off to say that a huge amount needs to be rebuilt. Buildings east to west. Infrastructure of water supply and sewers in some places.

The reason to not let people on gets clearer and clearer. The dead cows (still there) sitting in the bay. The bay smelling like hydrocarbons (gas and oil) poured on top of rotting fish (and soon to be exploding cows - there are several betting pools going on among the different resource pools). The puddles and ground has Vibrio (but it may be going away - but watch out for backflooding from sewers and don't drink the water until cleared to do so). Plenty of kindling material and little water to dump on the hot stuff when it happens (fire). No traffic lites in many places.

I understand you want to come back. I want you all back. The time will come. Please understand also that attitude is everything. If you are lucky enough either to have minimal damage or are able to fix up your abode, help your neighbor. Remember, you are not alone and someday you will need the help.

Telephone poles being held up by their wires, not telephone poles holding up their wires.

The two cows are still there. The black one is by the bow of the ship. The brown bull is midship. The entire debris field smells of gas and rot.

Field Promotion

2008-09-18T12:44:00.003-05:00

In times like this you have to take the good in whatever small pieces you can. I had the pleasure to be a fly on the wall for the promotion of one of the Army National Guardsmen that had not one but two promotions "waiting." A note to the DOD - they know that for this "Field Promotion" there were improvised uniforms.

Oklahoma Army National Guard and its new PFC. They are serving to provide communications to the patient operations - network, voice, and radio.

The NCO's

I was personally able to shake hands with the new Private First Class.

Local Area Spots

2008-09-18T12:39:00.000-05:00

Hello All! Below are some pictures of a few local spots. I want everyone to play a game - of all of the pictures of different things that you see, remember the top few things that need to stay as is, whether it is an "unintentionally dry-docked boat" or a particular arrangement of cars or what, but what should remain as a monument. I personally so far vote for the fishing troller "parked" perfectly in front of Willie G's, the small boat on Broadway, and the fishing boat on harborside. Pics to follow.

Fishing boat "parked" in front of Willie G's

I think that they will have to add a second movie of our 100-year storm.

Mod took on water

Mod's new study room did not fare well

You Gotta Have Art got stacked

Despite the high sidewalks buildings still had several feet of water on the Strand.

Some other damage around the area

2008-09-18T11:30:00.002-05:00

Please remember that this storm hit our whole area. Many of the popular sites have been devastated. Please don't go to these links if you are feeling down. Remember, that when all is said and done, you are not alone. We are all here together, we will all make it whole again.
Kemah Boardwalk and area
Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula
Houston Area

Harketh, do I see the light? -or- Was that a shot I heard ring out?

2008-09-18T03:26:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I snuck around to show one of the medical staffers currently present some of Galveston and we noticed something. I'll show you in a bit.
First, at about 2pm today there was a shot that rang out on Harborside. Did someone drop something big? Nope. Turns out that somehow in trying to get the electricity to UTMB, some lines were energized but fortunately the breakers on the lines activated, stopping the lines that are low and touching things or on the ground or that a linesman is holding from energizing. Unfortunately, storm recovery occasionally is marred by the injury or death of power linesman. I wish them all well (my travels took me by some from Georgia) and thank you for working hard to re-energize the island.

Several power company trucks from Georgia working late on the power lines. Note the streetlights.

Chili's and other buildings are illuminated.

A closer image.

What are all of the lit dots? The left 3 red ones are red lights in front of Walgreens and the right one is the moonrise.

The stoplights and streetlights are energized on 6th.

WARNING - Dirty Shower Scene!!!

2008-09-18T02:18:00.001-05:00

Hello, world! Well, today was a red letter day. As you may be able to tell, I found the showers after 164 hours of ripening. Was a good shower. Just showered until the water was clean coming off of me. Felt pretty good. Was pretty amazing all of the activity that was going on in the area of Ball High School with all of the state and federal agencies parking there. First is finally finding the showers, second is a view of the shower facilities, and third is a dirty shower scene ;^).

Structural fires

2008-09-18T01:01:00.001-05:00

Came upon the scenes below that were still smoldering. I know that fires can smolder for a while and given that they are near Ball High (I am sorry if you recognize this and you did not know before) they probably may not have necessarily happened recently. None the less they are devastating to their owners / dwellers and I am sorry. You are not alone (aren't those lyrics in a Michael Buble song?), we are all here together, all around the area. Albeit the area may be the USA, but we are all here.
This video shows the area of the houses This shows the smoke from the burned buildings.
Note the water from the broken pipes - We may be getting water pressure back.

We're being invaded?

2008-09-18T00:29:00.000-05:00

Today the Navy landed a support team on the beach by 4th street. Using landing craft they came in from their ship, a floating hospital, the USS Nassau. They are helping to support the medical mission. Please make no mistake, though. They are not a "hospital" ready to take on the complete needs of a the complex community tertiary care that we are as UTMB. Make no mistake. When they open the island to those who have property here, make no mistake about it, the hospital will not be fully open. Noone will be able to be an inpatient here for a while. Even though there is electricity to UTMB, each electrical system of every building has to be inspected for damage. There is no water yet, but there is a shower trailer here, yay!

Naval personnel set up lights at sunset.

A lark and a bulldozer await their roles. (Personally, the lark looks like a modern version of the vessels used for the Duck Tours, a duk)

A non-insignificant bulldozer

Sigh, such a nice sunset.

Temporary Navy base of operations

A monsterous 6 wheeler.

Some problems you can't necessarily plan for

2008-09-18T00:13:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone out there! Please make an effort to take a look at an interesting blog that I follow from Angela Gardner, MD - gardnersgate.blogspot.com.

To perhaps add to some of the health issues that she speaks of I have a few questions. Who deals with water problems usually? Well you might say Coast Guard, maybe EPA or TCEQ here in Texas. Who deals with livestock - perhaps Wildlife or FDA, right? Well, what about dead floating cows in the bay in front of the hospital? I think this problem will be solved tomorrow, but until it is solved, it isn't. The area only smells like rotting fish, not cow yet. Please see below for the shots of the cow and the bull.

Under the word PILOT, floating in the water is a cow who was a few miles short of jumping over the moon.

The brown near the rocks is a bull. There were reports of a third somewhere there that I was not able to visualize.

Dwellings

2008-09-17T11:23:00.004-05:00

Below I am going to put some travels thru the East end that I have done. I will try to go a little farther and wider today. There were some reports of fires but I am not sure where people have gotten news of that.
On a personal note, the new cafeteria is now open in the center parking lot (1 kitchen tent and two A/C's tents I believe) for employees and UTMB related contractors. Today's goals : shaved (already done) shower (after lunch in the new tent), Insurance calls, and getting more multimedia experience of the island. If you are an employee, regular email is back (never realized all of the spam that is filtered out), can be accessed on the web. Go to the home page for official updates.
For Galveston, www.galveston.com is putting out some update links to news stories and also links for FEMA relief and finding lost family and friends.
Thanks for watching this blog.

The real source of the fire - are you commenting (about the blog in general or your current experience)?

2008-09-17T06:01:00.000-05:00

The fire was a gray black belch of smoke from plastic / fiberglass / resin boats. This fire because of its dense smoke made several news agencies guess that UTMB was on fire. When it began, Galveston Fire looked at it and the rising waters made it impossible to fight. Two blackhawks surveiled by air after this but with the winds gaining speed left the area to safety. Life over property.

Some more pix - Don't forget to please comment!!!

2008-09-17T05:03:00.000-05:00

So we were able to get some time to noodle around with help from the DMAT teams getting patient care taken care of. So, here goes... Large amounts of water require larger pieces of equiptment. Pumping out the first floor and other below grade volumes. Parking lot drains clogged, making the first floor a pool of water pumped out two days later (just pumped out on tuesday). This is a scene repeated all over - usually it is the poles that hold up the wires. Forceful acts of nature often create seemingly random effects. Here a large potted plant is placed almost perfectly in the middle of the intersection.

3 injured in structural fire overnight

2008-09-17T02:33:00.007-05:00

This is why folks need to stay away / evacuate off premises of the island. I am sorry if I offend or are pushing this card too much, but just think Is it worth it? I am now alive, and it is only a stuff issue. Don't turn it into a threat to your health or life. No water, no sewer, no electricity is fun camping in the forest, but not in potentially dangerous houses with nothing much to deal with them. Please think twice before being ill prepared, especially this early in the game.

These pictures are from the time of the storm and as it was leaving / left. You may walk your halls at work on a daily basis, and say you can do it blindfolded, but could you really? How about if the power goes out and the newly waxed floors in the place with no power (no A/C) is constantly with condensation forming?

The water is receding some - was at the top step.

Alas, a bunch of water in the neighborhood still was there even after the winds died away. Just at it came before the wind it took 2 days to (mostly) drain.

A beautiful old live oak pulled the sidewalk up with it.

Note the double water mark denoting the high mark and then a lower persistant level. This is under a porch. My porch.

Tiger threat neutralized; L&L suspended

2008-09-16T19:09:00.000-05:00

Hello All Out There!!! Wish it was a regular ol' day I am sure. This is the weather that we all wait for. Cool, low humidity, nice breeze. Great sunsets and moonrises.
Had a report that the Tiger threat on the west end was taken care of, not sure how (trapped or otherwise). As of 5:30 pm Look and Leave was suspended, not sure what it will be in the AM.
Was out today, watching the progress, will put pix and vids up later. Let out a cat. Tried to get two others but someone beat me to it to rescue them. Looked inside a friends house with only 1 foot of water, ate his cookies (Wow, they tasted great after several days of not having that type of stuff).
Went to my house. Sludge in ground floor and garage stuff mostly flipped upside down. Kinda sad, but makes reducing easier. Got new underware and some more shirts.
One of my friends came by and was happy to take care of my (relatively) recently pampered pooch because he and his wife are fond of dogs. Oh yeah, he has power, water and A/C (we had A/C).
Unfortunately no shower yet but will probably get showers here tomorrow (we have about 17 portajons spread around campus). I did the "european" bath and put on some decent smelling mosquito repellent.

They are cleaning up the streets

2008-09-16T10:37:00.000-05:00

They have moved in with some heavier equiptment and are cutting fallen trees and pushing stuff to the side. Still waiting for porta-potties at the hospital. Gonna go take care of some cats and birds and my place today (ground level was flooded).
I think that some of the thick soup left is a modern version of the primordial soup which gave rise to life. Just a bit more toxic. Have seen a few folks develop more nasty infections from small pricks in just 24 hours.
I am very proud to be part of this country and this recovery effort. I am thankful to all from the Coast Guard helicopter pilots and crews and other military pilots and crews who flew in the 50-70 mph winds to all those here today. I am thankful for all of the other ground support from the military and DMAT medical support and the SETRAC transport support. I am thankful to all who support this university operations and this city's operations. Please tell your loved ones who may be on this island that if they are staying, they are making a foolish mistake. Go, relax for a bit and you will be let back on. Stuff is stuff. If you stay and get very sick you will be going. No one is telling anyone to leave and never come back. We just want to let the folks supporting the recovery effort work on that and not worrying about John Q Public. It will allow it to proceed quicker. I live here and want to be back in full swing quick also.

Just to clarify - UTMB was never on fire. This proved to be an interesting issue (I can say interesting because the issue has come and gone). The acrid smoke only increased in volume and then came straight at UTMB. I had a sore throat for a few hours (yes, I was a dummy and was out in it some - helped move a locked motorcycle up to higher ground). The smell permeated the ED and went into the rest of the building. The ED was moved for a while, but then returned.

Here cAme the flood

2008-09-16T10:23:00.000-05:00

The above shows where the water came from on the north end of the island (it is called Harborside Drive or Port Industrial). This is still BEFORE he hit. The road was flooded from 12th street to ???

Pix of before on the 12th

2008-09-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

In this series of 3 photos, note how the waves not only are splashing high after slapping the seawall, but how they sort of roll down the seawall. The streets decrease in number as you go from background to foreground.

Shot #2

Shot #3

Note the potato head holding onto the sign. These waves are hard to predict as to which ones are going to be 1 foot splash versus 30 foot soakings. It is not hard to imagine someone being swept away (this person was fine, just wet afterwards).

The lion is dead and the tiger is around somewhere

2008-09-16T09:55:00.001-05:00

This is not code for anything. This is not unusual for the folks on this island. I know that this must at least a bit self-apply, but who lives on an island in the Gulf of Mexico more than 1 mile off of the mainland shore? Someone had some "Exotic pets" and supposedly the lion was dealt with but they are trying to find the tiger.
Today I am going to have a wet dream - and all of you dirty folks (note that I said folks, not minds) know what I mean - a shower! Woo Hoo!!!
Help is slowly coming. One note about the toxic soup. The stuff is in the sludge, which is drying on the street some. Only some puddles remain on the east end (not sure about west). There won't be electricity and water for a while. Please heed the Mayor's warning and make plans for at least 3 to 4 weeks. Stuff is Stuff. Remember that the most important things are not things.
More pics coming.
Remember that no matter where you are, no matter what is going on, you are not alone.

First One, a bit late

2008-09-16T02:53:00.000-05:00

Hello all! A warm welcome to my new site and thank you for reading about Galveston, post-Ike. Let me tell you that I will tell you more in the coming days and show you more pics and vids of the island.
Let me reassure you also that there are not piles of dead that are being hidden anywhere. I have heard from many off of the island that the relative news blackout (also fed by a few news agencies suggesting that this is the truth) is because of the extreme destruction. Was it bad? Yes. Was it 1900 bad? No Way. Are there some dead so far? Yes, and there will be more found. Some poor souls may never be found. The news agencies are being kept out intially because they serve no purpose. There are news trucks on the island that weathered the storm already. Anyone else coming needs to be either first responders, or critical employees of the city or of UTMB. There is no water, no electricity, probably no effective sewer drainage.
There is no food, no gas. If you live on the island, give it at least 2 weeks to get back. There is no medical care - anything of consequence will be shipped off the island as the hospital has only minimal functions. There are no pharmacies open.
There are plenty of people walking around (alive, unlike the implications by the news agencies). There are plenty of boats in the wrong places (on Harborside, near the ED, on Broadway, on the Causeway).
I am going to sleep now. We are here. We appreciate all of the federal teams that have come in to support the operations (military, DMAT, state and private agencies) and are helping them where we can.

These pictures are from before the storm! The water was already backing up (the surge) before we felt any wind of consequence.

The little fella crossed Harborside drive and was walking to the emergency department (didn't like what was going on - the storm coming).

The ED had closed all hurrcane blinds except for one door.

A ground level parking lot is empty.