Other pics from around

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

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

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).

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

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...)

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

They're still here. 'Nuff said.

Brown lump bottom right

Black lump bottom left

Just a little humor

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?

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

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

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

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.