Galveston Post Ike

Here is a compilation of some photos that I took today, Tuesday Oct 14th, over a month after Ike hit.

The photos above and below are outside of my old apartment on Ferry Rd... and this is after one time through with the garbage trucks. I didn't take photos last week when the piles were all six feet high and running the entire length of complex. It appears that they went through and gutted all 1st floor apts. Man, am I thankful that if I was still there that we were on the second floor! What really pains me is that I know several classmates that had 1st floor apts elsewhere that did not fair well...and some did not have insurance!

So...the joke is that the highest point on the island is now 57th and Broadway where they have made a temporary dump of an open field. It looked to be about 10ft high and three times the size of a football field!

This is the 1st floor stairwell in my building, Mary Moody Northen Pavilion. It sits up about 4 feet from the street and here it shows another 3 feet of water in it. By the time I got back to campus, last Monday, the entire 1st floor of every school building was gutted. In this building they have made a lot of progress, but it is still comprised of metal framing and plastic sheeting. In my 3rd floor office and lab area we have no damage, but it is still very humid and dusty from the work below. We still do not have running water, so the few days that I have gone into work i leave by noon to find facilities...I can't imagine what a port-o-pottie would be like in this heat and humidity now. Next Monday they said they will be inspecting our labs to make sure we can use it, but it will be a while until we can actually order supplies and get going again. Most of the emergency power seems to work, but we will have to get new tissue culture media and test all of our antibodies and virus stocks first. My boss seems to think that this is his problem and not mine and that I should be graduating in a year or so no matter this delay...at least that is a positive. Classes are supposed to start on the 20th, but I think that my flow cytometry class will be canceled. The school schedule is pushed back into the Christmas break, so I will have to talk with my boss about Christmas. I'll let you all know my plans when I do.

Willie G's is a great seafood restaurant on the bay and its a bit ironic that a boat landed in the parking lot. Many restaurants won't be opening anytime soon, but others have, with limited menus. I think all of the grocery stores are open, but only a portion of the other businesses.

The above house is a few blocks from campus. As you can see, they have marked the waterline. Most of the structures look intact from the outside and had little wind damage,as shown here, but the insides all must be gutted and redone due to the water surge.


Parts of the seawall sidewalk have fallen into the sea. I am saddened because it is not an ideal area to run anymore.

A demonstration of the debris that litters the entire island.


The great Murdochs (above), a great souvenir shop, all but sticks.
The restaurants, fishing piers etc are all but pilings now. At least the seagulls have returned!