Update on Hurricane Ike: a Survivor’s perspective
This post was written on Monday. As we were still without power or internet I was not able to post until today. One thing I learned is that I need to figure out how to post by email. My blackberry was partially functional and I could have had a couple post up earlier!
Wow, the last few days have been an emotional rollercoaster ride. Friday night I went to bed with a catagory 2 hurricane on track to bulldozer right over our house. Saterday I woke up to a huge mess but minimal damage. I have friends who lived further inland than I do that were directly hit. The damage was significant.
It is the aftermath that will stick with me forever. It warmed my heart to see so many people pull together. I was dissapointed to see several neighbosr refuse to help but they were by far the minority. The funny thing is that I was not friends with them before the hurricane. I now think even less of them.
Today we got to my neighbors back yard. We leld up because I was hoping to have my chainsaw operational (the tree was big!). Unfortunately repairs are taking too long so we cut it up by hand. The part I’ll always remember is the tears running down my neighbor’s face. It is a profound feeling to touch someone so deeply.
Wile we are still without power life is coming back to normal. About half of the area retailers are back in business. It was nice to go out to dinner and eat something that wasn’t cooked on the grill! Perhaps the biggest shock was to see the mailman.
As things settle out and we have a more steady supply of gasoline our ration of electricity is improving. Right now three houses are sharing one generator. While it isn’t enough to run our air conditioners it will allow us some lights and fans. We even were able to watch tv for the first time tonight. It was surreal to see the aftermath. As the pictures of Houston and Galveston rolled in it hit us hard. These are all places we know.
Galveston is a perfect example. We go to the beach every few weeks since Galveston is so close. In fact, we were there last weekend. It is strange to think that it may never be the same.
We still have a long road ahead of us. There is a ton of cleanup and repairs. As you move closer to the clast the damage becomes more profound. Areas near Galveston are decimated.
