Two of our previously fostered kids live in the Houston area. We have maintained close contact with them over the years. They are both in their 30s with families. We finally got through on cell phones to learn that both they and their families are safe and will return home to the Houston area tomorrow. They both indicated that Ike was not as fierce as he was expected to be. Of course, we were relieved to know they were okay although they were shaken from the stress of it all.

We hope our loved ones were spared much damage to their homes, but there is extensive damage on the coast and islands. The death toll was not as high as they thought it might be among those who chose to ride it out and that is a good thing to hear.



By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN AND PAULINE ARRILLAGA
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITERS

Because Ike was so huge - some 500 miles across, making it nearly as big as Texas itself - hurricane winds pounded the coast for hours before and after the storm waded ashore. Ike soon weakened to a tropical storm en route inland, but continued to pound the state with 60 mph winds and rain.

A convoy of search-and-rescue teams from Texas and California drove into Galveston - where the storm came ashore at 3:10 a.m. EDT - after bulldozers cleared away mountains of debris. Interstate 45, the only road onto the island, was littered with overturned yachts, dead pelicans and debris from homes and docks.

Homes and other buildings in Galveston and homes burned unattended during the height of Ike's fury; 17 collapsed because crews couldn't get to them to douse the flames. There was no water or electricity on the island, and the main hospital, the University of Texas Medical Branch, flew critically ill patients to other medical center.


Among deaths in Texas, a woman was killed in her sleep when a tree fell on her home near Pinehurst, and a 19-year-old man slipped off a jetty near Corpus Christi and was apparently washed away.

Southwest Louisiana was spared a direct hit, but Ike's surge of water penetrated some 30 miles inland, flooding thousands of homes, breaching levees and soaking areas still recovering from Labor Day's Hurricane Gustav.

Officials said the flooding was worse than it was during 2005's Hurricane Rita, which hit the Louisiana-Texas line.

Good news about your loved ones Figi, Ike came in with a vengeance and is traveling thru the central states where they fear more flooding will take place. I have many friends in the affected area my heart goes out to all who are suffering the aftermath of the destruction .

SSC wrote:Good news about your loved ones Figi, Ike came in with a vengeance and is traveling thru the central states where they fear more flooding will take place. I have many friends in the affected area my heart goes out to all who are suffering the aftermath of the destruction .

I cannot image how disheartening it would be to lose one's home to such a disaster. We haven't heard from our friends who bought their retirement home near the coast of Galveston. I image they lost it or had severe damage. I wonder about home owner's insurance for those who choose to build/live in a home in a high risk area. I have never had reason to check into it.

As far as home insurance goes they best be in for the battle of a life time, it is cruel and inhumane what the companies put people thru. Houston is still off limits to most who left, major interstates have started flooding today as bayous topped their banks. I spoke with a friend of mine she had a home by the beach in Galveston all she has left there are the steps , her home in Houston was cut in half by a tree. She said the damage is horrible , a massive search and recovery effort is underway as 140,000 stayed behind in the storm, over 1000 were rescued already.

SSC wrote:As far as home insurance goes they best be in for the battle of a life time, it is cruel and inhumane what the companies put people thru. Houston is still off limits to most who left, major interstates have started flooding today as bayous topped their banks. I spoke with a friend of mine she had a home by the beach in Galveston all she has left there are the steps , her home in Houston was cut in half by a tree. She said the damage is horrible , a massive search and recovery effort is underway as 140,000 stayed behind in the storm, over 1000 were rescued already.

The boys and families lived in the southwest part of Houston. They are home now, but do not have any power and they have no idea when it will be restored. (No flooding) They had uprooted trees in the neighborhood, but the roadways were clear when they arrived home. They are living with oil lamps and candles.

I guess it depends on which area of Houston one lives whether or not they were allowed to return.

On the coast, the damage is massive and the death toll is likely to climb when all the data is collected. I sure hope that is not the case, but it flattened some of that area.

Texas City is less than 20 miles north of Galveston. One cousin called to tell us that his sister and hubby rode out the storm. They only lost shingles and trees. However, in the surrounding area there was substantial damage done to homes and landscapes. (The rest of the family has always known she was nuts!)

Our immediate family members have been spared, but I do feel so dreadfully sad for those who were not so lucky. No home or property is worth the loss of human life.

That is terrific news , they say 2-3 weeks on power but over 7,000 power crews are converging there, if they are able to buy a generator post storm it is reimbursable to them by FEMA just not if you buy it before the storm..I know that sucks !!A search and recovery dog team from here has left for Galveston.They are a fatality team. Lets just hope there are no bodies to recover and all made it ok.