Hurricane Ike damage along Upper Texas Coast

[Shasta]

All of the following photographs come from the Houston Chronicle on-line. They can be found at http://www.chron.com/news/photogalle...Aftermath.html

This storm was huge. The wind damage was much worse than expected for a category 2 storm. Luckily though, the storm surge missed the more populated barrier islands like Galveston but that meant BAD NEWS to the Bolivar Peninsula where entire streets of homes are literally washed away.

HOUSTON PROPER

Tinsley Park flooded by Smiley Pool


Downtown by James Nielson




Chase Tower by Smiley Pool


Downtown by Luis Perez




Reliant Stadium Roof Damage by Smiley Pool


Downtown by David Phillip


FEMA line in Greenspoint area by Mayra Beltran


Goode Co BBQ one of few places open by Steve Euckert


FEMA line at Tx Southern University in the 3rd Ward by Marcio Sanchez


Office Bldg damage by Marcio Sanchez


Gas troubles by Frank Franklin


In the Third Ward by Billy Smith




I-45 on-ramp by G.J. McCarthy


Southgate by Rice U by Steve Euckert




Near Hobby Airport by Bill Olive


Indpendence Heights by Karen Warren


I-10 by Chris Graythen



I-10 by Jay Janner


Garden Oaks by Karen Warren


The following are all reader submitted photos

Baker Jackson Nissan by David Michael Holmes


Yard of the Month in Glenbrook Valley near Hobby Airport by unknown


Voss @ San Felipe in Uptown


In the Heights


West University area



Timbergrove Manor


West Houston

[Shasta]

City of Galveston and Galveston Island

Marina by Smiley Pool


Galveston Airport by Smiley Pool


Above Galveston by Smiley Pool




The Strand in downtown Galveston by Brett Coomer


Galveston Seawall by Johnny Hanson


Galveston Fire by Melissa Phillip


Galveston Seawall by David Phillip


Road damage by Scott Olson


Former site of Murdoch's along the seawall by Brett Coomer


Businesses in The Strand by Matt Slocum





Boat flies into Bldg. by Scott Olson


Farm Road 3005 in West Galveston by Johnny Hanson


West Galveston by Sharon Sternmann


Sailboat in parking lot by Scott Olson


Debris by Brett Coomer


Galveston by Mark Wilson

[JManc]

houston was relatively spared (very little structural damage) but galveston...

[Shasta]

The following are from towns located along Galveston Bay between Houston and Galveston. Things are pretty bad here and I have yet to see photos from Texas City which is protected by a small seawall.

SEABROOK, population est. 11,182

House in road by Mark Wilson


Mud by Eric Kayne



Kemah Boardwalk by Smiley Pool


LaPorte by Smiley Pool


HITCHCOCK, est population of 6,386

all photos by Nick De La Torre











CLEAR LAKE SHORES, est. population of 1,300

Boats in road by David Phillip


Photo sent in by reader unknown


Photo sent in by reader unknown


SAN LEON, population est. 4,365

[Texas Tuff]

Stunning pics, the damage down in Galveston is just incredible. In the DT area it looks like the Chase tower was hit the hardest from what I've seen on TV and the pics above.

[Shasta]

Interstate 45 near Galveston but on the mainland side of the causeway

By Smiley Pool


right side submerged in water by Smiley Pool


Clean up by Smiley Pool

[Shasta]

BOLIVAR PENINSULA

This is a small peninsula located just to the North/Northeast of Galveston Island. This is the area that got the storm surge that was expected to hit Galveston proper. Galveston was likely spared wider damage when the storm jogged North at the last minute before landfall.

The Peninsula has a population of around 5,000 but it is full of seasonal vacation homes. Entire sections were completely wiped out in areas like Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, and Gilchrest. Here are some Chronicle photos...

CRYSTAL BEACH
Before and After by google earth (before) and Smiley Pool (after)


Damage by David Phillip


by David Phillip

by David Phillip

by David Phillip


More damage by Smiley Pool

by Smiley Pool

by Smiley Pool


Dead Cow on beach by Smiley Pool

by Smiley Pool

by Smiley Pool

by Smiley Pool


Highway 87 by Smiley Pool


GILCHREST

by David Phillip

by David Phillip


by Smiley Pool


PT. Bolivar by Pablo Monsivais


by Smiley Pool

[Shasta]

Some of the first photos to come out of Orange, Texas. Orange sits on the Sabine River a few miles up from the Gulf of Mexico on the Louisiana border. Storm surge here was huge.

Photos by Eric Gay

[Shasta]

More Crystal Beach by Smiley Pool




Gulfway Drive on Bolivar Peninsula
alligator by Tony Gutierrez


utility poles by Tony Gutierrez

[TexasBoi]

Amazing pictures. Heartbreaking as well. I can't believe I was looking at I-10.

[ColDayMan]

Not Kemah!

[KevinFromTexas]

Man, I saw a lot of the damage in Pensacola, Florida after Hurricane Ivan. I worked there for 2 months to help clean up and rebuild. That was a Cat 5 with 165 mph winds. It did $19 billion in damage. I saw a lot of the area that was affected by it. From inland areas to the barrier islands, and not even the worst affected areas looked this bad. I saw pine trees that had been broken midway up and huge oak trees that were uprooted. I saw a few houses wiped off their foundations. I saw overturned cars and trucks. Boats in trees and trees in houses. But honestly, what I've seen of the damage in the pictures from Hurricane Ike, looks much worse. Even houses on Pensacola Beach, their barrier island, survived. Nothing there was as bad as Crystal Beach and Gilchrist in Texas where even the foundations of homes have been washed away. Not to mention the huge area of destruction that was hundreds of miles from the storm. From the central Texas coast to the panhandle of Florida (in the US). Basically Galveston and the areas along the Texas coast were pounded by the storm for up to 24 hours. When did Ike's southern outer bands officially move inland? Friday at 11 am while watching the news, I recall seeing storm surge happening in Galveston already. The storm didn't officially make landfall until 2:10 am the next day. So the island had storm surge for 15 hours before the eye made landfall, and probably another 6 to 8 hours until the southern outer bands moved inland. I stayed up and watched Houston's ABC affiliate KHOU which was patched through to Austin all night. People were calling into the tv station asking for a description of the storm, where it was exactly and how long until it would pass. People had already lost power, but could call out and were listening to the storm reports on the radio. Many of them asked how long would it be until the storm passed. Many were saying they couldn't remember the last time a storm lasted that long. Some of those people were sitting there for 20 hours or more in the storm.

[stepper77]

What a devastating loss. Perhaps I haven't been watching much news lately, but, it doesn't seem like the coverage has been very intense on the extent of the damage in Galveston and other areas. Very sad!

[TXLove]

Chilling photos!!!! My thoughts and prayers to all who were affected!!!

[Great_Hizzy]

Originally Posted by stepper77

What a devastating loss. Perhaps I haven't been watching much news lately, but, it doesn't seem like the coverage has been very intense on the extent of the damage in Galveston and other areas. Very sad!

In fairness, that's because the majority of the Houston area experienced relatively minor damage. The western side of the city--and especially west of the Beltway and out into the suburbs such as Katy, Brookshire, Fulshear, Richmond, etc--it barely even looks like a hurricane ever hit. However, in the immediate coastal areas and some of the inner-most eastern suburbs, the devestation is severe, especially in the northern coastal areas (Gilchrist, Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach). These are compelling phtos that Shasta included, but they don't include other coastal communities such as Baytown, Texas City, Morgan's Point, Smith's Point, Beach City, La Marque, etc.

[KevinFromTexas]

^ How's the damage in Humble? My mom was supposed to go there for a dog show on October 6th. We had planned on going and staying in Galveston again (we did it last year). So much for that thought. Even if Humble was spared, I'm wondering what the traffic and hotel room situation is like in the Houston area.

[Great_Hizzy]

I honestly don't know. I imagine that there's some notable damage since the eye basically when right up I-45 after going up Galveston Bay. That would put Humble on the "dirty" side of the storm, even if winds had "calmed" to only 80 mph. I've not seen much on the news showing widespread damage in that area, so that might be an indication of how much (or little) damage there was.

[Big Tex]

At least I got to ride the Boardwalk Bullet before it was destroyed. I'll miss the Boardwalk , once a great place eat and chill out.

I never really cared much for Galveston, but my heart goes out to its people and everyone else along the coast, from Freeport to Port Arthur.

God bless Southeast Texas.

[Jularc]

Amazing yet scary photos. What a nightmare. Wishing life and many things get back to normal soon.

[dktshb]

Wow thanks for the sobering pictures. There is not a lot of focus for the folks along the coast there in TX around Galveston with the news of the economy, which is unfortuante because I am sure a lot of people are sufferning. Thanks for sharing.