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GalvezGuy - 9/15/2008 11:00:09 AM   
pbm

 

Posts: 348
Joined: 3/5/2008
From: New Hope, Pennsylvania
Status: offline 		Any news?

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PBM
"Never Sell Principle Short"
Dave O'Neal
Post #: 1
Update to date - 9/15/2008 12:19:39 PM   
GalvezGuy

 

Posts: 320
Joined: 5/10/2007
From: Galveston, TX
Status: offline 		Here is what I know so far.

From aerial videos I have seen, it appears that my house is OK.  The section of the island that I live on, Jamaica Beach, seems to be largely intact, as it was on the west edge of the eyewall.  Right now, I am eager to get in there and secure the place, including removing the drywall from my garage before mold and mildew migrate everywhere.  I do not know when they will let us back in to secure property.  We fared better than the east end of the island, where you see most of the news footage, the damage they focus on there is most of shops and restaurants that sit on piers and were simply washed away.  I am going to assume that I can get there in a couple more days.  By delaying our return, FEMA will have a much bigger issue when the mold takes over these homes.  I am guessing that we are at a minimum of 2-3 weeks before power is restored.  The bigger issue is water.  The main pumping station on the island is in operable and until that is fixed, they will not let us back (fire safety more than any other reason.

The real problems are on the other side of the bay from us.  The folks in Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, and Gilchrist lost what looks to be around 75% of their existing structures.  I would not be suprised to learn of a great loss of life there when search and rescue finishes.  My heart goes out to these folks.  If that storm had been 15 miles west, that would be my friends and neighbors that experienced that severe damage.  It will be years before that area recovers.

I will keep everyone informed as I find out more.



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RE: Update to date - 9/15/2008 1:28:34 PM   
RoundersRob

 

Posts: 738
Joined: 7/1/2006
From: Santa Cruz, CA
Status: online 		We have some friends who live on woodrow drive near 45th street.  Any idea how that area fared?

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Post #: 3
RE: GalvezGuy - 9/15/2008 1:59:09 PM   
grafstrb

 

Posts: 507
Joined: 11/6/2007
From: Los Angeles, via Minnesota
Status: offline 		GalvezGuy,

I hope everything turns out alright for you, your family, friends & neighbors ... as long as all loved ones made it through with their health intact, all will be well. 

Best wishes,
Brian.

(in reply to pbm)
Post #: 4
RE: Update to date - 9/15/2008 3:12:27 PM   
GalvezGuy

 

Posts: 320
Joined: 5/10/2007
From: Galveston, TX
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: RoundersRob

We have some friends who live on woodrow drive near 45th street.  Any idea how that area fared?


Rob,

Provided their home is well constructed, they are probably OK.  They saw a lot of wind, but that area sits high enough that they probably did not see any big water.  The biggest thing that could have happened to their place is flying debris or a drowned tree.

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Post #: 5
RE: Update to date - 9/15/2008 4:34:55 PM   
RoundersRob

 

Posts: 738
Joined: 7/1/2006
From: Santa Cruz, CA
Status: online 		Thanks for the info.

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Post #: 6
RE: Update to date - 9/15/2008 7:51:44 PM   
Paul S

 

Posts: 504
Joined: 1/15/2008
From: Singapore
Status: offline 		Hi, best wishes to you and your family. My heart and prayers go out to those who have lost their homes and loved ones.

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Post #: 7
RE: Update to date - 9/15/2008 7:51:45 PM   
Paul S

 

Posts: 504
Joined: 1/15/2008
From: Singapore
Status: offline 		Hi, best wishes to you and your family. My heart and prayers go out to those who have lost their homes and loved ones.

(in reply to RoundersRob)
Post #: 8
RE: Update to date - 9/16/2008 9:51:59 AM   
GalvezGuy

 

Posts: 320
Joined: 5/10/2007
From: Galveston, TX
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: RoundersRob

Thanks for the info.


A little more info on that area.  The was some overtopping of the seawall.  Most homes in that area saw 8-12 inches of water.  Your friends will be seeing a good sized mess when they get back.

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Post #: 9
RE: Update to date - 9/16/2008 10:32:22 AM   
RoundersRob

 

Posts: 738
Joined: 7/1/2006
From: Santa Cruz, CA
Status: online 		...when they get back...  that's the question now.    They are not sure when they will even be allowed back on the island.

(in reply to GalvezGuy)
Post #: 10
RE: GalvezGuy - 9/16/2008 8:42:34 PM   
Uncle Noon

 

Posts: 52
Joined: 5/30/2008
Status: offline 		I live in south Louisiana and we just went through Gustav so my heart and my prayers go out to you and your loved ones.  May your recovery be swift and painless.  Frank

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Post #: 11
RE: GalvezGuy - 9/17/2008 4:19:51 PM   
mjobtx

 

Posts: 123
Joined: 11/20/2004
From: Plano, TX
Status: offline 		Galvez Guy,

Where are you holed up now?  If around Dallas, contact me and we will get some people together and drown our sorrows.

My sister evacuated from her home South of Angleton but only minor damage there caused by falling trees.  Still  no electricity though.  Stores just opened yesterday but provisions are low; gas is still scarce too.

< Message edited by mjobtx -- 9/17/2008 4:21:29 PM >

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RE: GalvezGuy - 9/17/2008 9:07:09 PM   
GalvezGuy

 

Posts: 320
Joined: 5/10/2007
From: Galveston, TX
Status: offline 		Here is the latest update I have.  I am currently holed up in Needville.  I am staging a butt load of supplies there until they let me back on the island.  Jamaica Beach (my little village) lost five homes, two to storm surge and winds, and three to fires.  The beachfront homes took quite a beating but are still standing.  We officially had a 9.3 foot flood tide, which means that I took a lot of water in the storage areas but a lot of important things (like my golf clubs) were spared.  We are currently being blessed with low humdity (very unusual for this area) and temps in the low 80's (October weather).  Beachfront property to the east and west did not fare as well.  Several beachfront homes in Sea Isle and Pirates Beach are significantly damaged or no longer there.  The beer pier at 61st St. is completely gone.  Murdoch's and the Balinese Room are completely gone.  Many downtown businesses saw 8 ft of water which would mean a storm surge at that end of 16 ft.

The town of Gilchrist on Bolivar Peninsula has only six houses remaining of nearly 200.  Crystal Beach lost 65% of its homes.  Port Bolivar lost 80% of its homes.  Most places on the Trinity Bay were wiped away.  Bridge City, Orange, and the other coast towns east of Beaumont saw a 17ft flood surge, those places are in dire straits right now as most of the effort is being focused on Galveston.  Over 1.3 million homes in the Houston area are still without power.

The whisper number for sewage and water (which is all I need to stay home, I have generators for electricity) is three weeks.  The power infrastructure in my area is largely intact, due to recent upgrades.

All in all, although inconvenienced and perhaps losing some bottles, I feel pretty lucky.  Things could have been a lot worse for me.  Thank you everyone for the kind thoughts.  I will be in Austin this weekend.  If someone wants to get together and hear a bunch of BS, PM me.

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Post #: 13
RE: GalvezGuy - 9/18/2008 2:57:49 AM   
Serge Birbrair

 

Posts: 1544
Joined: 4/23/2006
From: Boca Raton, Florida
Status: online 		GG, you are in our good thought and thank you for the update from the trenches.

"This too shall pass"

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Post #: 14
RE: GalvezGuy - 9/20/2008 8:25:02 PM   
GalvezGuy

 

Posts: 320
Joined: 5/10/2007
From: Galveston, TX
Status: offline 		OK.  After a great deal of wrangling.  Jamaica Beach citizens were allowed on the island today.  Unfortunately, I was in Austin when I found this out.  I did get to the island today the amount of damage there is very severe, the core of the city took more damage than the unprotected West End, where I live.  My house is intact, althought everything in my storage area made of wood, paper, or cloth is a total loss, along with my washer and dryer.  I did find a nifty mold sprayer at Home Depot that I used to totally fumigate my storage area to retard the spread of mold and mildew.  WAY easier than removing everything and hitting it with bleach.  My wines look OK, the temperature in the wine coolers is currently 75 after plugging them into the generator to check function and temperature.  I did not want to chill them only to have them temp rise again.  Cleaning out the fridge was an experience, although, like you see on CSI, Vick's VapoRub really does help with the smell.  I am going back tomorrow to get clothes for the next week.  They are going to let rest of the folks back on the island Wednesday,

The amount of debris is incredible there are boats everywhere of almost every size imagineable.  Several houses on the beach will be condemned by the State of Texas Open Beaches act.  Houses that were once behind dunes are now below the normal high tide line.  Several establishments such as Captain's Table, Woody's, and many others are in complete ruins.  Some noticeable landmarks are just no longer there. 

The good news, power is likely to be restored to my place before the end of the week.  The lines from the substation to my place held up extermely well.  The lines to the substation are being quickly strung as we saw no fewer than 50 bucket trucks along Stewart Road working on power.  Water and sewer are whole different things, I don't foresee water until at least October 1st.  Sewer is likely to be ready before water, but it is still iffy.  I have probably two solid days of clean up to get the lower areas cleaned of ruined things.

I will give a full update on the wines after the main part of the cleanup is finished.  I will do a bottle by bottle inspection (also a good time to confirm inventory) for leakage around the foil.


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If you're gonna be dumb you better be tough

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Post #: 15
RE: GalvezGuy - 9/20/2008 9:47:55 PM   
NiklasW

 

Posts: 509
Joined: 10/13/2007
From: Finland
Status: offline 		Wow, I can only imagine the wreckage. Thanks for the update and keep at it with a strong mind! I hope it all goes as well as it can.

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Post #: 16
RE: GalvezGuy - 10/13/2008 7:39:36 AM   
GalvezGuy

 

Posts: 320
Joined: 5/10/2007
From: Galveston, TX
Status: offline 		I have been home since October 2. I got power Saturday, exactly 30 days after the storm, that was the best birthday present I could have asked for at that time.  All of my wine coolers made it through and are running.  It took them almost 3 days to lower the temperature back to cellar temps.  I don't have any leaking bottles so I am very hopeful.  The weather was very cooperative (for Texas), the temps for the coolers were 78 when the power was restored..  I had some serious damage to the lower structure of the home and lost my my washer, dryer, and water heater.  In addition, my 25 year old Maytag fridge did not wake back up aftere getting power (especially disappointing because I spent all of that time cleaning it).  All in all, considering what happened to others.  I feel like I came out very well.  It will probably be a long time before my life is back to "normal" but at least now, I have the ability to live my life.  Thanks to everyone for the kind words and thoughts.

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Post #: 17
RE: GalvezGuy - 10/13/2008 8:01:17 AM   
pbm

 

Posts: 348
Joined: 3/5/2008
From: New Hope, Pennsylvania
Status: offline 		Good to know you're hanging in there. Sounds like from a wine perspective the worse thing that could happen is that a few of your bottles are ready sooner than they otherwise might be. Still, I can't believe it took 30 days to get power back. That's amazing. Then again, given what's been on the news lately it's probably not so bad that you couldn't watch TV.

_____________________________

PBM
"Never Sell Principle Short"
Dave O'Neal

(in reply to GalvezGuy)
Post #: 18
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