Hurricane Ike...Before and After

We have survived Ike. Like many others we feel blessed to still have all of our family, our home, our pets, and basically all our belongings undamaged after such a frightfully menacing storm. We weathered the storm here at our home, Liza, the two kids, Sonja (Liza's mum) and I. That decision was made not without much consideration and careful study of the storm's path and strength. The only problem was Ike. He was rated a Category 2 storm (max sustained winds 110 mph), but many of his characteristics were more like a Category 4 storm. For instance, at one point the storm covered almost the entire Gulf of Mexico in its circular clouds and storms. It raised the level of ocean water almost 20 feet and sent wave after destructive wave into the bay of Houston and onto Galveston Island.

Here, near The Woodlands I wasn't worried about water or rain. Our home has a high foundation and can handle a really big flood. But winds...we were very worried about the winds. Our best estimate is that we experienced sustained winds at around 50 or 60 mph, but it probably gusted to 90 or 100 mph. That is what caused our damage.

These first pictures were taken a couple months ago for an architect that is helping us plan a long driveway and add on to the house. They happen to show the yard the way it was. The following pictures are similar shots the morning of Saturday September the 13, just hours after the eye pasted to the east of us. We had a total of 8 large trees down, three of them pine trees, and one of them 120 feet tall. At least three of them (with many others that didn't fall) could have cut our house in two. They all landed away from the house at various angles. (The only structural damage we incurred was when I took down a very large red oak tree myself, some hours before the storm. It was rotten at the base and hanging over the back of our house.

I remember thinking early in the morning on Saturday, after the power went out and the winds were gusting and howling - "I have made the wrong decision. We should not be here." That was one of the worst nights of my life. Tensing, waiting, squinting with each gust and expecting a loud crash or boom as a tree met the house. The only solace I was able to find was if I continued to pray instead of worry and wait. My prayer was singular and simple: Protect my family. Well that prayer was answered in the fullest sense. God spared us, our house, our dog, and my mother-in-laws house too. Liza and Sonja's studio was without damage, all of our cars were okay. How could it have been any better really.

On Sunday afternoon all five of us loaded up and made the trip to Falls City, my hometown near San Antonio, Texas. My parents welcomed us with open arms and didn't mention that they had "told us so." We won't make that mistake again. But we are the most fortunate ones in Houston. There are sections of the city that look like war zones, and whole subdivisions on the island of Galveston that have disappeared...just gone. Our electricity was restored on Thursday at about noon while my dad and I were here cleaning up the damage.

Next time...we are outta here.