Sometimes it's hard to sympathize for someone's loss when they have put themselves at risk by living in an area in which natural disasters can be expected to happen and have happened. When Hurricane Ike came ashore on the morning of September 13, 2008, It damaged Galveston Island to the extent that it took months to get the utilities working again.This damage is nothing compared to the almost complete obliteration of the seaside communities of the Bolivar Penisula.
From High Island, Texas, along Hwy 87 to the Galveston ferry landing,every incorporated area was essentially wiped off the face of the earth. It is estimated that over 3000 beach homes were destroyed and in the town of Gilcrest only 16 structures remain out of hundreds. Here are a few links that you may want to check out.
Aerial Photos Crystal Beach Bolivar Texas Hurricane Ike Damage
Bolivar Peninsula
Crystal Beach and Bolivar Peninsula
Google Street Maps Now Available for Crystal Beach > Swedes Real Estate Sales and Rentals Crystal Beach Bolivar > Bolivar Real Estate News
If you can get the Google street view working, contrast the views of the penisula pre Ike and then use the helocopter pictures for the post Ike views.
For those of us who remember the good times at the beach, It's just heartbreaking.
However, unlike New Orleans, the locals of the Bolivar Penisula are rebuilding and they are not waiting for the feds to take over and tell them what to do next. You may find it hard to sympathize for their troubles, but you have to respect their determination to stand up and rebuild their lives. you might take a few minutes to think about them and maybe say a prayer for them.
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