PICTURES FROM TEXAS-HURRICANE IKE‏

[Redoverfarm]

http://www.tpicks.com/pictures%20people%20have%20sent%20me.html

[MountainDon]

I can not imagine having to cope with that.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

It looks like it would take months, if not years, to dig out.

[muldoon]

yes, it is a huge mess.  keep your prayers up for those still affected.  a few in my office still without power, many many more that I dont know are still without.  But do not discount us down here either, it will take time but we will clean it up and rebuild. 

[desdawg]

Wow, what a mess. That looks like a good area to be from. Those flames amid all that water look real out of place. It is hard to sit here and imagine what the reality is like when you are there.

[Sassy]

It's hard to fathom all that destruction - so how bout a hand (not a handout) for the people who have suffered such losses?  Instead of bailing out the criminal Federal Reserve, Paulson et al & the international bankers who have leveraged shares 100:1...  seems like the people who have lost everything & don't have millions & billions $$$ holed up should be the focus...  hey, but what do I know? 

Glad you are ok, Muldoon...

[Redoverfarm]

Our Church sent a group to New Orleans last month.  They were told that on average one house is completed each day.  That is 365 a year.  There were close to 70,000 homes destroyed that need to be rebuilt

[glenn kangiser]

Code houses didn't stand as well as some of the old master craftsman built houses in some cases I noted.

[muldoon]

I have been taking note of that too.  In fact I made a trip to drive around and look specifically to see if I could determine a pattern in materials, style, time frame of construction, perceived quality at the time built and such in regards to how much damage was taken. 

Basically, neighborhoods like the one I lived in that were built in the 70s did better than those built in the 80s or 90s.  Neighborhoods built as higher end when first done did better than the track houses, with the notable exception of high end big houses built in the last 5-10 years. 

Brick and wood seemed affected in either case meaning I saw plenty of both in various stages of damage.  I couldn't give one or the other a real benefit which I didn't expect.  If proper materials were installed correctly it should hold, if not it falls down is what I saw overall.  (barring trees, tornadoes and such)

As for the older craftsmen houses, the historic houses still standing in Galveston tell that story.  If it was built with care and attention to detail and materials it is likely still standing.  Even those built before the invent of simpson hurricane ties, or the like.  What they do have are things like in every corner of all exterior walls, the closest 3 studs are notched and 2x4 bracing is inlaid into the wall framing at a 45 degree diagonally from the floor up.  Corners may have 3 or 4 studs buildup and be very substantial. 
The older 2story houses still in good shape have very tall wall sections instead of a first floor, second floor subflooring, then another section of 8-10 foot wall detail.  (How did they raise those?)  Oddly enough, I am seeing houses that lost shingles and its clear no felt paper was used at all. 

All these houses with large pieces of siding gone, or roofs or walls gone you can really see how they were put together and in some cases why they came apart.   I wish Peg or John were here because they would pick up on so many details that I miss. 

I hear were down to 420,000 without power as of last night.  its getting better. 

[glenn kangiser]

Under 1/2 million-- that's good...I think.

mudoon, there was an old victorian looking castle type house still standing - was that old construction?

I see the sheetrock crackerboxes nearly all washed away.

[southernsis]

It is terrible the destruction that hurricanes and other weather cause. I don't know how long it will take in Texas to repair or rebuild, but here in Arkansas people are still recovering from the February 5 tornado. It really hurts me to see people lose everything they have worked for. We just got hit with a little bit of Ike, but it knocked down trees and weeks later power was still out in some areas. I work part time for the Office of Emergency Management in the county I live and the county has exhausted all of their money because of tornados, floods, ice storms and wind.
Hopefully there won't be any more bad weather this year at least. My heart goes out to everyone who has suffered a loss.

[glenn kangiser]

I'm sure it will take years to recover, Sis.  Many here are not even started recovering from the fire.  The ones doing the best are the ones who don't have to rely on government or outside help.  That doesn't help those who are barely making it as it is, which covers nearly everyone.

[southernsis]

That is the same here Glenn.  It has been a year of bad weather and the government seems to be more worried about other things. I hope things move faster for the people of Texas than they are moving here in Arkansas.    I look at the people that are struggling to rebuild and I get upset that there isn't more that can be done for them. I had better quit or I will get on a rant (as my husband says).

[glenn kangiser]

This is the place for that....and we'll still respect you in the morning.