Entire Towns Disappear In Hurricane Ike's Wrath

As frustrations mount over delays in providing basic supplies to survivors of Hurricane Ike, the first glimpses of previously inaccessible areas revealed a string of ghost towns reduced to rubble.

Until Monday, authorities prevented residents and media from entering or flying over areas of the Bolivar Peninsula, a sliver of sand that sits across Galveston Bay from the city of Galveston.

Bolivar may have been the hardest hit by Ike's 110 mph winds and estimated 16-foot storm surge. Towns all along the peninsula were virtually flattened by the treacherous winds, rain and floods from Hurricane Ike.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[BlueTongue]

Am I missing something here? There were thousands of people who stayed behind during Ike. Whole towns have been wiped off the map. Shouldn't there be casualties littering the beaches? What happened to the people who stayed behind? Is there a cover up going on?

Republicans are lucky they have a financial disaster to distract the population from this second hurricane-related government failure.

New Republican motto: DISASTERS ARE US!

[feo]

Right wing ministers have been silent; can't they find a group to blame for gawd's wrath?

[Dap]

Bush offers housing relief... yeah, he's gonna bring in the FEMA trailers from New Orleans.

[Viper]

They forgot to even have food for the few national guards they scraped up.

I'm lucky my uninsured lossed will be only about 30K. My boat is sitting on a bulkhead. some water damage. No sewage, no power, no food, no water and gas for cars and generators.

Fights at gas stations.

Regards

[lmab]

Good news......The McCains are opening up their doors. Everyone's invited to stay at one of their homes, until the towns are rebuilt. .......John said...."It was all Cindy's idea.....she's always been a warm giving person......We're going to make it a fun time.....we might even hold another Miss Buffalo Chips competition." "Hey Cindy.......Where are all those old tee shirts from the last time I ran?"

[LeonBNJ]

We may have to finally realize that we cannot have homes and development in almost all of our coastal areas of the USA likely to be subject to hurricanes. Global warming is making worse the normal cycle of hurricanes. We don't know how many 100's may be dead from this hurricane and news coverage is being limited due to Wall Street crises and fears of creating unrest there. Meanwhile, prices went up 40 cents or more per gallon for gasoline nationwide - where it the government to prevent this financial rip-off of the public for the benefit of a few oil companies and speculators.
Hurricane Ike may have long-term affects like Katrina and Andrew we have yet to fully understand.

[MrFiskar]

The houses are gone;but if you were smart you left and are still here. How many times can you stand in front of a gun and pull the trigger and not get shot?

[kingroy]

Tracking hurricanes in the world.

1991 Hurricane bUSh Sr., Iraq.
1992 Hurricane Andrew, US.
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003-present Hurricane bUSh Jr., Iraq.
2004 Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, US.
2005 Katrina, Rita, US.
2006 Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Florence, US.
2007 Dean, Erin, US.
2008 Fay, Gustav, Ike, Kyle?, Lili?, Marco?, Nana?, Omar?, Paloma? Rene?, Sally?, Teddy?, Vicky?, Wilfred?, US.
2009 ????
2010 ????
2011 ????
2012 ????

[splendidbeast]

FEMA housing. Slightly less likely to kill you than a hurricane.

[Mort]

"As frustrations mount over delays in providing basic supplies to survivors of Hurricane Ike,"

So I guess when they warned people to evacuate or face death on their own, that was a hollow promise?

[bayside]

Sunday was a eerie day in Ohio. I saw at least 50 trees, some as high as 60 ft fall, snap or uprrooted by 80 miles a hour winds..This was from Ike following the cold front into central ohio. In the town I was in, those trees, did not fall on any houses, cars, or people ..The trees fell across or down streets..They could have done a whole lot more damage.. Very grateful that happened like that..

[FogBelter]

When News coverage of the disaster area didn't materialize I knew it was bad. If there is enough damage to make it visually compelling the News media would be all over it ... if it is like Banda Ache there, however, the Government doesn't want a repeat of Katrina images.

[4gloria]

So let me get this all straight:

During Katrina, Bush was on vacation at his Texas ranch during the storm and waited days to survey the damage. During Ike, which hit 300 or so miles from Crawford, Bush was conveniently nowhere near his vacation hideaway.

News cameras are not being allowed in the scraped-earth areas where tens of thousands of residents rode out the storm. Millions are without power, water, food and ice - and that includes shortages for those at shelters.

Texas is bypassing state support because the money and support they knew they'd need isn't there.

People in Houston, including Katrina survivors, were told they would not be evacuated but will now be without power for a month.

And the FEMA crony in charge is saying everything is under control.

"There's an old saying in Tennessee " I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee " that says, fool me once, shame on " shame on you. Fool me " you can't get fooled again." "President George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

[mabinog]

hmm, not letting overflights by news choppers. Why oh why could that be?

[darthmaul]

President Bush can give the people of Texas on some slightly used house trailers. Real cheap!