This is truly devistating. Bambams family has lost everything that they owned. Including old family heirlooms such as a clock that was 123 years old. They are trying their best to be strong but it’s hard. To tell them, “at least you got out and you’re alive”, sure seems like little to say for comfort.
13 years ago, this same family opened their home to me and my three kids after a nasty fight with the ex. They never asked for anything in return and always treated me like I was their child. They were loving , caring, and always there for me. Now, 13 years later, Bambam and I opened that same home to them. I wish I knew more what to do to help them. I feel lost. I can’t even begin to imagine how they feel.
Here are just some of the pics that were forwarded to me of the mass destruction.
On the one that says Humberto damage, is Bambams mom and dads house, or was.
Two of his sisters, his niece, his mom and dad, and their good friend, Markie, all lost their homes. They also lost their business, The Shell Shop. They want to rebuild, but I think it will be several months before they even let anyone back on the peninsula.
The website for survivors, survivor stories, videos. pics and such is…www.rolloverpasstexas.com.
Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
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Damn...
I opened every one except the 2 meg pic. Reminds me of what Jarrell looked like after the tornado.
We feel really bad for ya'll.
That one big structure in the background seems to have weathered the surge well. Can they rebuild using that kind of design?
Tom, the one big structure you see in the background is nothing more than a few walls still standing. The inside is completely gutted. The only solid structure in Gilchrist is the big yellow and blue house that everyone has seen. I believe the contractors name is Mike Daily?.I wonder if those who rebuild, will take into consideration the direction in which that particular house is facing. I think it had a lot to do with why it still stands today. Thanks for the thoughts. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
I'm so sorry - gives a whole new dimension to 'devastation'!
Thank you Kate.
It certainly does bring a whole new meaning. We are all still floored and I think in a light shock from this. Although Mike and I had no valuables there, we do have a lot of memories. That is where we spent our honeymoon and most of our anniversaries. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
Quite a job ahead of you all.
Good to know they had family like yours to turn to.
I believe I heard talk of not letting them rebuild on the peninsula. Some big wig who wanted it gone for a long while now. But one mans voice can't do that. (Or so we hope). It will take a lot of money and resources to bring it back to half way normal. But the hope is that a seawall will go up and they will be allowed to rebuild. As for the family, they have always been a mom and dad to me way before Mike and I ever got together. The Reynolds clan is probably the greatest family I have ever met.Thank you for the kind words. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
The before and after are gut-wrenching. I can see how much Bambam's folks loved that house with all the flowers, etc. You are rich in family, truly. Best of luck with the rebuild.
Edited 9/22/2008 2:28 pm by splintergroupie
Thank you so much for the kind words Splinty. Yes, they love the most simple things in life. Like the flowers, birds, and setting on their porch watching the ocean. Here's hoping the rebuild will take place. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
Don't know what to say except hang in there.
We're all behind ya.
Thanks Boss. We so appreciate all of you guys and gals. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
I really don't know what to say. Glad you'll survived!!!!
Join the crowd Frammer. We still don't know what to say. It's absolutely devastating. Hopefully, when the rebuild takes place, we can get a few helpers from BT. Thanks for the support. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
Keep us updated.
Those are jaw dropping ugly.Been thinking of you all.They had insurance, I presume?
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You are still so sweet Piffin. :) You've been on my mind lately too. How are you?Trying to find the words to describe the aftermath of Ike is worse than trying to find the words for a love letter!Mom and Dad had insurance, but my 2 sister in laws and my niece did not. So, a rebuild for them will be tough.When and if they rebuild, you have to come down, we'll let you be the super! Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
Let me know. I can drag my old adze down there and get in the way as good as anybody...
>Let me know. I can drag my old adze down there and get in the way as good as anybody...<Thank you very much for that Tom. That really means a lot to us. Come to think of it you and my father would get along real good. He is the OTHER Cowboys fan. :0)Where there's a will, there are 500 relatives
BB
Sorry for your lose, keep us posted as to what when and where your going to do it.
Go Pack, today had to be a little tough on you today because of last nights game! :) To many pack fans up here for me to get much krap but you on the other hand.........
Doug
Thanks Doug, we will keep you posted.>To many pack fans up here for me to get much krap but you on the other hand.........<You have no idea how bad it is for a Packers fan down here. I'm pretty vocal about it so everyone knows. My phone will ring like CRAZY when Dallas beats them. Its all in good fun though.Where there's a will, there are 500 relatives
AAAWWWW Tom. You brought tears to my eyes. All I can say is thank you. When the rebuild takes place, the houses should go up fairly quickly. After all, none of them are were very big to begin with. :)And we could use all the help we can get.Bambam's right too. You and his dad would get along great. A Cowboys fan he is. Oh well, even the best men in the world are allowed to have a few flaws! :) Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
Here's the text of a email I got from my brother today. Got back Wednesday from Galveston.
Tom,
I hope you and your family are all doing well. I have been very busy
with MARS and all the Hurricanes. I was in Bryan Tx for Gustav, had
about 4 days back in Austin and was then activated for Ike. I am now a civilian auxiliary of the Texas State Guard with full pay and benefits
when activated. I spent 3 days in San Antonio at Brooks City Base and
then when into Galveston Saturday afternoon, Sept 13, with the SJIATC (Standing Joint Interagency Task Force), Texas Military Forces . This was a heavy recon convoy and I was the third vehicle behind the command van. I spent 5 days in Galveston and returned to Austin, Wednesday, 17 Sept. We were some of the first relief units into Galveston. TxDot had cleared one lane on the Causeway for traffic and DPS was there for some security (we brought our own). The only relief agency present was the Salvation Army. They were already providing food and continue to feed residences until we could get our PODs (points of distribution) running late Sunday. I am really impressed with the Salvation Army. Did not
see the Red Cross for days! I have become really familiar with
MRE's. The first night I slept in a parking lot with the rest of the
troops. The next day we set up one of their air-conditioned tents, so sleeping conditions were a little better. I work inside an air-conditioned command van, so daily work was not too bad. I moved a lot of critical info out by radio, but did not have to assume complete communications for the SJIATF since their sat dish system continued to
operate correctly. They have a broad-band commercial sat system and
their blackberries. We had no cell phone service, so if their sat system when down, I had the only over-the-horizon communications capability. As we say in amateur radio.... When all else fails........
When I got back to Austin, last Wednesday, I sure did not smell very good!
Galveston is pretty beat up, but most of downtown is standing with only water and a little roof damage. The area not protected by the sea wall
simply disappeared. The city also drained very quickly, thanks to the
insight of those that rebuilt Galveston after the 1900 hurricane. I
would expect Galveston to be back in business about mid- November into December.
Lew
Thanks for the info Tom. Galveston is a wonderful place. Bambam and I spent many a day there on the strand. That was the first place I ever sang to him in front of a crowd. They got some heavy damage from Ike too, but would have had a whole lot more if not for the seawall. Heard on the news that they were letting people back in but they still don't have full resources yet. Those that come back should bring food, water, etc. The peninsula didn't fair nearly as well as Galveston. The body cleanup alone will probably take months. Was looking for pics of Anahuac Texas, where most of the debris landed, but haven't had any luck so far.Again, thanks for passing on the info. I appreciate it. Stay safe my friend. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
Oh man. Incredibly moving photos.
Here in NJ we've never really experienced the full power of a hurricane. And for that I'm very grateful.
Glad to here that your whole family is OK, and best wishes for re-building.
Hey Shep,
I had been watching the weather channel after Gustav and Hanna, then I saw Ike before he was named. I called Daddy and said, my stomach is rolling. That one (Ike) is too well formed already. Unfortunately, I was right. Although, I didn't imagine it doing damage to the maximum disaster.Thanks for the thoughts. We appreciate it. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
Very sobering. Thank you for sharing this.
It's awful to lose on that level, and my thoughts are with you and all the good people who have lost everything.
Every day is a gift.
Thank you all for the kind words and thoughts. If they are allowed to rebuild then we will see it through somehow. If we do then yall will be answering a lot of Q's about coastal construction for me I hope. I want the next one to last. The biggest problem with Gilchrist is that most of the structures were built as fishing cabins by Bubba and Son. They were thrown together in the fifties in between beers and fishing. They were finally tested by Ike. My fathers was a better built one that would have stood up to the wind but it was only 8' off the ground. Code is 17' right now.Where there's a will, there are 500 relatives
Hey, Bambam-
if/ when your family does get to rebuild, you might want to check out this mag
http://www.coastalcontractor.net
lots of good info on building along the coasts.
Thanks Shep, its one of my regulars I get. Problem is MY question will be in an issue that I cant find lol.Where there's a will, there are 500 relatives
Thank you for your kind words. Everyday is a gift. So is every member of this wonderful family. (BT) and the Reynolds. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
Words fail, but it sounds like you have it under control.
Take care.
Hey there Carole.I am so grateful that everyone decided to leave and come up here. Daddy was like, "get your stuff packed, we're leaving in the morning". He said it bothered him because of it's size. Guess he had a gut feeling too. Thanks for the kind words. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
We kept watching the path and knew that people who lived in the path would be hit hard. You have warm thoughts from Tucson and you know how warm those are!
Yes and hit hard they were. We kept hoping it would go west or north west. But it came crashing in right where they lived. OMG...I just remembered something that also occurred during Ike.There was a dog there by the name of Tugboat. He was abandoned as a pup and the community took him in. Everyday, he made his rounds from door to door getting food, greeting people, and he always escorted the visitors to the beach. He was hit 4 different times by cars while crossing the street and the members of Gilchrist always pitched in and took him to the vet.
When mom and dad evacuated, they brought Tugboat with them. He had been sick apparently. Anyway, he laid down on our front porch and just wouldn't get up. My dogs hovered over him like mother hens and wouldn't let the other dogs up here near him. It was if they knew that he was dying.
After dad saw that he was having such a hard time breathing, he told my bil to get a gun. So everyone was outside saying their goodbyes. Mom was the last one to pet him. Within 15 seconds after, he took his last breath. I thought it was fitting that he died after the loss of Gilchrist. He didn't belong to one person, he belonged to the peninsula. Needless to say, it was a very tough week. But, it gets better a little bit each day. Thank you so much for the warm thoughts. Bambam, his family and I so greatly appreciate them.
Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
What a story. Animals have much more sense sometimes than humans. We watched news stories of the Mayor of Galveston and she just seemed so emotionally wrecked. There is only so much one can do.
That was one wonderful dog. He will be missed very much.Emotionally wrecked....that's a really good choice of words to describe how we all feel. We are all just so ready for them to say, yes, you can rebuild or no, there will be no more Bolivar peninsula. Not much we can do until then. Except bug you guys and gals! :) Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
WOW. I can't even imagine.. Family will get them through.
Keep us posted.
Thank you Bill. We will keep everyone posted as to what develops from this. Right now, it's pretty much a wait and see game. And you're right, family will get them through. They have a huge one. Daddy has 13 brothers and sisters and most of them are carpenters. Well, one's a politician, but we still love him. :) In a time of crisis, they always come together. One of the brothers home burnt to the ground several years ago and 8 days later, there was a new sitting where the old one had been. There's well over 400 of them now and they all live here in Texas. Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
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Thanks Luka. You're a dear. :) Sinking into a hole by ones self ..makes getting out extremely hard.
You are welcome.
What a fool believes he sees
No wise man has the power, to reason away
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