Carrie Barton: Downtown Galveston: the beach and a taste of Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike did major damage to Galveston back in 2008. Wikipedia claims that it was the "third costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States" (more info. here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Ike). This specific passage certainly rang true from what we saw, even so many years later: "On Bolivar Peninsula, Texas dozens of people were rescued as flood waters exceeded 12 feet (3.7 m) above sea level in advance of the hurricane. The peninsula bore the brunt of Ike's right-front quadrant, historically the worst part of a hurricane, and experienced catastrophic damage with the worst being between Rollover Pass and Gilchrist, Texas - west of High Island. Media estimates of lost homes exceeded 80% and could top 95%. A large number of people who did not evacuate in advance of the storm remain unaccounted for." We were impressed by both the obvious remnants of the hurricane's devastation and by the progress of the rebuilding. But while we admire the residents'/developers' optimism and tenacity, one has to wonder about the wisdom of choosing to remain in that area! You can see a collection of amazing images here: http://www.chron.com/hurricane/ike/ (hit the "click here" note under the four photos). Poor Galveston. Lightning definitely hit twice there!!!

The Flagship Hotel, a well-known local entity on the coast.

Ouray surveys the scene, as Mom gets out to photograph the building that now serves as a Hurricane Ike landmark as much as a Galveston landmark.

The current scoop: "Built on a pier that juts 1,000 feet into the Gulf of Mexico, the seven-story Flagship is the only major structure in the beachfront tourism district that still bears the scars of the Sept. 13, 2008, storm. The concrete drive linking the hotel to Seawall Boulevard is shorn away, and blown-out walls reveal the interior, in one place allowing a view straight through the building."