Hurricane IKE...glad to be alive!

caprice

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I logged on here last Friday morning about 4am and we were starting to get some Tropical storm winds. Friday we prepared our front and back yards and got as ready as you can get for a Hurricane. Well, you cannot prepare for this no matter how hard you try.....

At 11:07pm on Friday night we lost power. We still are without power (we are at the in-laws about 1 1/2 hours from Houston). I did not sleep at all that night. When the electricity went out, everything was ok until the neighborhood on our right side had a powerline get struck by a fallen tree and it started lighting up the whole sky and neighborhood in neon blue and it sounded like an alien invasion (basically a air conditioning system trying to get started or when you are welding something together). We made the mistake of opening the blinds and looking right out, our eyes were burning for awhile. The power line finally died and the other neighborhood lost power. We reported it and it still hasn't been looked at. We were on the "nasty side" of the storm. Our front side of the house was battered by rain for about 6 hours and we had water coming through our front door (our house is brand new too so the seals are really good). Basically, IKE was banging on the front door. The eye of the hurricane was right over us about 5am-6:30am. It was the strangest sound I have ever heard. It was dead silence, and I peeked out the front door and it was pitch black, I couldn't even see my garden that was 3 feet away. 6:30am: the storm was coming down worse on the back end of the house. Water started seeping through the windows (which is ok now). 8am, 3 sections of our back fence fell down. During this whole time, we hid in the walk-in closet with the animals. They were just as scared as us. It finally died down around 10am and I took Watson out to use the bathroom. We have a lot of shingles that are gone, a small leak in the roof, back fence needs to be replaced and our tree in the front yard needs to be replaced.

We are very lucky to have very little damage compared to our neighbors in Galveston. My husband's office looks like a war zone-his office is flooded so he is having to office out of his parents house right now. My school district is closed through Wednesday as of right now, and I am waiting to see if my school has any flood damage. We are right next to a bayou. I will post some pictures as soon as I can to this thread. Please continue to pray for all of us. We don't know when we'll get electricity. I am lucky to have a family just far enough away to have power. I finally had a shower-which was the best ever!
Mittens and Watson are here with us too. Just wanted to give you guys an update. Keep Houston, Galveston and surrounding areas in your prayers.
 

lsulover

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I am glad that you are ok.

My sister lives in the Woodlands, and they still have no power.

I am sending prayers to all those in Texas who have been affected by Hurricane Ike.
 

gemlady

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Way up here in the midwest Ike wrecked havoc with high winds all Sunday morning. Thousands without power (maybe for several days) due to trees and power poles/lines being knocked down. Some houses were damaged by falling trees as well, but have heard of no serious injuries.
 

gailc

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The local news said that parts of the damaged areas in Texas could be without power for up to a month!!
One of the local utility companies sent 38 people and trucks for damage repair.
Stay safe!!
 

addiebee

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Originally Posted by LSULOVER

I am glad that you are ok.

I am sending prayers to all those in Texas who have been affected by Hurricane Ike.


Same here. Glad you're ok.
 
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caprice

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Originally Posted by gemlady

Way up here in the midwest Ike wrecked havoc with high winds all Sunday morning. Thousands without power (maybe for several days) due to trees and power poles/lines being knocked down. Some houses were damaged by falling trees as well, but have heard of no serious injuries.
It, indeed, was a very bad storm. We still have no power at home; it's been 3 full days now. My husband is having to commute to Houston (1 1/2 hour drive) until he can get his company's servers back online. Luckily, my mother who lives 40 minutes from us got electricity...so we may go up there tomorrow or Wednesday. Mittens and Watson are having a hard time adjusting. My in-laws don't have internet right now, so I am at their church using the connection. I am uploading some pictures right now. Hopefully, this won't take long....
 
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caprice

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My husband's photoshop skills; gotta love his sense of humor:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/...a4a4c732_o.jpg

Note:Check out the houses being built behind me...this was facing our living room windows, luckily no boards even moved but the outhouse is now in the first house behind me...I am glad I don't have to clean that mess up!
 

coolcat

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All pic´s are scaried...
...really glad that you´re OK!...



Originally Posted by caprice

My husband's photoshop skills; gotta love his sense of humor:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/...a4a4c732_o.jpg

Note:Check out the houses being built behind me...this was facing our living room windows, luckily no boards even moved but the outhouse is now in the first house behind me...I am glad I don't have to clean that mess up!
Oh my how is Zack bring humor to this...
 

butzie

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Wow, glad things are slowly getting better. I heard that there were some office building in Houston that had the windows blown out.
 
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caprice

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Originally Posted by butzie

Wow, glad things are slowly getting better. I heard that there were some office building in Houston that had the windows blown out.
Yes, I have some more pics that I took on my way home today. I'll post them once I get them uploaded. The Chase building downtown has lost half it's windows on one side--you can see it from miles away.

We got our electricity back on last night, so we can home this morning. It's very nice to be back home. Zack went on the roof and we have alot more damage than expected from what we saw from looking at it from below. I went ahead and called for a claim on the insurance. Hopefully, it will get fixed soon.
 
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caprice

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The picture of the Chase building didn't come out well, I was too far away. I have provided links here to show you pics of outside my house right as the storm was coming in. They are pretty amazing pictures. The sky is incredible.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3285/...3127010c3a.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3275/...bace681c78.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/...185e26a12c.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/...953cab0e6c.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/...202ecace2e.jpg

Ok...it was time to go in............

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/...d011c0bc1f.jpg

This poor building lost its entire side:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/...5ccc8a87_o.jpg
 
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