| "Tree In The House!" |
| lived in Daytona Beach for the first 30 years of my life hurricanes were not a terribly big deal, perhaps even a little exciting. Of course it helped to be living in The Woodlands, so far from the coast. I sat at my study window in the early hours of Saturday morning appreciating the incredible winds and how they were bending the tree across the street to within just a few feet of my neighbors Chevy pickup's roof. About an hour into the watch I heard a thundering crash. As I moved around my home to make certain there was no damage my wife, who had been in bed sleeping, met me in the hall shaking and said she thought a tree had hit our home over the master bedroom. After a long search I realized I could hear rain on the ceiling and running to the second story's attic access I opened the door and was greeted by an 18 inch wide pine tree. I closed the door and went back downstairs to tell her to get out of the bedroom just in time to see two thirds of our ceiling fall in from the weight of the water soaked insulation. We thanked God that we had all been spared from the disaster that could have been.
For two days we listened to the wind and rain blow throught our roof and saw our master suite destroyed from wind, rain, and broken water pipes. Once the storm had passed and we could get outside we found a neighbor's 85 foot pine tree had been uprooted and had caved a three by twelve foot hole in the roof and another ten feet down the side of our home.
We've had little response from our insurance company and keep telling ourselves that others faired much worse than us. The tree was finally removed six days after the storm and the hole covered. The carpet and furniture have been removed but the wet drywall is waiting on the restoration company to revisit. Exasperated we bath with a water hose due to the pipe breaking... and of course we're one of the areas that will not have our power back until "after September 25th". Many are "recovering" from Ike... some o |
| Posted on September 23, 2008 by David Hageman |
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| How BLESSED we are! |
| Once in awhile, I think we all need to stop and be still and know that there is more to life than our professions, our daily routines, and our material possessions. This experience the greater Houston area has seen this past week has made many of us look up, count our many blessings, meet our neighbors and extend love, care, and concern to neighbors that were strangers and now friends. We have opened our homes to friends that needed shelter, a shower and hot meals. We stopped and saw that there is so much more to living, real living. As we start to rebuild and return to normal, let's make time for more involvement in our neighborhoods and in each others' lives. I've lived around the world and time after time, I have found when you really get to know and love people in your immediate neighborhood are in times of disaster. Sewell Feenstra, Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors |
| Posted on September 22, 2008 by Sewell Woods-Feenstra |
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| Do Not Quit |
| I consider myself very blessed for being spared with the fury of IKE. It was a scary night. The sound of nature warning us, the whistle of wind piercing through the doors and chimney and boldly announcing its power. The visualization of the nature's truth we only read in books and saw in movies kept us awake all through the night. The anxiety of unknown, who had how much damage, who is safe or not, is undescribable. I prayed for all my clients, family, friends and everyone. Becoming a Realtor has truly allowed me to see America, learn about America, the great things it offers, the spirit of helping each other even in most adverse circumstance. The mess of the current market, mortgage industry and Ike has touched each one of us, created financial difficulties for many of us. The only solution to all hardships experienced is DO NOT QUIT, THERE IS HOPE. I want to know for those of us who cannot offer monetary help, how best we can help to rebuilt Texas. The most valuable commodity to give is Time and keep the spirit of Texas high. If you are displaced due to IKE, need help, I will be happy to share from my limited resources some of the clothings, food, household items, printer, bedframes as long as they last. pl. contact me at realtor_mj@yahoo.com
Sincerely,
Ms. Madhuri "MJ" Jaju, Houston, TX. |
| Posted on September 21, 2008 by Madhuri "MJ" Jaju |
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| The Galveston Fishing Pier Ike destruction |
| Thought everyone might find this very interesting my husband and I owned the galveston fishing pier which was made out of cement encased steal beams. I have wanted to send this information to the news channels because it is much more relevant than structures that were made out of wood in dipicting the power of this storm. Check out the before and after noaa pictures, I have many close ups of the apartment that was partially left. What is even more interesting is that one of our employees decided to have a party on the pier, free beer, food etc at thier disposal, why not right (really makes me mad but they paid for it was almost what I am sure was a scary night). At about 11 pm they decided to make use of the upstairs apartments television, I have been told that very shortly after they all went upstairs the entire restuarant, bait camp, store, etc was wiped out beneath them. Somehow the floor of the apartment stayed in tack, along with the ancient windows and the siding strangely broke just enough to remove the entire bottom but keep the upper unit secure. Look at the pictures it is amazing and you will see what I am talking about. 90%+ f the pier is completely gone. Everyone take care, Kelli McClure
Link to pier pre-storm: http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=nw7k7g72w0jx&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=9930841&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1
Link to pier post storm: (you have to zoom in by clicking the picture twice, once after it loads then again and it zooms in close)
http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/ike/IMAGES/ike_c25882249.htm
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| Posted on September 19, 2008 by Kelli McClure |
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