Galveston and nearby Bolivar Peninsula,
four months after Ike

Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast the night of September 12, 2008. Galveston was badly damaged, with water levels over head height on the historic street named the Strand. Many historic buildings still stand, and some are back in business now.

Across Galveston Bay on the ferry, things are much more grim. Many houses and buildings were completely swept away, leaving only their pilings and the occasional toilet or other debris. All remaining buildings appear to have been badly damaged. At least some of Galveston will come back, but it seems impossible that the coastal towns on the other side of the bay ever will. (See the article Hurricane Ike's Wake, from the January 06, 2009 issue of the Houston Press.)

Here are some pictures we took an a beautiful cold Sunday in January 2009, visiting from the Houston area. To view the slide show, click on the first picture, then click on the word "Next-->" above each succeeding photograph. The last picture in the series shows what became of a building right on the beach at the Galveston Seawall. (All photographs copyright ©2009 Paula E. Burch.)