I took the morning off to see Galveston Island. This tourney is an important part of the rebuilding process for this area. Everyone remembers Hurricane Katrina, but Hurricane Ike devastated this area exactly one year ago. It was a KILLER storm! Galveston Island (where we are) is a sliver of land (sand) that juts out along the Gulf of Mexico. It is totally at the mercy of the elements.
I toured the length of the island earlier today (nearly 40 miles long). Almost all houses are built on stilts (or piers). The ground floor is a parking area under the homes. I saw many boarded up homes, some with "Keep Out" signs on them. They have been vacated after the storm, and many other homes are for sale. I saw damaged homes, some with pieces missing or tilting on their support/stilts. I also saw a few that were gone, only the stilts remaining.
Many of the existing piers/walkways that go into the Bay have sections missing, and can no longer be used. I read that up to 20% of the people in the areas hardest hit have moved away, to safer locales inland. There was a tragedy here recently and the people are in the midst of a comeback. I must commend the Taylor Road group for their part in this revival of a beautiful area.
A liitle more info. Driving the length of the island is eye opening. On most of it, you drive a narrow road down the middle of a beach no more than a half mile wide. The entire island is really just one long beach. I felt very vulnerable out there today, thankful that the weather was clear. You could (and many people were) be stranded in a storm. There is no way off this island except the one road. I walked down to the water. It's warm and inviting. The Gulf is misnamed. It's more the size of a small ocean. It's a huge body of water.
Now back to the tornament.
I toured the length of the island earlier today (nearly 40 miles long). Almost all houses are built on stilts (or piers). The ground floor is a parking area under the homes. I saw many boarded up homes, some with "Keep Out" signs on them. They have been vacated after the storm, and many other homes are for sale. I saw damaged homes, some with pieces missing or tilting on their support/stilts. I also saw a few that were gone, only the stilts remaining.
Many of the existing piers/walkways that go into the Bay have sections missing, and can no longer be used. I read that up to 20% of the people in the areas hardest hit have moved away, to safer locales inland. There was a tragedy here recently and the people are in the midst of a comeback. I must commend the Taylor Road group for their part in this revival of a beautiful area.
A liitle more info. Driving the length of the island is eye opening. On most of it, you drive a narrow road down the middle of a beach no more than a half mile wide. The entire island is really just one long beach. I felt very vulnerable out there today, thankful that the weather was clear. You could (and many people were) be stranded in a storm. There is no way off this island except the one road. I walked down to the water. It's warm and inviting. The Gulf is misnamed. It's more the size of a small ocean. It's a huge body of water.
Now back to the tornament.
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