Roughly 75 Percent of Galveston's Homes Are Uninhabitable

ABC News ^ | Sept 24, 2008 | NEAL KARLINSKY

[thackney]

For the first time since Hurricane Ike blew away much of the city, residents of Galveston began streaming home today.

But the city is in such bad shape, those hurrying back home were given an ominous warning: Bring tetanus shots, rat poisoning and don't bring children.

If that's not enough, planes are spraying the city with insecticide to prevent a boom in the mosquito population, the water isn't drinkable and people are urged to wear face masks to guard against inhaling toxic mold that is proliferating in the sweltering city.

Nevertheless, highways into Galveston were jammed with cars today as many of the city's 57,000 citizens hurried back to see what, if anything, was left of their homes.

What they are finding is heartbreaking.

"People who are off the island don't understand what they're coming home to. They don't," Teresa Castillo, who rode out the storm along with Mary Gonzalez, told "Good Morning America."

...

Roughly 75 percent of Galveston's homes are uninhabitable. There is limited sewage facilities and few medical services. Rats and snakes have infested the city's ruins. And the city is under a 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. curfew.

[DannyTN]

One has to wonder if the mold problem wasn’t made much worse by not letting the residents return. I don’t know what the safety concerns were, but it seems now they have a really big one...mold.

[Emmett McCarthy]

All the broke “house flippers” can go down there and rake in the insurance money to fix it all up.

[Red Badger]

Their homeowner’s insurance may not be enough or may not pay of at all........

[thackney]

They had no power, water or working septic through most of the city.

Even today conditions are very poor, read the flyer they are passing out to those returning.

http://www.cityofgalveston.org/news/default.cfm?ID=2301

[thackney]

Areas Located Behind the Seawall, East of 103rd Street/Cove View Lane:

All residents and business owners may re-enter the City of Galveston, assess the damage to their property, and determine if they wish to remain in the city. Very limited water, sewer, natural gas, and electric services have been restored to areas behind the Seawall.

Areas Not Located Behind the Seawall, West of 103rd Street/Cove View Lane:

All west end residents/businesses may re-enter the City of Galveston, assess the damage to their property, clean, gather important belongings, and then leave the city to return to safe and more secure locations no later than 6:00 p.m. Water, sewer, natural gas, and electric services have not been restored to areas West of Seawall therefore sanitary living conditions are not available at this time. A look and leave re-entry phase began yesterday, Monday, September 22, for west end residents, businesses, and insurance adjusters.

[thackney]

Galveston returns photo gallery

http://www.chron.com/news/photogallery/return_to_galveston.html

[goodnesswins]

Good luck with those mortgages.....what bad timing coming together this is! A weather storm and a financial storm.....

[Doc91678]

Sounds almost like New Orleans. Except for the fact that here the mayor and Governor thought of the people first and got them out of harms way.
There was a Katrina and it was the fault of Blanco and Nagin. No one else.....

[investigateworld]

Real pity Texas is a hot - muggy state, this retired contractor is kinda looking for sump’n to do ;^)

[DannyTN]

That’s it?

I would think anyone in a hurricane zone would be prepared for that. I don’t see that as a reason for not letting people return. I can see where septic could become a health hazard if people aren’t prepared to deal with it. But now they have major mold instead.

[thackney]

The septic is a major problem. The mayor of Galveston has been on the radio previously explaining that even if you supply your own water to the toilet tank, there is no place for it to go, except overflow the bowl. Pretty tough if the more than 55,000 all return and 80~90% have that condition.

[McLynnan]

Thanks for the link. Those pictures are a heartbreaker.

[gracesdad]

On safety concern was the fact there’s nowhere to go to the bathroom. And no clean water. And no food.

[Ron H.]

I remember when growing up my grandmother telling me the many horror stories of the great hurricane of 1900 that totally devastated and flattened Galveston to the ground. She and grandpa got work there right after the storm of rebuilding the infrastructure of Galveston and these modern stories of Galveston and Ike are reminiscent of those many first hand stories but not quite as bad as the 1900 hurricane with none of the conveniences of generators, fans, ice machines and the many other modern day conveniences our society enjoys today.

It helps some to keep things in perspective. This is not meant to take away from the destruction and disaster and suffering from Ike but Galveston has suffered far far worse in the past.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

The economy should pick up with all the new construction going to take place.

[gracesdad]

Even if they had returned earlier they would be dealing with major mold. They battle mold even when they aren’t being wiped out by a hurricane.

[Harry Wurzbach]

That’s what happens when you have a sizable city on a sandbar. Yes, it’s nice going down to Galveston when you live in Houston for the day, but there’s always this risk.

[dfwgator]

They are called ‘barrier islands’ for a reason.

[DannyTN]

So dig a latrine in the backyard and keep it covered. And then fill it in when services are restored.

I guess the world didn’t exist before Thomas Crapper.