Hurricane Ike made landfall in Galveston, TX on Saturday, September 13, 2008 as a Category 2 wind storm with a Category 4 storm surge of 14 feet.
Sanctuary staff members G.P. Schmahl and Emma Hickerson were able to return to the island on Monday, the 15th, and began photo documenting what they found. Other photos were taken as more of the staff returned and cleanup continued.
Fortunately, the sanctuary offices were intact and all of the staff were safe.
To learn more about hurricane impacts to coral reefs, visit our Hurricanes page. For specific information on Hurricane Ike's impacts on the coral reefs of the sanctuary, visit our Post-Ike Reef Assessment page.
Click on any picture below to see a larger, hi-resolution image. All images should be credited to FGBNMS.
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First Impressions - September 15, 2008
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Following a tractor trailer to Galveston just 2 days after Hurricane Ike. |
This was once a bait camp and marina at the base of the Galveston Causeway. |
A large sailboat and several other vessels were deposited on land near the marina at the base of the Galveston Causeway. |
Seems that some boats fared better than others when tossed onto the highway by the storm surge. |
The sheer size of this boat sitting upright alongside the highway demonstrates the force of the water moving around during Hurricane Ike. |
Not much left of the 3 wooden buildings on piers that once jutted out into the Gulf. The concrete Flagship Hotel remains in the background. |
The skeletal remains of Murdoch's Bath House, a former gift shop on the Seawall. |
This was the Balinese Room, a night club dating back to the time of Prohibition. |
Sanctuary offices received a fresh coat of paint as well as new windows, doors, and roof in the months preceding the storm. A small portico was also added to the west entrance. All survived the onslaught. |
The Aquacell, located adjacent to sanctuary headquarters, used to have a canvas roof. Now it's an open air facility. |
A large shrimp boat from a nearby marina ended up resting in the parking lot of Willie G's. It's usually more common to see boats behind the restaurant! |
The small marina behind Willie G's. The Manta dedication took place in June 2008 on the concrete pier where the photographer stood to take this photo. |
The R/V Manta sustained damage just above the water line during the storm. The damaged area is outlined in tape. |
The storm surge deposited lots of mud and debris throughout the Strand district of Galveston. |
Removal efforts just couldn't keep up with people cleaning out their storage units near Harborside Drive in the Strand District. Dried mud makes this look like a dirt road. |
A look inside the sanctuary storage unit shows the water reached about 6 feet high. Historic sanctuary samples and some equipment were salvaged. |
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Cleanup Begins
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One NOAA! A demolition crew from NOAA Office of Law Enforcement takes a break outside Emma's house after helping remove drywall. |
Bill Kiene, G.P. Schmahl and Emma Hickerson stand by the growing debris pile they've created in front of Emma's house. |
(clockwise from left) Marissa Nuttall, Sarah Fangman, G.P. Schmahl, Ginny Schmahl, Billy Causey and Bill Kiene take a much deserved break after working on staff homes. Sarah and Billy came from the Southeast Regional Offices of National Marine Sanctuaries to help with recovery efforts. |
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