ND Sol

While it would certainly be worse for those subject to the higher winds of a Cat. 5, Ike was a force to be reckoned with. Category strength is just one factor to consider (though it is the major one).

The hurricane force winds (and all winds) extended out much, much further than a typical storm. Because of this the storm surge was quite significant and more long lasting as well. Due to Ike's size, the damage was not as concentrated as you would expect for a typical storm; it extended for quite a large diameter. And given what Bolivar Peninsula looks like, I'm not sure that a 4/5 storm could have caused much more destruction.

Weatherboy

A stronger storm could have completely erased/submerged the Penninsula... or "redesigned" it into a different shape and/or carved it into multiple islands, similar to what Hurricane Charlie did to some west coast barrier islands in Florida.

rkkwan

I don't think anybody should be surprised by the destruction of the coastal area by the storm surge. However, even I didn't expect the electricity in Houston proper will be out for this long, and I didn't expect the extend of the windows damage for the Chase Tower in downtown.

Weatherboy

The projections were fairly accurate; 36 hours prior to landfall, it was assumed that downtown Houston's skyscrapers would loose 25% of their windows....and it was assumed 5.1million would be without power at impact, with 2 million still without power beyond week 2 of recovery. There were also projections of other infrastructure losses, such as loss of hospitals, sewage treatment plants, water pump stations... but it seems that for the most part, reality was better than what was projected there (although reality is still pretty bad, especially near the coast.)

uncertaintraveler

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

I suspect many communities in the Houston area will look into raising funds to bury their utilities after this storm.

Mackieman

I think most of the newer developments on the northwest side were already doing this. Not a bad idea, really.

ND Sol

Perhaps, but the deadliest natural disaster in US history was on the island to the west of Bolivar with a hurricane that was estimated to be a Category 4. That island was Galveston and it was not changed to any significant degree by that storm.

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

After seeing Bolivar from the air on Monday afternoon, I think drawing distinctions between its present condition and whether the peninsula's shape could have changed are purely academic. Bolivar is totaled.

PSU Mudder

There are people in Pittsburgh who still don't have power 4 days after Ike blew through. So I think its pretty understandable that they don't have everything up and running in Houston again.

rkkwan

But this is Houston, which shouldn't be affected this way by a Category 2/3 hurricane. Not saying they have to have EVERYTHING up and running. Yet 40 miles inland, but 70% residents without power after 4 days or still 57% after 6? That's not acceptable.

If Pittsburgh was shutdown for a week by a snowstorm, you won't be saying, oh, it's okay because somewhere down south was affected the same way by a freak snowstorm.

ssullivan

What people are forgetting is that this storm was not your average category 2/3 storm. The winds were of that strength, but the storm was enormous in size, which meant that many areas were subjected to much longer periods of high winds than they would have been in a smaller storm of similar wind speed. Ike took out many of the high voltage transmission lines that transfer power from the generation plants into populated areas. It took CenterPoint several days just to get those repaired. Then there are all of the lines in neighborhoods that are down, the countless utility poles that have to be replaced, transformers that have to be replaced; in some areas the entire electrical network has to be rebuilt. Once all the infrastructure is in place, power still can't be restored to buildings until they've been inspected and deemed safe to turn the power back on in. And you have to remember that this storm was geographically huge; an entire corner of the state of Texas was impacted by it. This is not just one small area that requires rebuilding the electrical grid; it's hundreds of square miles. Electrical crews are being expected to rebuild infrastructure that's been gradually built over decades in a very short period of time. You just can't do that in a couple of days.

My parents live over 100 miles inland and it will be another week or so before they have power. They went three weeks without power after Rita. Distance from the coast is irrelevant when it comes to power restoration in a storm like this. There were hurricane force winds well into northeast Texas.

theblakefish

Back up and running now...in CRP.

Still no power for theblakefish........WAAAAAAH!

karenkay

power's back in northwest houston, at least for me, but it hopscotches in my neighborhood--some folks have power, some don't. it really *is* amazing that almost a week later, so many people are still without power.

we were lucky, no damage to the house or environs. lost about a dump truck load's worth of branches, limbs and leaves, but no trees on our lot. the cleanup is going to be a herculean effort, when you consider that every neighborhood for MILES is in at least the same shape.

several homes close to us have trees on their roofs, and one had the upstairs literally split in two when an oak fell upon the house and ripped its way into the second floor. shocking to see, but apparently no-one was injured.

coairtul

I wish I could say my power was back on. After my 90 hour or so stay at the airport during the storm I kinda wish I was back. I drove home on Monday night thinkin well hey I live close to the galleria so if they have power I should too.. HA.. Its Friday and no power for me, I just got water and the centerpoint projections are not lookin so good. I decided to head back north to Tomball to stay at a friends until I get power. As someone referenced above I do not want to be here for a stong Cat 3 or stronger.