HOUSTON – The radar picture shows Ike when the center of the eye was over Galveston Bay. At the time of this picture the horror of the storm surge had reached it's peak on the Bolivar peninsula and along the shores of Galveston Bay. The red and orange colors surrounding the green eye depict where hurricane force winds in the eyewall were occurring. My home is in western League City and likely experienced four hours of 60 mile per hour sustained winds with gusts over 80 mph. I was Director of the National Hurricane Center then and could only nervously watch the events unfold back here in the Houston-Galveston area. By late in the day the center had moved well inland and winds began to lessen while the surge receded.
After six years most people who were impacted have recovered and are back to living their lives. Risk experts tell me that 5 years after a tragic event is about the time the "sting" of the disaster subsides. It is also about the time limit for our learning the lessons taught by Ike.
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The explosive growth in the Houston area is mind boggling. A good portion of that growth is in areas along the Bay at risk of storm surge. An estimated 200,000 new people come here each year, either by birth, new job growth or transfer. It is likely that since Ike we have gained a million people who have never experienced a hurricane. It is a never-ending job for those of us in hurricane preparedness trying to teach people just how much the risk is and what steps they should take.
Today would be a good day to reflect on Hurricane Ike and what you have or have not done to prepare for the next big hurricane strike on the upper Texas coast.