As a victim of hurricane Ike, I have experienced first hand what it was like going through the the storm and its aftermath. The experience has taught me many things about human nature in response to disasters. Little did I know when I was taught about the classic "man versus nature" struggle by Mrs. Lavender at Sam Rayburn High School, that I would one day go through one of those major nature episodes.I have also learned what not to do in dealing with the storm and its aftermath.

When the word came that there was a hurricane out in the gulf, we developed some guardedness and concern. We have learned to treat each hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico with guardedness. When the storms enter the gulf, we keep up with the latest hurricane tracks and projected landfalls. Over the years, we have learned to look at the combination of weather maps, the jet stream, barometric pressure readings and the projected tracks. We have learned not to panic over the storms, but to treat each one with respect.There is a feeling that comes over a community before a storm hits. In a few moments, quiet peaceful coastal communities explode with activity at the gas pumps, hardware and grocery stores in preperation for storms.After going through several, we developed a feel for such occurances.

When Ike started forming, the local city hall noted it. “Ike says stay prepared for severe weather”. They had done the same with Hurricane Gustav. My wife and I joked about “Now the storms are talking to us”. We were not eager to go through another evacuation. We had evacuated with hurricane Rita, and ended up spending 30 hours on the road (Interstate 10) on the trip from Houston to San Antonio. The massive wave of evacuees in the September heat left an indelible imprint on us. Every gas station or fast food stop along the way was a scene of mayhem and mounds of trash. Most everything was sold out. When gas was found, there were lines that had to be waited through. Interstate was choked with evacuees. The main roads, shoulder and any part of the roadway that could be used were taken advantage of. That long, slow journey left an imprint on each family member.

After having gone through the RIta evacuation, we were not eager to do it again. Just about everyone in the coastal area has some horror story concerning the Rita evacuation with either what they went through or what they saw on the way. The combination of large crowds, heat, and fear made it an unpleasant journey. Up and down the interstate fast food places and gas stations were out of supplies, dead animals lay on the sides of the highway, not to mention the massive amounts of trash and litter. We survived it before and were not eager to go through the evacuation expeience like Rita again.

Evacuation is always difficult. When we left the our home, we did not know what we would be returning to. In a mad scramble, we went through the home, putting up what we valued and could remember. The prospect of evacuation meant that we had to make a series of value judgements as to what was most important for us. We had to make choices as to what is important in our lives, what is worth saving and what we were willing to expose to danger. Such choices bring with them stress and a certain amount of uncertainty. It is almost as if your life and your accomplishments are passing in front of your eyes.

We evacuated again, but made sure to take another route. This time around, we avoided the herd of other evacuees. The local authorities also handled the evacuation more effectively this time as well. The fellow evacuees were not always willing to allow drivers to use hurrican evacuation lanes. Road hogs intentionally drove in the middle of lanes to prevent others from using the evacuation lanes. The traffic was much less than what we experienced with RIta, so it was more tolerable. The herd of Rita had a way of mobbing gas stations and fast food restaurants, making any kind of services difficult at best. We were determined to avoid the mobs. We made sure we had water and things to eat with us this time.This time, rather than going through Houston, we went around the city. We discovered that going around Houston is not as easy as it sounds, since the area covered by the Houston City Limits stretches over a vast expanse of the area.

Once we arrived at a safe location, we monitored the storm closely. Since we live in a small community, the reporters rarely mentioned where we live. Instead we had to contend ourselves with mentions of nearby communities. Our city maintained a website that kept us posted on the status of events.

We learned to appreciate the concern of others along with their prayers, but having to frequently repeat what the latest information and news was every fifteen minutes for each family member, concerned friend or acquaintance grew old fast. We found the circumstances stressful enough without having to repeat news, especially when very little had changed in the status of events.

After the storm hit, things were anxious as we awaited word on our specific community. The initial reports were that 90% of the homes had been flooded. This news was alarming as reporters talked about tidal surge running 18 feet. As the day went on, the numbers were revised lower. When it was over 30% had severe damage, 30% had water in their homes and 8% of the homes had been destroyed. The initial pictures from the community shows homes with trees in them, roofs blown off, or doors and windows blown in. We were eager to find pictures from out street. We enlarged pictures that had been posted looking for information in the details of the photos.

It was comforting to hear from friends and acquaintances. We exchanged greetings and checked the status of their families, their safety and then their homes. We were looking for hope in hearing of others faring well. After knowing that they were safe, along with their home, the questions then arose concerning electricity and gasoline. The massive power outage was a concern throughout the area.

We stayed glued to the online broadcast of local television stations, since the Weather Channel and the local news where we stayed did not provide the kind of detailed information we were looking for. Seeing familiar sites and locations gave us reassurances that there were survivors and that life will go on.

When we traveled back to our community, we soon realized that a hurricane had indeed been through the area. Twisted trees and structural damage to buildings became more apparent as we drew closer. Although the weather channel claims the storm went up I-45, we knew that the eye went over those communities along Galveston Bay. Places like Seabrook, La Porte, Kemah, Shoreacres (where 575 of the 650 homes located there were uninhabitable), El Jardin, Baytown and Bacliff knew where the hurricane went. Kemah often receives coverage due to the boardwalk, which experienced heavy flooding, yet neighboring Clear Lake Shores received little media attention, despite the high storm surge that flooded the area.

The first look at the destruction is numbing. Seeing home after home destroyed or damaged is difficult to comprehend. Besides the number of homes and businesses damaged, the extensiveness of the damage was also hard to grasp. Some of those hit fount themselves stunned and overwhelmed at the loss of property along with the meanings and memories associated with them. It was not just the loss of belongings, it was the loss of memories, of artifacts that gave comfort either directly or indirectly to the owners. It may have been the loss of an old baby bed, but it was where one's child slept. The intial reactions were disbelief and shock.

The storm surge swamped the homes along the bay front. Not only were trees destroyed, whole homes now law in shambles. Doors, windows and walls were blown out all over the community. The stench of soggy carpet, spoiled food, and mud from the flooding now filled this gulf coast community. Residents were already cleaning out the remains of their homes, with spray painted warnings that “looters would be shot”. Since it is Texas, they were not idle threats. Even though we had no electricity and barely had running water restored, the clean-up was underway. The sound of chain saws and electric generators filled the air. Although the roads were cleared by first responders, the heavy tree debris provide ample evidence of the extensive damage. Places that were once under the shadow of pine and oak trees were now bathed in sunshine from the fallen trees.Driving through the communities there is a brightness from the loss of trees and folilage that once shaded the areas.

Along the shoreline, large rocks and blocks of cement that once protected the shoreline from the erosive effects of the waves were now located on the roads along the bay. The wide breath of greeway between the road and the bay has been significantly shrunk.

There was a general resentment of the frequent helicopters flying overhead. The majority of the copters seemed to be media ones. There was also a constant flow of cars. Traffic was heavier on our street in the aftermath of the storm, than during a typical day. On most days, the only people travelling on it are the residents and the local police. Now there were strangers from who knows where, Constables and numerous other vehicles that we had never seen before now in a constant stream of onlookers. They always slowed down to look upon the evidence of the storm and what nature can do. The old struggle of man versus nature continues as people try to harness and take control of their lives and the shorelines again.

Neighbors offer help to each other. Sharing generators, wheelbarrows and other tools to help clear the debris. The piles of debris grow every day. They are 5 feet high and ten to fifteen feet deep. Old furniture, soggy carpet, sheetrock and cabinets litter the roadways. The sour smell of wet carpet fills the air. The utlity trucks roam the neighborhood.surveying the extent of the damage and what will be needed for repairs. The supervisor for the electric company drove through taking pictures of the spray painted signs. When I asked him why he did that, he told me that in the evening, when the crews gather to eat, they have slide shows of the areas they have worked or are about to work. He told me that the signs help to improve morale amoung the tired and weary laborers.

Besides the utlity companies, various "contractors" scurry through the damaged homes offter mold remediation and repair of flood damage. After a few days and half-doing the jobs, they move on to a better paying or bigger job.

The various debris piles are often branded with the names of the insurance company the owner is waiting to assess. State Farm, Farmers, Allstate and other providors have their names affixed to these outdoor billboards. There were some homes that had the phone numbers for the local State Representative and Congressman Nick Lampson's office, since they represent the areas affected by the storm.

The various Texas political figure have the contact information on their websites in an effort to help. Although the offers of online filing is often advertised, the forms and proceedures are inadequate for dealing with this type of disaster. The politicans talk about help being available, yet the staff of the State agencies are often not trained to deal with the issues such a disaster brings with it.

The aid to the community comes in waves. After the first responders and utilities, the next wave consists of insurance ajustors and contractors, Soon after the contractors, the various assistance groups such as FEMA, the Salvation Army and other groups swarm on the area offering meals, snacks, water and ice. After they are finished, representatives from various agencies swarm on the area armed with cameras and clipboards, taking notes of the damage and where it occurred. To those from the area, it is as if a every few days brings a new wave of some other beauracracratic organization into the communities. All the rebuilding waits for "official" word from an adjustor or agent before serious rebuilding efforts can start.

FEMA focuses its attention on property owners. Some assistance is allowed for the intial stays in hotels, when they could be found. When the victims are renters, there was no assistance from FEMA beyond that. It was a rude awakening for renters in the gulf coast area when they discovered they would be receieving nothing from FEMA.

Homes are evaluated based on the percentage of the home that was damaged. Horror stories circulate among the citizens on what is and is not covered. Besides the horror stories concerning the insurance companies, there are also the horror stories concerning the either over zealous response or inadequate response of the government agencies.

Going through such an experience changes one's outlook. In my case, decisions are often made on a day to day basis, rather than operating under the assumption that life is going to go on as it did before. The experience forces a re-evaluation of what is really important. It also exposes the weakness of the various agencies in dealing with the unique needs that such a storm produces.

Despite all the damage to property and physical possessions, one recognizes that relationships and people are the true treasures.Even though the relationships are important, during the stress, some famiies pull together more, while others have more conflicts. The stress forces them to have to face the relationships and the realities of who they are, which in some cases is hard to accept.

The 'things' , homes and objects we surround ourselves with only provide a temporary feeling of security. There is sadness at the loss of those things and the memories associated with them, which is another form of the man versus nature struggle.