I tried to not look at the pictures of Hurricane Ike but I could not help myself. I get pretty freaked out by the hurricanes that come through the gulf and rightly so. My city and pretty badly damaged. I cannot even imagine what a Cat 3,4, or 5 would look like.

I did not want to look because I knew it would just make me sad and it would not help anything but some of the images are just amazing. Not amazing in a good way, amazing in how much damage occurred. Obviously I am very very sad by the pictures of peoples homes being ripped apart or under water, but the ones that get me are seeing the places I know and have been.

Seeing I-45 covered in debris, boats and water. Seeing the sky scraper windows in downtown Houston shattered and glass all over the streets. Seeing the sea wall in Galveston littered with parts of buildings and peoples homes, knowing that the piers over the water must be gone. And seeing part of the roof ripped off of Relient Stadium (selfishly wondering if we will still get to go to the game in December when I should be thinking about the poor people without homes now).

I must say despite all the awful damage and how some places may never be the same, personally I am thankful. My parents are fine, our house is fine and so far that goes for all our friends and family. My parents walked around our neighborhood and realized how blessed they were that out of the 60+ trees that are ripped out of the ground or snapped at the truck, none of them fell on our house. And thankfully the death toll is supposed to be low everywhere because of the great job the cities did of evacuating. We did learn some things from Katrina and Rita.

I told my mom that I do not know if God keeps trees from falling on houses but I prayed (and so did they) so I give my thanks to God. Now everyone just has to figure out what to do with their time (and for food) for the next week with no electricity or jobs to go to.

So I tried to not look at the pictures and I will try to not look anymore because it just upsets me, but please remember Houston and the Gulf Coast as they rescue those who stayed and try to rebuild their lives.

Beach homes

Downtown Houston building

I-45

Relient Stadium where the Texans play

Sea wall at Galveston