Replies

1. 
   ruffmike | Jan 11, 2009 08:45pm | #1

   Here is an article on that house.
   I think another survivor is the Coastal Living Idea House that was built just before the hurricane.

   http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2008/09/19/lone-house-survives-hurricane-ike-in-gilchrist-texas/

                               Mike

       Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.

1. 
   brownbagg | Jan 11, 2009 09:23pm | #2

   i been preaching that for year but all people care about is the pretty. they wpould build without a foundation as long as it has pretty wall paper

1. 
   Matt | Jan 12, 2009 12:33am | #4

   >> all people care about is the pretty <<

   Welcome to my world.  I can build the best darn house possible, but if there is a nick in the drywall behind where the washer will go or a spot of wall paint on the trim the size of a house fly, you can be sure people will be demanding satisfaction.  Real Estate agents are the worse.  Doesn't anyone have common sense any more?

2. 
   fingersandtoes | Jan 12, 2009 12:20am | #3

   There are large areas of the country, both coastal regions and flood plains, that should not be built on at all.

1. 
   DanH | Jan 12, 2009 04:43am | #9

   Quite true. Very often the answer to how coastal homes should be built is "Not".
   God is REAL, unless explicitly declared INTEGER

1. 
   fingersandtoes | Jan 12, 2009 06:06am | #10

   Each spring our news is filled with stories of communities being devastated by floods. Last year it was the city of Terrace. If you fly over it you see Old Terrace which appears to be built on high land on the edge of a slope, and New Terrace - a series of subdivisions which are obviously built on the river's flood plain. I don't know why people act so surprised.

3. 
   JTC1 | Jan 12, 2009 01:23am | #5

   Hve seen that photo before somewhere.  Some things got done right on that house.

   Similar photo appeared in National Georgaphic after Katrina.  Very cool photo because NG had photos of some areas "before" and "after" and published them side by side.

   The "before" photo in NG showed a developed beachfront area on the Gulf somewhere - rows of homes of various sizes and shapes.  "After" photo showed most homes just totally gone to the foundation, some others partially destroyed with missing roofs and collapsed walls and ............................

   right in the row of homes closest to the Gulf - there stood one home whose trees and fence were missing and about 50 sq feet of shingles gone - other than the shingles, the home appeared totally unscathed.

   I told my wife, if I was the builder of that home, I would be offering to replace the shingles, fence and plant some new trees free in return for allowing me to put a sign in the front yard, stating the date built, identifying me as the builder and my phone number - I figured that sign would need to stay in place for about a week to book the next 10 years of work.

   Jim 

   Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
1. 
   brownbagg | Jan 12, 2009 02:25am | #7

   that the hurricane that hit galveston bay

1. 
   CapnMac | Jan 12, 2009 03:38am | #8

   Yep, that's on the Bolivar peninsula, 2, 3 days after Ike, about where the eastern eyewall came ashore.  Which also had the joy of a cat-5 storm surge come ashore 4-6 hours ahead of the eye, to boot.

   Some debate about how many structures wer just floated/wave-battered off their foundations, versus how many were still in situ when the high winds came ashore. Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

4. 
   MSA1 | Jan 12, 2009 01:29am | #6

   To listen to some here talk, of course they should. And when that happens again the gov will simply rebuild for them.

    

   Family.....They're always there when they need you.