Ike...

[Truckman]

I may be offline for awhile after tomorrow night as this hurricane makes landfall...I rode it out in '83 when Alicia pushed through here but this is several times bigger than that and carrying more force...It'll probably get nasty...

Battening down...Ben

[Ross and Cher]

Batten down and stay safe Ben!

[OZZI-BLOKE]

Good luck Ben. I have heard a bit about  the storms over there on the news here down under.
We get some bad ones in Oz but not like the ones over your way. Stay safe.
P.S.- Get some pictures.

[Tim N]

Get some pics ... sell to newspapers around the world ... make profit !!! (oh yea ... good luck ... hope you ride this one out safely !)

[admin]

Best of Luck Ben. Stay safe and send us an update when you can.

[Analog6]

I wondered if it was coming your way.  Fingers crossed for you.

[Truckman]

I'm back...Didn't have electric power or internet for a week but it all came back on today...No appreciable damage to my house but considerable bad stuff all around me...Clean living pays off, huh... ...Ben

[Analog6]

Glad to hear from you.  I've been following the Ike thread on Texas Photo forums but was worried when I saw no posts. 

Other folk (I guess you've seent his Ben, I found the link on Texas PF) here is a link to an amazing collection of fantastic photos by professional photo-journalists of the devastation.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/t...ul_life_of.html

#5, 9 & 26 of houses & busionesses just burning are really chilling, and # 11 of one house standing among acres of flattened ruins really brings home the devastation these storms cause.

It's a bit scareu considering south east Qld (MY area) is, meteorologists say, 'overdue' for a cyclone.  I hope it is many years away yet.

[Truckman]

Linkee no workee, Odille...Ben

[Cygnus]

Good to see you back. I have some friends in the area and they said it was down right nasty in some spots.

[admin]

Try this one:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html

[Truckman]

Thanks Steve...Yes it was really bad in places...Many homes are gone forever...A lot of Houston still has no power; I have an 81 year old friend there I'm keeping in touch with...He has no power but has been independant all his life and won't take any help now...He's a tough old bird and I think he'll be OK but I'll keep an eye on him...Ben

[admin]

Here is the Image Odille mentioned, what devistation: This is linked directly from the Boston Globe website (copyright David J. Phillip-Pool/Getty Images)

[Truckman]

Thanks for the link Mark...Picture #7 was broadcast almost continually by the Panic Channel, oops I mean the Weather Channel up until the power went off, but the others I had not seen...Ben

[OZZI-BLOKE]

Welcome back Ben. Hope everything is ok for you.
Going by the photo there doesn't look like much was untouched.
Its going to take one huge clean up effort.

[Ross and Cher]

Welcome back T-man - glad you got through relatively unscathed! Look forward to news of the MkII!!!!

[Analog6]

Sorry about the link folks, thanks for fixing it Mark.

That pic really hits home, doesn't it.  And I bet the house left is not stable either, probablyt have to be demolished too.

And the ones of houses just burning really got to me. And of course the poor puss in the tree, he looks like my Marmie cat.

Lord knows what the damage bill will be for that little number . . .

[Analog6]

I went and had a look at www.gettyimages.com/ as many of those images came from there.  They have one showing waves as high as a 5 story building on the seawall in Cuba.  And it is a big strong wave, not fluffy.

A terrifying experience and a long cleanup in store.