Hurricane Ike Damage Survey

Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Island around 0700 UTC on September 13, 2008 as a category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Shortly after the hurricane, the author conducted aerial and ground damage surveys along the upper Texas coast including Galveston Bay. Still water heights were measured in buildings and wind data were assembled from various sources. This paper will summarize the characteristics of wind and surge damages to buildings. Among the hardest hit areas was the Bolivar Peninsula which was on the right side of the hurricane and had no protecting seawall. Examples will be presented showing the progression of wind and surge damage to buildings. The elevation of buildings and strengths of connections were critical factors in whether buildings survived the hurricane.