From the moment the storm entered in the Gulf of Mexico three years ago, Hurricane Ike seemed destined to make landfall in the Houston-Galveston area. The storm struck early on Saturday morning, September 13.
Ike was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane prior to landfall but did substantial damage. Ranked second only to Katrina as the costliest storm since 1900, Ike did nearly 30 billion dollars of damage.
Within a year of the storm, 75% of the businesses in Galveston had reopened and 95% of the population had returned. Two years after the storm, the Texas City dike reopened. Three years after the storm, University of Texas regents approved a $438 million construction of a new hospital on the island. Tookie’s Hamburgers in Seabrook reopened under new ownership a few weeks ago.
Everything has not come back and some things never will. For many, Hurricane Ike marked the beginning of the financial collapse. Until these economic headwinds are stilled, Hurricane Ike still lives.