Hurricane Ike: Update

I can't seem to say often enough, "We are blessed."

Darren, Dad, Mom, and I ventured home (Dickinson) yesterday with an empty pit in our stomach not knowing what to expect. Thankfully, we were AMAZED. We pulled into our subdivision to discover a house fully intact. No broken windows, no major water damage in the house. Hurricane Ike's destruction of our property included lifting away a few roof shingles and a few portions of our privacy fence lying on the ground. The missing shingles created a small hole in our roof that led to a little water damage in our utility room (tile not carpet). We are out of electricity. However, when we arrived yesterday, our freezer chest still had ice and the butter in the refrigerator was beginning to soften but still cold to the touch. The estimated time of arrival for power restoration has very from a few days, to a week, to even a month.

Galveston College, from reports, also was spared and very lucky. Initial reports indicate that only a few windows were broken and that there was not, I repeat not, flooding. We are very lucky. There still has to be a complete assessment of the facility. There is no power and power is not anticipated to be available for several days at the very minimum. Limited personnel have been allowed back onto the island at this point. Therefore, faculty, staff, and students are not expected to report back for some time.

And for those of you wondering, the Hellibu survived as well. No damage.

I will keep you posted with updates as I can. We appreciate your prayers and thoughts.