IKE comments

[Brianb]

Sometimes things go on that make you wonder about the guys in charge of this cleanup. There were a bunch of boats piled up on 45 south at galveston to include a couple of Bert 46s, a42, a 38, (2) 35s, a 33 and a 54. There was a travel lift right there (300 yards), but the owners and operators were not allowed in to start moving boats yesterday or today by officials to clear off the road. It was decided by the powers that be that it was better to push them off the road with bull dozers? Most of these boats had comparitively little damage prior to the bulldozers. I cannot imagine what damage was done when they were pushed off the road.

It never ceases to amaze me how little life experience those in charge during crisis seem to have, and the typical response is call your insurance agent. Needless further destruction of property........

Ranting

Brian

[algillen]

Not trying to be hostile or critical, and I'm pretty distant to the situation on I45, but can I at least suggest that you step back a level higher, and think about why the officials are so anxious to clear the road? From what I have read, the objective is to go fish out the thousands of people who didn't evacuate when they should have. If there is stuff in the way, including personal property, caring for that stuff is going to be a lower priority regardless of what it hapens to be.

If there was no urgency to go save lives, I would agree that preventing further damage to that property could and would be a priority. Just imagine how it would be received if the officials delayed the rescue so the "rich guys" could recover their boats first, while people were out there were dying or struggling through some terrible situaiton?

If there is somebody at fault for this consequence, wouldn't you point a finger at the people who made it necessary to buldoze a path to go rescue them in the first place?

Just my two cents...

[Brianb]

Why I dont necessary disagree with your thought process, there are two functional lanes basically empty. Traffic is so light going in to Galveston and out, that there is no traffic. They have brought in busses and they are heading out to other locations with people, and traffic is still non existant over the causeway.

[scot]

First, the Clear Lake , Galveston area is one of he largest marinas in the US (so I have been told) and based on my observations I would agree. With that said, if the yards are full, the lift guy's are buggin out. On top of that there are 6 million people in the path of a huge hurricane....the boats are insured, lives and habitations are harder to come by than someones weekend toy. I love boats and have all my life, but in times like that....screw the boats, they are only debris in the way at that point.

[Doug Crowther]

That and in areas where boats don't all come out for the winter they don't have thousands of stands piled up for the boats to sit on....

[Brianb]

While I am not saying boats are more important than lives, far from it. There does seem to be a serious lack of good planning and thought that is leading to an even more difficult cleanup later, and unnecessary loss of property that ultimately we all pay for in increased rates or bailouts of failing companies. No lives were in the balance, and there were roads open and unused(2 lanes of a 4 lane highway). Some of the owners lived on their boats and did not have insurance, and are facing a total loss due to dozer/front end loader damage. They were not all rich guys with sportfishermen.

All the boats (about 25) came off stands from a boatyard, so the necessary equipment was available and on location. None of these boats came out of slips that I am aware of. There was a crew of 20ish(experienced in just this type of work, boatyard workers that did show up to do their jobs) ready to move the boats on Saturday at noon after the storm and Sunday and were turned away, and are still ready and willing to help out, but are not allowed to by FEMA and officials. Only contractors that will get paid are allowed to do the work at the present time.

Traffic on and off the island is still very limited and closed off to the public and in no way is putting any pressure on the existing roadways(no traffic jams at all), and would be considered very light, but is increasing each day.

It is great that they cleared the road, and it would be even better if they were actually using the roadway to its full potential.

Consider how big a crane(100 ton capacity due to extension of boom?) they will need to bring in to get the boats lifted out of the median. That big crane is going to need a stable base, so it will have to be on the highway blocking it in a timeframe when the road will have a larger load of traffic. Larger cranes do not move quickly to reset for lifts also. How long do you think it will take them using a crane to clean it up? How long is the road going to be blocked at some point in the future?



Some specific responses:
Al - The boat were all pulled from the water and blocked up in a marina on a stable base. The surge was higher than expected. I believe the owners of the boats took reasonable precautions. Those who stayed on the island should not have stayed, but potentially some could not afford to leave. I am unsure why people would have stayed in the path of the storm given the surge that was present early on, but I am sure they all had what they felt were good reasons.

Doug - They had the stands since the boats floated off of them. Some yards are very well equipped even though boats dont come out in the winter. Most have a large stock of blocks and stands just for the storms, and the seasonal work of bottom jobs etc.

Scot - One of the best DD mechanics I have used lived on one of those boats, and ultimately lost 2 in the process. A great guy that I am sure did not have insurance, and now does not have a home. I believe he also lost his work truck in the process since he evacuated in his car prior to the storm.

My point in the original post was a lack of experience, ability to deploy the right resouces for the job and a good long range plan was leading to a bigger mess. Only time will tell if I am wrong, and I do know it easy to be an armchair quarterback Vs being in the game. I do not blame the dozer/front end loader guys or those who stayed, but do feel those ultimately in charge/making decisions at the highest levels should be able to think on their feet and come up with a good plan that considers as much as possible. Not using a skilled workforce when it is available and free would be not be a positive decision in my view. I always believe in using the best most skilled resource available for the specific job at the time whether it be a doctor, lawyer, mechanic etc. I dont want the lawn service doing surgery on me when a skilled surgeon is available!

Brian

[scot]

Brian,

but do feel those ultimately in charge/making decisions at the highest levels should be able to think on their feet and come up with a good plan that considers as much as possible.

They did. I can tell you that I'm satisfied with the emergency response and planning, not perfect by any means, but compared to the complete failure of Katrina. If anything was learned it is "don't fart around and let nothing get in your way". There are people in need of water & food and shelter, which take THOUSANDS of loaded trucks running around the clock.

I'm truely sorry for your friend, he is among tens of thousands of us and I hope he recovers.

I understand your point, but I don't think you understand what a 12-15ft wall of water and 100+ mph winds does to 150 miles of coast line, where 6 million people live.

In the big scheme of things, in a disaster of this magnitude, a few boats just don't count for squat, same with trucks, cars, trains, buildings or anything else blocking major highways.

Yes it harsh, but it's just one of a thousand scenes that are hard to watch.

[Sean B]

I've got to agree with Brian here.

Helicopters. If someone were truly in danger of losing their lives, then helicopters are the quick way in every time, blocked road or not.

But in this case when the road was not blocked - why the hell ruin millions of dollars worth of boats, or anything else for that matter, when it's simply and clearly not necessary to do so? A lack of imagination, patience, or intelligence is no excuse to just ruin things of value, especially when you can simply drive around them.

If those were city fire trucks strewn across the highway, would they have just bulldozed them out of the way like this? Or would they have thought a bit first about the best course of action; one that might achieve their goal of clearing the highway, but also to not harm the fire trucks further?

If my boat was ruined in this manner I would be seriously pissed off, and especially so if I were there and ready to have it moved off properly but was denied access. I think anyone reading this would feel the same way - if it were your boat, wrecked needlessly. Insurance or not (especially if not).

People do all sorts of stupid crap while operating in fear before, during, and even after hurricanes… seen it first hand… and in my book anyway, this is just another example.

I might also be a bit biased on this topic.

[Bruce]

It has always been too easy to ignore preparation for an insurance check.
Especially true if insured item either needs work or needs to go.

I saw it down here during Jean, Francis and Wilma. Boats were left alone in favor of an insurance check. The same went for many homes.

Not much you can do for a storm surge. Down here when Ike looked to be hitting us, Vikings yard ran anchors into the ground and used the 2" ratchet straps in the 4 corners to hold baots to the stands.
More for wind I think.

The thing is if the storm surge had come up, the pressure to float the boat would have broke the straps and they would have floated away anyway.

Big storm surges are best with a boat in the water and someone in it up a river or canal from the coast to ride it out.

Guys, I'm sure property damage and recovery had been considered.

But if one holdout died because an official crew was waiting for a crane to move lightly damaged debris, there would be hell to pay from not only the media, but every dumb sob who neither heeded the advice to vacate, or had no more than 2 or 3 days worth of supplies.

Can you see the headlines:

FEMA saves boat, not people. Or People dying while FEMA takes a boat ride.

Things are going to change in the future.

Insurance premiums, once a non issue cost to people are fast becoming outrageous. Which will start to dictate new thought.

[Sean B]

Can you see the headlines:

FEMA saves boat, not people. Or People dying while FEMA takes a boat ride.

How about this newspaper headline:

Judge Orders FEMA to pay Millions for Needlessly Wrecking Yachts

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