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Ike rips roof from Barrett apartment complex
  
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JOSH HARDWICK
When Patricia Baker returned to her apartment Sunday after the storm, she was surprised to see that the electricity was still on. However, she was far from overjoyed.
The lights at the Thomas Manor Apartments in Barrett Station shone not just through the windows of her unit, but also up toward the night sky, no longer obstructed by a roof.
“We were one of the first places to get power back,” she said bemusedly.
Hurricane Ike is believed to have spun off a series of small tornadoes in the area as the eye of the storm passed almost directly overheard.
One these twisters passed by the apartments in the late night hours of Sept. 12, shearing off the roofs of several buildings where some families were sheltering inside.
Rick and Tina Smith were among those present when their roof was pulled off, exposing themselves and all their belongings to Ike’s 90 mph winds and soaking rains.
“We were really scared,” said Rick of the night. “We might need counseling.”
Miraculously, not one person was seriously injured out of the three families that rode the storm out from the wrecked apartment complex, said owner Stacey Thomas.
Some families chose to drive through the brunt of the storm to the shelter at Crosby High School, but about 30 others sheltered with neighbors who lived on the ground floors, she said.
“I think that since no one was hurt we did wonderful. It could have been a lot worse.”
As of Tuesday, Sept. 23 crews began the process of stripping destroyed and waterlogged carpet, insulation a sheetrock from the interiors of the units in preparation for remodeling, which Thomas said could take up to two months to complete.
She is committed to rebuilding the complex, though is unsure how many tenants will come back.
“Everyone just kind of got away from here. Some went to stay with family members and others went to the high school,” said Thomas.
Those that are staying say they have tried in vain to contact surveyors from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) ever since the storm passed.
“They say the best time to call is around four in the morning,” said Rick. “Whenever you call they tell you that they are busy assisting other customers and to call back later.”
The situation has left many tenants like the Smiths frustrated, but Rodney Durst is trying to put his situation in perspective.
Durst rode out the storm with several neighbors from his bottom-floor unit and was one of the first to get out and see the damage to not only his apartment complex but places like Baytown and Pasadena as well.
After seeing the utter devastation of some other communities, Durst is taking his misfortune in stride.
“The thing that everyone should keep in mind is that we’re not the only ones,” he said.
While others are waiting for damage assessments, Baker sits patiently in the shade near the stone steps leading to her ruined apartment, salvaged items and appliances all around her.
Backed by a renter’s insurance policy, Baker evacuated as soon as the storm began to take aim at the area.
She was reluctant to return and see what was left of her belongings after hearing reports of the damage sustained by the complex, but finally did come back Sunday night to see all the lights shining through the tops of the buildings.
When she saw the damage, Baker did not regret her decision to leave. She does not plan to return either.
“Even though I wasn’t there when it happened, I’ve seen too much mold and mildew already,” she said.
Overall Baker’s attitude mirrors that of most all who lost something to the storm. There is sadness and perhaps a little frustration, but there is also gratitude for all the things – and people – that Ike spared.
As a survivor of hurricanes Carla, Alicia and now Ike, Baker counts herself among the grateful.
“I feel like I’m too blessed to be stressed out,” she said. “I’m just going to take it one day at a time. There’s no sense in getting upset about it. It’s nature.”
When Patricia Baker returned to her apartment Sunday after the storm, she was surprised to see that the electricity was still on. However, she was far from overjoyed.
The lights at the Thomas Manor Apartments in Barrett Station shone not just through the windows of her unit, but also up toward the night sky, no longer obstructed by a roof.
“We were one of the first places to get power back,” she said bemusedly.
Hurricane Ike is believed to have spun off a series of small tornadoes in the area as the eye of the storm passed almost directly overheard.
One these twisters passed by the apartments in the late night hours of Sept. 12, shearing off the roofs of several buildings where some families were sheltering inside.
Rick and Tina Smith were among those present when their roof was pulled off, exposing themselves and all their belongings to Ike’s 90 mph winds and soaking rains.
“We were really scared,” said Rick of the night. “We might need counseling.”
Miraculously, not one person was seriously injured out of the three families that rode the storm out from the wrecked apartment complex, said owner Stacey Thomas.
Some families chose to drive through the brunt of the storm to the shelter at Crosby High School, but about 30 others sheltered with neighbors who lived on the ground floors, she said.
“I think that since no one was hurt we did wonderful. It could have been a lot worse.”
As of Tuesday, Sept. 23 crews began the process of stripping destroyed and waterlogged carpet, insulation a sheetrock from the interiors of the units in preparation for remodeling, which Thomas said could take up to two months to complete.
She is committed to rebuilding the complex, though is unsure how many tenants will come back.
“Everyone just kind of got away from here. Some went to stay with family members and others went to the high school,” said Thomas.
Those that are staying say they have tried in vain to contact surveyors from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) ever since the storm passed.
“They say the best time to call is around four in the morning,” said Rick. “Whenever you call they tell you that they are busy assisting other customers and to call back later.”
The situation has left many tenants like the Smiths frustrated, but Rodney Durst is trying to put his situation in perspective.
Durst rode out the storm with several neighbors from his bottom-floor unit and was one of the first to get out and see the damage to not only his apartment complex but places like Baytown and Pasadena as well.
After seeing the utter devastation of some other communities, Durst is taking his misfortune in stride.
“The thing that everyone should keep in mind is that we’re not the only ones,” he said.
While others are waiting for damage assessments, Baker sits patiently in the shade near the stone steps leading to her ruined apartment, salvaged items and appliances all around her.
Backed by a renter’s insurance policy, Baker evacuated as soon as the storm began to take aim at the area.
She was reluctant to return and see what was left of her belongings after hearing reports of the damage sustained by the complex, but finally did come back Sunday night to see all the lights shining through the tops of the buildings.
When she saw the damage, Baker did not regret her decision to leave. She does not plan to return either.
“Even though I wasn’t there when it happened, I’ve seen too much mold and mildew already,” she said.
Overall Baker’s attitude mirrors that of most all who lost something to the storm. There is sadness and perhaps a little frustration, but there is also gratitude for all the things – and people – that Ike spared.
As a survivor of hurricanes Carla, Alicia and now Ike, Baker counts herself among the grateful.
“I feel like I’m too blessed to be stressed out,” she said. “I’m just going to take it one day at a time. There’s no sense in getting upset about it. It’s nature.”
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