Remember this house? It was the only beachfront house standing in Gilchrist, Texas after Hurricane Ike.

They still don't have power, but that didn't stop the owner, Pam Adams, from sprucing it up for the holidays.

Pam's sister, Judy Hudspeth, sent in this picture of the house decorated with generator-powered Christmas lights and a tree.

See more pictures of the house and other iReports at iReport.com.

Hilary Hylton
TIME Magazine

It is has been three weeks since Hurricane Ike blew ashore on Galveston Island bringing up to 20 feet of Gulf waters over the low-lying land, killing a still yet to be determined number of residents — several hundred remain missing — and inflicting billions of dollars in damage. The television satellite trucks and cable news stars are gone and the nation's collective eye has turned elsewhere. But thousands of area residents now live in a stench-filled world where the incongruous is normal and the dangerous real.

The slow descent into the Looking Glass land that hurricanes create begins just south of Houston along Interstate Highway 45, the road to Galveston Island. The first odd note is the number of blown out billboards and signs. The gold has gone from the Golden Arches, the toll-free phone number on the billboard for the class action law firm has been torn and tossed to the wind. Then the blue tarps begin to appear, stretched taut over the rooftops of strip malls and apartment buildings.

Read more...

Ed Lavandera | BIO
CNN Correspondent in Houston, Texas

"Dr. No" really lived up to his nickname this time. If you've never heard of "Dr. No" that would be Congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul. He's made a name for himself for voting against virtually every piece of legislation that he sees as government overreaching.

Could you ever imagine finding a politician voting against sending billions of dollars to his own district to help recover from a hurricane disaster?

I guess you can say Ron Paul is dishing out some tough love in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Paul's southeast Texas congressional district includes many areas hit hard by the hurricane, including Galveston Island. The Texas Representative voted against a $22-billion aid package to help in the recovery and rebuilding of the southeast Texas region. The bill passed despite Paul's opposition. But needless to say, some in Galveston are dismayed.

"That's bad. That's sad," Galveston City Manager Steve LeBlanc told the Houston Chronicle.

The congressman's office told me that Paul voted against the bill because "it was snuck into a bill he couldn't support." But his office did say he voted for a disaster tax relief bill that will help his constituents get back on their feet.

Something tells me that's not what many voters in Galveston are going to remember.

Florida Light and Power Co. linemen work to restore power in the Houston area.

Ed Lavandera | BIO
CNN Correspondent in Houston, Texas

Susan Wood feels like she’s the victim of a cruel practical joke.

Her next door neighbor’s power, in the Houston suburb of Bellaire, has been restored. All her neighbors across the street have power. Even the family that lives behind her has power. But Susan Wood sits in the dark waiting for the lights, and air conditioning, to turn on.

“It’s crazy. It doesn’t have any rhyme or reason to it,” said Wood. “So now we’re irritated.”

About 500,000 people across the Houston region are still without electrical power nearly two weeks after Hurricane Ike struck the southeast Texas coast.

The electric company with the most customers still without power, CenterPoint Energy, says it has done good work in a short time by restoring electricity to 75% of its customers within two weeks. The company says it hopes to have almost all power restored by this Sunday.

“There are certainly tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousand of trees, which have fallen as a result of this storm and these outages are caused in large amount by these trees falling into the infrastructure,” said Tom Standish, president of regional operations for CenterPoint Energy.

But what’s frustrating many Houston area residents is the lack of information. Susan Wood says she was told power would be restored this past Monday. That deadline has come and gone.

“I think the biggest frustration is we don’t know why we don’t have power and its only five or six houses on our block,” said Susan Wood.

The lack of power is also creating traffic nightmares across the city. Traffic lights are out in many intersections turning daily commutes into exhausting adventures on the roadways.

And in many neighborhoods residents have resorted to begging for help. Posting signs reading “Help Us” and “Please Turn On Our Power.”

The lack of power has sparked creative solutions. On Wood’s street neighbors with power have strung extension cords across the street to help their friends in the dark.

Susan Wood is using the cord to turn on one fan. Her family is staying in Dallas with family until the power comes back on and at night she sleeps at a friend’s house with air conditioning.

On this day, Susan Wood and several frustrated neighbors just sit around the fan waiting for the power to come back. As the temperatures rise and the beads of sweat roll down their faces, the anger builds.

“Incredibly frustrating,” said Andrea Rigamonti. “I am just sitting around sweating waiting for the power to come on and it’s been like 13 days now and nothing.”

Galveston business owners worry the financial crisis will slow efforts to rebuild after Ike. CNN's Ed Lavandera reports.

Ed Lavandera | BIO
CNN Correspondent

"It's never a good time to ask for money." Those were the rather understated words of Jeff Sjostrom, the President of Galveston's Economic Development Partnership (Think of the partnership as the island's Chamber of Commerce), when I asked him if he was worried that Texas officials were asking Congress for more than $11-billion on the same day the $700-billion bailout was being negotiated on Capitol Hill.
As hundreds of residents returned to Galveston Island to clean up it dawned on me that most of these residents have been so overwhelmed with the aftermath of Hurricane Ike that they'd probably heard very little about the collapsing financial markets.

As I walked the downtown Galveston area known as "The Strand," most small business owners had barely heard any of this news. Who can blame them really? If you're not sure your business will survive or your home is in ruins you probably don't really care to read other depressing news.

But there is concern among the small business owners in The Strand that the struggling economy will slow down the rebuilding in Galveston.

"This is insult to injury here," Garry Depringre, the owner of Surf Styles told me. "We're going to need some help. We have to have help man. I can't do this on my own."

The downtown tourist businesses were hard hit. Most stores took on 8 feet of floodwater. Tourism makes up about a third of the island's economy. So it's crucial for these tourists to come back soon. But if economy is struggling will they return?

Another area of concern is the wiped-out and pricey beach homes on the west side of Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula. These are areas that make up about 45% of the island's tax base. But there are several hundred homes that might not be rebuilt. What kind of impact will that have on the island's economy?

But island officials, like Jeff Sjostrom, say they're confident the economy will bounce back better than ever. I guess after a double whammy strike like Hurricane Ike and a financial collapse it's good to have people around who see the silver lining.

Katie Hawkins
iReport Producer

Yesterday, we received an amazing submission from iReport.com user 'austinheli.' His photos showed a lone house standing in a wasteland left in Ike's aftermath.

We contacted austinheli, who is Ray Asgar, a private helicopter pilot based in Austin, Texas. He visited Gilchrist and Galveston Monday to photograph the damage left after Hurricane Ike slammed the coastal area last weekend.

The lone yellow house caught Asgar's attention. He said it was the only structure standing for miles. Considering the extent of Ike's devastation, he said, it was "odd to have nearly any damage to one home."

Several users left comments on Asgar's iReport, joining a debate about whether or not his photos were real. One user who jumped in was Kelley1. "This is my sister's house. It is real," she wrote.

Shortly afterward, Kelley1 uploaded a photo of the yellow house that was taken in May. Kelley1 is Judy Hudspeth and the house belongs to her sister, Pam Adams.

Up for the assignment? Go to iReport.com to submit your iReports!

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

One of the most powerful images to come out of Hurricane Ike was from the town of Gilchrist, Texas. This was the town whose near total destruction could be summed up in this now iconic image... showing one house left standing in row after row of wasteland. (See Gilchrist,TX before and After Ike)

But of all the stories we heard during the storm, and all the images we have seen, there was one tale that I heard which I could not believe until I saw proof.

Today we have proof.

Meet Shackle, an 11-year-old African lioness as she lays on the altar at the First Baptist Church in Crystal Beach, Texas. The lion and her owner (who collects exotic animals) waded through Hurricane Ike flood waters to the church after they were unable to make it off Bolivar Peninsula prior to Ike's landfall.

Chuck Jones, who led a task force that landed on the peninsula east of Galveston put it best when he said "We're not going in there... We know where he [the lion] is on the food chain."

Kay Jones
AC360° Editorial Producer

A few weeks ago, I blogged about stopping by Mr. Herbert Gettridge’s house to check on him after Hurricane Gustav passed through New Orleans. Well, I finally got through to him today, and he said he made it through with little to no damage. He had evacuated to Baton Rouge and said he should’ve stayed home since it was worse up there.

In the years since Katrina, he’s been able to have his wife move home, as well as having children and grandchildren come and stay in their home. He told me that he’s finally getting neighbors again and he looks forward to having more.

He also wanted to let you all know that he appreciates your prayers and thoughts of concern. He is New Orleans, and plans to be there for a long time to come.

Back in January, we talked to New Orleans resident Herbert Gettridge about the struggle to rebuild a city.

Rick Bastien
CNN Media Coordinator

I found Nanc (pronounced 'Nance') on the Galveston seawall, walking her guard dog on the sunny Monday morning after the storm. “Be careful,” she warned, “he ain’t too friendly.” Nanc showed me her truck, where she keeps piles of blankets, biology books, and a mess of other unique items she has collected. Nanc didn’t tell me she was homeless, but she said she lives in her truck. She also stayed in her truck in one of the most dangerous locations to be during a hurricane—across the street from the Galveston seawall.

Why didn’t she leave? Because she had no money and no where to go and no gas to get there. Nanc is currently a Waffle House waitress, but says she wants to go back to school at UTMB, University of Texas Medical Branch. She was eagerly awaiting payday the week that Ike was swirling in the Gulf of Mexico.

During the storm she says “it turned completely black, you couldn’t see five feet in front of you.” But Nanc still braved the elements and even left her truck during the storm because she heard a car honking and went to check to see if anyone needed help. She wasn’t injured and her car avoided the flood waters; Nanc says she is ‘waiting for school to start’ now that the storm has passed.

Down the road from where I met Nanc sat three older men in a grocery store parking lot. Larry McCrea and his friends Tim and Mike couldn’t tell me much about their homes or where exactly they were from, but the also didn’t tell me they were homeless—maybe they are just ‘home-free,’ the same way Splenda is sugarfree.

The three men reminded me of characters out of a Jack Kerouac novel, wily and eccentric and wholeheartedly American. The three men weren’t from Galveston, but decided to come because they’ve never been through a hurricane before. Larry McCrea thought about leaving, but said that “I talked to God, and he told me to go back.”

Larry boasted about surviving the storm, saying, “We spent the night here completely unscathed confronting the storm face to face without any shelter other than our vehicles and we came out completely unscathed.”

Larry told me he was a minister, but worked for no church. But he also acknowledged the suffering going on around him, and he asked for both God and the government to step in and make the lives better for the people of Galveston.

John Couwels
CNN Producer

I was in Smith Point, Texas, an area populated by more cattle then people. Cattle were roaming the streets like lost kids and some fell victim to Ike. At the southern end of the point near the entrance to Galveston Bay, at little community the residents call "Bay Town," several homes were completely destroyed.

Next to the water I saw pylons sticking out of the ground and Jim Robins, a local resident, told me three homes used to be there. There was a concrete slab that Jim said was a big beautiful home before the hurricane.

Pieces of people’s lives were scattered all over the neighborhood. Some of the debris Jim believed came from Crystal Beach - 6 miles away across East Bay. Jim pointed at the different sets of wooden poles as if he could still see the homes, telling me that was Robert Jones' place and next-door was Jim Healy’s.

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

I came across a series of photos from photographer David J. Phillip, showing the devastation to Gilchrist, Texas from a helicopter tour.

From the air, you can really see the impact; with the Gulf of Mexico seen at right, one beachfront home stands among the debris. Ike was the first major storm to directly hit a major U.S. metro area since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.

I decided to find that home using Google Earth. Take a look at what the region looked like before Hurricane Ike struck, and what we now see today…

Rick Bastien
CNN Media Producer

Dennis Norris doesn’t have flood insurance, but his first floor condo in Seabrook, Texas, flooded last night when Hurricane Ike brought waves crashing over the shore and through the condominium complex. Dennis had nowhere else to put his belongings and no one to help him move them so he stacked them high on this bed, hoping the rising water wouldn’t get to them.

His sofas and coffee tables are ruined, soaking up the murky brown water shimmering with a film of fuel that leaked from the boats in the marina. The marina is now in pieces floating amongst the condos; the boats meander, too, damaging the exteriors of the buildings or washing up on filthy pavement.

But Dennis didn’t need the marina, he kept his kayak in his condo, and today he was able to paddle his way out of his home with the carefree attitude of someone who has just lost his home and does not yet have an answer.

Program Note: Watch special coverage from the storm, with Anderson Cooper tonight 6p -8p ET.

Kim Segal
CNN Supervising Producer

We woke up in Houston to find the streets littered with debris. After hearing about the flooding and rescue operations in Orange, Texas we decided to make our way there. Leaving a team behind to report on the damage in downtown Houston.

Those of us working on the CNN special — with Anderson Cooper, 6- 8pm tonight — hit the road. Starting out west on Interstate 10 we zigzagged around flooding, driving on and off the service road.

A half hour into our two hour trip the interstate became impassable. We are now going North to eventually go South in order to reach our destination. The fleeting view from my passenger side window I see destruction everywhere. Properties are flooded, roofs are damaged, we are sharing the road with downed trees and power lines.

With cameraman Robert Proctor at the wheel we are carefully making our way around the debris that blocks the road.

We just passed a military convoy. From our first glance at the aftermath of Hurricane Ike their assistance will be invaluable to numerous towns here in Texas.

John Couwels
CNN Producer

Task Force Ike, made up of 25 local, state and federal agencies, began leaving San Antonio headed toward the areas affected by Hurricane Ike.

The force of 1,500 people is made up of paramedics, Texas military, heavy equipment and mobile command centers. The force lead by Texas Military Col. John F. Nichols said this is, “the first time that so many agencies have come together to create such a mass strike force.”

The massive deployment of over 700 vehicles traveling to the effected areas will help clear roads, assist anyone injured and rescue those in need. The force is part a larger force of search and rescue members consisting of helicopters and ground search and rescue teams.

Thomas Evans
CNN Producer

Here's a picture of what we're dealing as we drive towards the Texas coast. This is the I-10 – 59 Split.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is nearly blown over as she reports on the conditions of Hurricane Ike.

SURFSIDE BEACH, Texas - Surfside's Mayor Larry Davidson says 20 homes are destroyed.

The island is trashed with household items including refrigerators, grills, and furniture scattered about the island. A storm surge of up to 12 feet flooded the island - population of about 1,000.

The Surfside police chief tells us it's pretty devastated.

"We've got houses blown into houses and in bits and pieces ... Of the 10 or so homes (on stilts) on one end of the beach, maybe two are left ... They're just in pieces. It's a mess."

Chief Smith says the man who refused to leave the island is OK: "Roy Wilkinson? He's fine, sittin' on his front porch taking it all in."

Smith's own home, built just four months ago is standing. It's flooded on the ground-floor storage area. Living area above on stilts is mainly OK.

The chief says there was a suspected chemical leak at one of the many petrochemical plants in Clute and around the port of Freeport but it turned out to be false. He says there are no problems at any of the plants.

Crews are already trying to remove debris from beach roads.

Jay Schexnyder
CNN Photojournalist
Galveston, Texas

Ike is pounding the hotel. The whole structure is swaying and vibrating! I'd just fallen asleep after 25 hours of being awake, now I've been jolted to life by pounding on the door. A policeman barked, "Go to shelter on second floor!"

The buffeting, roaring wind is freezing me, but maybe I should run. Conflicted.

The walls are thundering. I hear cracking above (the roof peeling away?). Searing, blistering rain against my balcony window. I see the waves below, tops sheared and ramming into the sea wall.

It's the swaying that's getting to me. I'm getting sea-sick, fighting fear and awe. The power of this thing seems evil (fear) and overpowering (awe).

The wobbling of my room, this Blackberry glowing in the dark transfixes me. I'm still not moving.

The first light of dawn is creeping in. I will go down soon. I've lived through plenty of storms. This is a new experience: throbbing walls and swaying buildings....throbbing fatigue and swaying isolation.

Watch CNN's Gary Tuchman in Galveston, Texas, where the eye of Hurricane Ike passed.

The back half of Ike is absoltely pounding us and finally blew us off the air.

At our hotel – The San Luis Resort – officials were going room to room to evacuate people to a safer spot due to glass blowing out.

Team Tuchman, Team Marciano and all hard-working CNN crew on the ground here are safe and riding out the worst of this massive hurricane.

Jim Spellman
CNN Producer

While Houston has been getting pounded, I have been sleeping pretty well. I am with a Coast Guard unit that is ready to deploy as soon as the winds calm down to 40 mph.

We are locked in the Reliant center with hundreds of other first responders. And their gear.

We can hear the rain and wind pounding the building but everyone here needs sleep, their work will come after the storm and this might be the last rest they get for days.

Rick Bastien
CNN Media Producer

In Bacliff, many residents not evacuating...

When asked how he has prepared for the storm, resident Steven Alexander said "it ain’t nothing but a little wind and rain." Steven said he’s been nearly a lifelong resident of Bacliff, but he hadn’t done any preparations for Hurricane Ike; he was only concerned with flooding. This sentiment is shared with several other residents of the small Galveston Bay town.

Charles Slaydon has also lived in Bacliff his entire life, and he survived a typhoon during Vietnam war while staying on a Navy ship. Slaydon runs a local business repairing and buildings masts for boats, and joked that the hurricane could "break every one of those masts." But Slaydon, who carries his pet parrot, Gracie, on his shoulder, also acknowledged that Ike is going to be a lot worse than the locals expect, saying "there’s a lot of people who don’t think this storm is as bad as its going to be, but it’s a bad boy".