Texas Snowman wrote:Not trying to be sensational here or keep the macabre element going, but being pretty familar with the area between Galveston and Orange (I've hunted waterfowl there), I would think that rescuers might have difficulty in finding some of the potential fatalities.
Here's why - once the storm surge rolled over Bolivar Peninsula, there was basically nothing but marshland, lightly inhabited ranches, and national wildlife refuge lands for it to continue across unimpeded for miles. And that area is infested with alligators.
That being said, at this point, I don't believe there will be the massive Katrina-esque death tolls that some on this thread were speculating about earlier. That might have very well happened if Ike had come ashore 30 miles west of his landfall point though.
Even so, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the death toll on the Texas coastline itself eventually tops the century mark. But as alluded to above, I suspect that some victims may never be found.
I totally agree with you and have speculated all weekend about that scenario. The only way that the town can get an accurate count would be to use the Department of Motor Vehicle information for all drivers license issued to Galveston and track them down. If the voter records are available, that would be another source. It wouldn't be hard in the coming weeks/months to set up a check in point for all Galveston residents via computer sign in - compare the two lists and go for process of elimination after issuing "we show these people missing in Galveston" and ask that they contact the designated person. It's not perfect, but at least they would have some good idea. Just my 2 cents.