And now, the ugly side of Hurricane Ike. We snapped these pics on Saturday morning while driving around Houston to survey the damages. Keep in mind that these are far from the very worst of Ike’s devastation.

Our street sign wound up right in front of my driveway

The roof came right out of this building

Blown out from the strong winds

Some billboards didn’t stand a chance

This light pole came down and blocked the path

Dangling light near one of my favorite joints

This tree landed on an apartment building

I really thought this pole would descend on my car as I was driving past it

Thoughts on Ike Aftermath

• Of course, FEMA dropped the ball again like they did 3 years ago in New Orleans. They failed to deliver supplies to people who desperately needed them, and wasted time playing the blame game.

• 2000 people had to be rescued from flooded streets and splintered houses
• Glass-strewn and waterlogged, Houston has been placed under a weeklong curfew
• Millions of homes are still without power and supplies as I write this
• It’s worth noting that, despite the devastation, Texas dodged the worst-case scenario