Hurricane Ike and Beachtown
Hurricane Ike hit Galveston Island in the early morning hours of September 13th, 2008. The sheer size of the hurricane impacted a majority of the Texas Gulf Coast, in addition to the SW Gulf Coast of Louisiana. At the East End of Galveston Island, the hurricane delivered its fiercest winds as well as a storm surge not experienced since the devastating hurricane of 1900. Beachtown found itself in the unenviable position of receiving the dirty side of the hurricane and Ike's relentless punches delivered from the Northeast. In addition, being a coastal community, Beachtown experienced the full force of the storm surge, categorized as a Level 4.

Following the storm, early Monday morning on September 15th the Town Founder gained access to the Island to assess the damage and start the clean up process. Galveston Island was inundated with hurricane debris, including boats lying in the streets and esplanades…. a devastating blow to Galveston Island. There were clear signs of Ike's presence at Beachtown, as many of the streets and lawns were covered by a layer of sand brought by the storm surge. However, most compelling was the condition in which the residences and other structures lay… largely unscathed. Signs of hurricane Ike's impact were limited to the breakaway sections of the structures. The buildings' structures performed outstandingly. The habitable floors remained undamaged despite the horrific forces of Ike. FEMA and the City of Galveston require the enclosed portion of structures located below Base Flood Elevation (as is the case for coastal communities and beachfront homes) be designed to break-away with the impact of a hurricane force, leaving the main structure intact. Ground Floor breakaway materials, such as louver panel assemblies and garage doors, separated as designed. Beachtown's built environment stands as a testament to exceptionally designed and built structures, far surpassing the base requirements for coastal construction.

Beachtown in the news
ABC News requested an interview with the Town Founder. After witnessing the devastation of Ike's passing elsewhere throughout the region, they were startled by how well our structures performed and asked how we were able to achieve such successs. The key component of Beachtown construction is our Town Founder's decision to require all new construction meet the Fortified… for safer living® program, instituted by the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), inspection and approval process. The process includes review, collaboration, and approval by IBHS certified Engineers. The program requires construction exceed code requirements, including substantial enhancements to hardware, nailing patterns, structural details, and increased windstorm standards and performance. The Town Founder decided to exceed the Fortified requirements for the beachfront homes in East Village… Beachtown 's newest development phase. These structures typically include the following: pre-cast or cast-in-place concrete pilings, hollow-core concrete floor structures with reinforced concrete tie-beams, steel portal structures encased in framed walls and the inclusion of welded steel plates as necessary. In addition, all First Floor living level structures are elevated 2' to 3' above existing Base Flood Elevation (BFE) requirements, and DP ratings for windows and doors are required to meet wind speeds beyond those specified by code. In total, these specifications and components ensure structures meet or exceed the Fortified program, and more importantly, provide piece of mind to Beachtown residents.

Buyers demand security in performance, exceptional quality and a community which fosters environmental stewardship. They seek to become part of a genuine neighborhood, a 'beloved place'. Beachtown recognizes these needs and has made them our priority. It's all part of the Beachtown Vision… character, quality, and longevity.

Cleaning after Ike
With hurricane Ike past us, Beachtown has put together a sizable team to complete clean up as soon as possible. Having the widest beaches in Galveston, in addition to an extensive dune system, hurricane Ike transplanted a tremendous quantity of sand inland. The accumulation of sand on streets and lots is being separated, cleaned and stockpiled, to be transported to the beach for creation of the dunes system. Efforts thus far have resulted in considerable improvements, and we're pushing hard to complete our clean up efforts in the near future.

The Coastal Living Idea House Opening and Tours
The Coastal Living Magazine's Idea House at Beachtown withstood the ravage of hurricane Ike. The Idea House in Galveston will open to the public when the City of Galveston is ready to embrace visitors. It is the sincere hope of both Coastal Living and Beachtown that the opening of the Idea house will signify the rebirth of charming Galveston. Proceeds from public tours will benefit the Galveston Historical Foundation. The house which will grace the magazine's November issue is the first in the history of the magazine to be located in a development within an existing historical community.

Town Center Mixed Use Building
Beachtown is excited to announce the progression of our first Village One Town Center building. The building's concrete second floor (lower residential level) floor structure and the concrete corner Entry steps are now standing. Preparations are being made for the next stage of construction, which includes erecting the second floor walls and third floor (upper residential level) floor structure. The structure for the ground floor (Plaza level) patio zones and parking level (located underneath the first floor structure) are already in place, as is the first floor (commercial level) floor structure. Being mixed-use, our first Town Center building will accommodate a variety of uses. The outdoor plaza level provides areas for patio seating fronting both East Beach Drive and Shiraz Passage. Upstairs, at the commercial level, the mixed-use building plans to feature an intimate café/ market indoors, with our Beachtown Creamery set atop a platform lift located in the porch zone. The lift shall drop down from the commercial level porch zone to the plaza level patio zone during the day to serve pedestrians strolling the Town Center and Passage, and dock at the commercial level during the night. It's the first of its kind (that we're aware of) and is sure to provide one of many experiences unique to Beachtown.

Beachtown's Vast Beaches
After experiencing Ike’s storm surge, assessing the condition of our beaches was of the utmost concern. Several days after the hurricane, visual inspection led us to believe the beaches were as wide, if not wider, than prior to Ike's passing. After taking preliminary measurements, our findings did in fact suggest the beaches have already started to re-establish themselves. Now, our engineers and certified surveyors have verified that the distance from the back of our beachfront lots to the mean low water line is from 400 feet to over 500 feet along the Beachtown coast. This incredible vast beach area provides us the opportunity to restore our dunes and to maintain our great wide sandy beaches at Beachtown. This rare condition of beach growth along the Texas Gulf Coast is unique to Beachtown on Galveston Island. Beachtown continues to enjoy the widest beaches on the Island.

Love of Galveston
Beachtown salutes the staff and officials of Galveston county and City of Galveston. Right after Ike left Galveston, and while the residents of Galveston were worried and anxious to see what Ike had done to their properties, the city and county staff worked non-stop and relentlessly to assess damages and bring back services to the island as fast as possible. This picture of Curtis Brown, Director of Community Services for Galveston County, riding on his bike to assess the damages on Monday morning, September 15, clearly demonstrates the love of the city by the officials and staff and the sacrifices they've made to bring back Galveston Island. We, at Beachtown, welcome their efforts and the cooperation of every citizen of Galveston Island in the rebuilding of our beloved island. We will all work together to make Galveston a stronger and better place to live in and to visit.

» Click here for more pictures of Beachtown after hurricane Ike