Not Everything in its Path Confusion and Coping on the Bolivar Penninsula after Hurricane Ike

Mary Barnes

Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Dean, Erin

Keywords

Hurricane Ike, Disaster Anthropology, Media Coverage

Area of Concentration

Anthropology

Abstract

This is an ethnographic study of the social effects of Hurricane Ike (2008) on Gilchrist and Crystal Beach, two communities on the Bolivar Peninsula, a strip of land near Galveston, TX. Using community member�s experiences, I examine the ways in which their recovery efforts were complicated by disputes with insurance agencies and engagement with the media. I then discuss some of the coping mechanisms that residents employed, including reestablishing community groups, using online communication tools, comparing Hurricane Ike to the Hurricane Katrina, verbally affirming their resilience, and reflecting on the importance of place and material belongings. I found that, nine months after the storm, peninsula residents were well on their way to making a textbook recovery, although with a few significant changes to how the community operated.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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