While not railroad related, lets not forget the loss of life and property that comes with these storms. I'm personally saddened by the loss of the famous Balinese Room, a landmark former speakeasy, casino, house of ill repute, etc. turned restaurant on a wooden pier that extended 600 feet out into the gulf. In its heyday, it hosted shows by Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, the Marx Brothers, amongst others, and was immortalized in a song by ZZ Top. One witness (where was he at the time?) said "It just dropped like a house of cards". After surviving numerous hurricanes, a single wave from Ike took her out. She will be missed.