If there were any lingering doubts about the destructive capabilities of Hurricane Ike, they likely faded at 3:53 a.m. on the morning of September 13, 2008.

That’s when a weather service monitoring station at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) suddenly found itself in need of a third digit in order to capture the wind speeds associated with the massive incoming storm.

Several hours later, even more confirmation of the hurricane’s strength was evident as employees with the Houston Airport System (HAS) began a firsthand assessment of the incredible damage.

What they found at Ellington Airport (EFD), where winds were clocked at 144 mph, was a severely damaged roof at fixed based operator Southwest Services, along with mangled hangars operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Hobby Airport sustained damage with several rooftops, fences and awning.

Meanwhile, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) was dealing with a repair list that cited everything from broken windows to widespread water damage.

But since that time, HAS crews have made incredible progress in addressing the damage left behind in Ike’s wake.

In fact, even before the winds completely died down, repairs were already well underway.

At Bush Intercontinental for example, damaged jet bridges, the Automated People Mover train stations and flood damage in the Federal Inspection Services building were all repaired within 48 hours after Ike’s arrival.

A similar repair blitz was employed at HOU, where temporary repairs were employed to keep water from penetrating the facilities.

These immediate efforts allowed Hobby Airport to resume operations in an incredibly short matter of time, given the extent of the damage. Long-term repairs are already being discussed and will follow shortly after a detailed assessment is completed.