GILCHRIST, Texas—From a helicopter, the damage in Gilchrist and on the Bolivar Peninsula is shocking.

But nothing compares to seeing it from the ground – and that has some folks worried for residents who return to their properties Friday.

The road to Bolivar is full of mile after mile of downed, twisted trees and sheared off power poles.

But the devastation comes to a whole new level once you make the turn to Highway 87.

Cars are still buried in the sand. Only one lane is passable on the Rollover Pass Bridge. 

But most noticeably, almost every house in sight has been picked up, pulverized or carried away.

“If you look on through those pilings, you’ll see a pile of trash,” Gilchrist resident Jack Nyman said.

He got to the peninsula a day early, and trash was just about all that was there to greet him.

What used to be his home is now just a group of four-foot piers.

His mom lived in the home to the left.  His uncle lived in the one to the right.  Those, like 99 percent of Gilchrist, are gone, too.

In Crystal Beach, there are comparatively more houses still standing, but they are sill the exception.  Houses without any serious damage are a rarity.

The main highway there is still lined with beach sand and debris, along with the occasional cow roaming free.

Despite the devastation, Nyman still had hope.

“You know what I see? I see it rebuilt. I see it as it was and I see it rebuilt,” Nyman said.

He found that hope in the one piece of his home he was able to salvage: a brass anchor once nailed to his front porch.

“I’ll be building my house around my anchor. That’s it. So it’s not all gone,” he said. “You bet. I’ll build it around this anchor.”

The Bolivar Peninsula look and leave begins at 6 a.m. Friday.  Everyone must leave by 4 p.m.

Residents must show identification and proof of home or property ownership at the High Island checkpoint before entering the area.

Officials will have water, ice and restrooms available at staging areas.

Still, they warn that there will be no medical service and unreliable cell phone coverage.

AP photo

Destruction on the Bolivar Peninsula.

Though residents should prepare for the worst, Nyman said it’s important to hold on to hope.

“I think when everybody comes back, you don’t know what to expect. I think they’re gonna find how thrilled they can be over the smallest things, and how important those small things really were to you … because it sure hit me,” he said.