Well, Galvaston is getting ready for Rita.

And they have the exact same amount of warning that New Orleans had.  Let's all hope that they make better use of their time.

They should, especially if Galveston is keeping up with its history. The 1900 hurricane remains the worst in the US as far as casualties is concerned. I hope Rita isn't nearly as destructive as Katrina was.

I have a dear friend who lives in the Houston area. My thoughts go out to everyone in that area.






Cat

They should, especially if Galveston is keeping up with its history. The 1900 hurricane remains the worst in the US as far as casualties is concerned. I hope Rita isn't nearly as destructive as Katrina was.


Hard to tell.

I live over 100 miles inland in Alabama, and we started getting storm bands last night.  This is gonna be another huge storm.

I live in Houston.    :-\\

It's crazy here at the moment.  We are 70 miles inland, but there still seems to be great reason for concern.   I was going to head to Dallas and stay with family, or go to either Austin or San Antonio and stay with friends.  But it's nuts trying to get out of this city.  I don't want to sit in traffic forever, traveling 1 mile in one hour---if I'm lucky, and running out of gas.  Some people have to put their cars in neutral and get out and push their cars on the freeways, to save gas.   You saw the movies Deep Impact and Armaggedon?  That's what it is like here, total Doomsday scenario.

I decided to stay in Houston and ride this baby out.  My neighbors aren't leaving either.   I just went down to some grocery stores near where I live to pick up some extra supplies, and even going 5 minutes away from me is hellish.  All stores in Houston will be closed by 5pm Central time today to protect employees and buisnesses, nothing will be open Friday or Saturday, and probably Sunday too, possibly even into next week.  It's like being in a third world country or doomsday movie at the moment.  Everyone is in panic, and there are cars everywhere.  Some people are cutting through where I live, to get to Beltway 8 and 290, because both I-45 and I-10 is jammed for literally 100 miles back up to Galveston.  Anyways, I am a set and ready with food and supplies, my car (it's a new car too!  I hope it doesn't get flooded) has gas just in case I decide I will bail out of the city.  But right now I have nothing to do at home now but wait for the hurricane, which is still a Category 4 or 5.  I probably won't be posting after Friday, because I doubt I will have any power.   

They should, especially if Galveston is keeping up with its history. The 1900 hurricane remains the worst in the US as far as casualties is concerned. I hope Rita isn't nearly as destructive as Katrina was.

I didn't even know that, but out here in California and the west coast, we tend to have a similar pattern with earthquakes every approx 30 years. I've lived with a semi fear in the back of my mind ever since living through the '89 quake (I was 8 - we lived about 40 miles north of San Francisco at the time). Even though our area wasn't damaged and didn't majorly feel it, just seeing death and destruction so close was frightening.

I certainly hope Rita doesn't turn into another Katrina. To everyone out there in its path, my thoughts are with you all. Stay strong.

I haven't been following it on the news that closely, but to have two major disasters in that close of a time span would more than a little tragic, not to mention cruel of mother nature.

Sometimes it's really a close call in these type of situations. My family in Florida has had TONS of near experiences with hurricanes, and luckily they've been spared each time.

I am a set and ready with food and supplies, my car has gas just in case I decide I will bail out of the city.  But right now I have nothing to do at home now but wait for the hurricane, which is still a Category 4 or 5.  I probably won't be posting after Friday, because I doubt I will have any power.

Whew, hope you come through okay, Chris! I'd be terrifyed if that were me, but it's a good thing you're ready just in case the worst comes. Living without electricity for a time may be boring, but I hope that's the worst that should happen.

My thoughts are with ya.

At the moment, there is some better news for Galveston and those of us here in Houston.  The eye of the storm is tracking a bit east, aiming more towards Beaumont, still dangerous for both Galveston and Houston, but nothing as frightening as earlier today,....where it was making a b-line for Galveston, with the dirty side of the storm affecting the entire city of Houston.

This is great for us here, but the only bad thing is that this storm could actually hit the border of Texas and Louisana....a hurricane hitting Louisiana...again.


   

My oldest brother lives in Corpus Christi :-\\

My friends live in Lake Charles, LA. They left yesterday morning. It looks like they're going to be in the path, so I hope they have something to go home to when it's all over  :(

For those here and those who have friends/relatives in the area, my thoughts are with you and those...

I sincerely hope the impact is minimal...

2:00 PM--

Can you imagine how you'd feel if you were a Houstonian who made the eight-hour traffic-jammed trek to Austin for nothing?  It's too early to say, but it looks like Houston will be spared and Port Arthur and Lake Charles will get creamed.

Though Houston is inland, it is floodable flatland based in an area of clay which doesn't absorb water well... or something to that effect, anyway.

I have family in Houston.  As great as it was to evac people early, the evacuation plan has failed in many respects.  I'm too tired to list everything at the moment.  Suffice it to say that I now understand with more clarity why a certain percentage of New Orleans people were stuck.  I'll list some - Horrendously cluttered highways prevented a great percentage of people from leaving.  Of those who tried, many ran out of gas, food, water, cell phones died, batteries died, intense heat close to 100 degrees, some with pets, most vehicles hardly moving for hours upon hours, bus engulfed in flames killing 24 people which further aggravated the traffic situation, airport workers never showed-up for work at the airport, flights completely booked, buses - same...

For many people there really was no efficient way out.  Only those with riches and resources were able to flee in helicopters and the like.

Many good lessons were learned and practiced since Katrina, but the entire south should consider revamping their evacuation plans to work more effectively and efficiently.

One almost can't win. For a great number of people, the exodus alone has been traumatic; never mind the hurricane to come.

I live in Houston.    :-\\

It's crazy here at the moment.  We are 70 miles inland, but there still seems to be great reason for concern.  I was going to head to Dallas and stay with family, or go to either Austin or San Antonio and stay with friends.  But it's nuts trying to get out of this city.  I don't want to sit in traffic forever, traveling 1 mile in one hour---if I'm lucky, and running out of gas.  Some people have to put their cars in neutral and get out and push their cars on the freeways, to save gas.  You saw the movies Deep Impact and Armaggedon?  That's what it is like here, total Doomsday scenario.

I decided to stay in Houston and ride this baby out.  My neighbors aren't leaving either.  I just went down to some grocery stores near where I live to pick up some extra supplies, and even going 5 minutes away from me is hellish.  All stores in Houston will be closed by 5pm Central time today to protect employees and buisnesses, nothing will be open Friday or Saturday, and probably Sunday too, possibly even into next week.  It's like being in a third world country or doomsday movie at the moment.  Everyone is in panic, and there are cars everywhere.  Some people are cutting through where I live, to get to Beltway 8 and 290, because both I-45 and I-10 is jammed for literally 100 miles back up to Galveston.  Anyways, I am a set and ready with food and supplies, my car (it's a new car too!  I hope it doesn't get flooded) has gas just in case I decide I will bail out of the city.  But right now I have nothing to do at home now but wait for the hurricane, which is still a Category 4 or 5.  I probably won't be posting after Friday, because I doubt I will have any power.   



My friend is also going to ride it out. She and her husband have been preparing-boarding up their windows, get supplies and such.

Just know that we are all thinking about you guys who are in that area. Please STAY SAFE!!!




Cat

Here's the forecast for Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX, that's where I predict the hurricane will come ashore; also Lake Charles, LA will get hit.

TONIGHT:
Occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms. hurricane force winds. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows in the mid 70s. Northeast winds 45 to 60 mph with gusts to around 85 mph increasing to 75 to 85 mph with gusts to around 115 mph after midnight.

SATURDAY:
Occasional showers. Hurricane force winds. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 85 to 95 mph with gusts to around 115 mph becoming southwest and decreasing to 45 to 60 mph with gusts to around 80 mph in the afternoon.
 

Though Houston is inland, it is floodable flatland based in an area of clay which doesn't absorb water well... or something to that effect, anyway.

I have family in Houston.  As great as it was to evac people early, the evacuation plan has failed in many respects.  I'm too tired to list everything at the moment.  Suffice it to say that I now understand with more clarity why a certain percentage of New Orleans people were stuck.  I'll list some - Horrendously cluttered highways prevented a great percentage of people from leaving.  Of those who tried, many ran out of gas, food, water, cell phones died, batteries died, intense heat close to 100 degrees, some with pets, most vehicles hardly moving for hours upon hours, bus engulfed in flames killing 24 people which further aggravated the traffic situation, airport workers never showed-up for work at the airport, flights completely booked, buses - same...

For many people there really was no efficient way out.  Only those with riches and resources were able to flee in helicopters and the like.

Many good lessons were learned and practiced since Katrina, but the entire south should consider revamping their evacuation plans to work more effectively and efficiently.

One almost can't win. For a great number of people, the exodus alone has been traumatic; never mind the hurricane to come.


You know what, I have  A LOT more sympathy for the victims of Katrina now then I ever had before.  I too now understand, from my own first hand experience how difficult it is to get out of a major U.S. city when evacuation orders are given.  And I have the money and means to get out, I'm not Bill Gates, but I thought I'm a reasonably well off enough person to get out.  But even if you have a car and the means to get out, sometimes it is next to impossible to leave, when nearly 3 million other people are trying to leave with you.  That's almost half the population of Houston, though I'm sure a lot of them were from Galveston too.

We had days of advance notice of this, and it's still hellish trying to get out.  Imagine if this was news of a nuclear attack or WMD of some kind, where there would only be hours notice (if even that)...there wouldn't be much of a good way out of a major U.S. city at all in that situation.  Unless you were the President or some V.I.P.  Otherwise, you'd just be stuck where you are, left to die with everyone else or hope to survie.  Your car overheats and konks out, or you simply run out of gas, while the mushroom cloud or chemical bomb envelopes you.   

I live in Houston.    :-\\

It's crazy here at the moment.  We are 70 miles inland, but there still seems to be great reason for concern.   I was going to head to Dallas and stay with family, or go to either Austin or San Antonio and stay with friends. 

...

I decided to stay in Houston and ride this baby out.  My neighbors aren't leaving either.


This is exactly what happened in New Orleans.  But instead of staying a Cat 3-4, it strengthened to a Cat 5 and slammed them.  Luckily, Rita has been downgraded from a 5 to a 3, but it can still strengthen again.

I live 150 miles inland, but Ivan (a Cat 4) still did horrible damage in my area last year.  We only got some of the fringe of Katrina, and we still had downed trees and power lines  And I live 350 miles from New Orleans!

Having been through several hurricanes, typhoons and earthquakes, I will take the quakes any day!  A major quake only hits an area every 20-30 years, and it is quickly over.  While the damage is spectacular, it is frequently scattered over a wide area.  Most buildings are damaged very slightly if at all.

I hope everybody in the path does OK, and I will be praying for everybody.  But I still think a person has to be nuts to stay in the area.

You know what, I have  A LOT more sympathy for the victims of Katrina now then I ever had before.  I too now understand, from my own first hand experience how difficult it is to get out of a major U.S. city when evacuation orders are given.  And I have the money and means to get out, I'm not Bill Gates, but I thought I'm a reasonably well off enough person to get out.  But even if you have a car and the means to get out, sometimes it is next to impossible to leave, when nearly 3 million other people are trying to leave with you.  That's almost half the population of Houston, though I'm sure a lot of them were from Galveston too.

We had days of advance notice of this, and it's still hellish trying to get out.  Imagine if this was news of a nuclear attack or WMD of some kind, where there would only be hours notice (if even that)...there wouldn't be much of a good way out of a major U.S. city at all in that situation.  Unless you were the President or some V.I.P.  Otherwise, you'd just be stuck where you are, left to die with everyone else and/or hope to survie.   


This is just something you have to put up with when you live in a big city.

One of the reasons I left LA is that I was sick and tired of the congestion and traffic.  In 1994, we learned that the destruction of 2 bridges can tie up LA traffic for over a year.  In reality, there is simply no way to evacuate a large population.  Especially if the evacuation is restricted in what direction they can go to.

This is one reason that I have such a finely tuned "survival instinct".  I keep it tuned in several ways as well.

For one thing, I am always planning ways to escape an area.  Most of the time, these use alternate routes.  I know that freeways and major highways will be congested, so I check out more minor surface streets.  For anybody that lives in LA, that is second nature.

I also have a "Disaster Kit" ready at all times.  This includes anything I would need to live for a protracted time away from home.  It is always loaded and ready to go, all I need to do is fill up the canteens with water and throw it on the back of my bike.  And because it is all in a backpack, I can even use it if I have to leave on foot.

I know that very few people are as paranoid as I am though.  They simply scramble at the last minute to get everything together, and follow each other like cattle onto the overloaded freeway system.  This guarantees that the traffic will be heavy, and they will not have everything they need once they do get somewhere.

I live in Tyler, and we are supposed to get 50 mph winds with 70 mph gusts, and 8 to 12 inches of rain.

Woo hoo. Es tiempo por pechunga!

Well here it is the day after Armageddon, and I am glad to report that most of Houston was happily spared the brunt of the storm.  Even though I knew we would get the very weak side of the hurricane, or outer bands, I expected a lot more then what we got.  There was no thunder or lightning that I heard or saw of, and there wasn't much rain.  There were was plenty of wind and strong wind gusts of about 40 mph in Houston (I guess that's tropical storm strength), but otherwise you wouldn't even know this was what it was.  Power went out a few times but it quickly returned.  Most of the city doesn't have any plumbing problems either.  I've been through thunderstorms far, far worse then this.

But I'm sure the people that were in the direct path of the hurricane, like in Beaumont, TX and/or on the dirty side, have a different story.  Some of them in Lufkin and Jasper are still going through it.  Hope you guys are well.

The only positive thing I can think about it hitting Louisiana again is that it can't do much more damage than was already done :-\\

Papergirl, I hope you got out and that you and your family are safe :-\\


I'm here!  We made it home from our evacuation last night...that was a week that I never want to experience again!  From the gas shortages, to the traffic...it was insane!

Let me tell you, when they give an evac order, they better make damn sure that there are people with gas station around!  If the station wasnt OUT of gas, it was evacuated! 

It was crazy.  But the storm turned away from my town, so everything here is safe...but I just hate that I was spared so someone else could be devastated, with notwhere near as much time to get out as I had. 

Here's the forecast for Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX, that's where I predict the hurricane will come ashore; also Lake Charles, LA will get hit.

TONIGHT:
Occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms. hurricane force winds. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows in the mid 70s. Northeast winds 45 to 60 mph with gusts to around 85 mph increasing to 75 to 85 mph with gusts to around 115 mph after midnight.

SATURDAY:
Occasional showers. Hurricane force winds. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 85 to 95 mph with gusts to around 115 mph becoming southwest and decreasing to 45 to 60 mph with gusts to around 80 mph in the afternoon.
 

I predicted where she would hit, but I didn't predict that my agency just informed me on Tuesday that I will be going to Beaumont from Nov. 7 to Dec. 7 to work with the FEMA hurricane relief program.  Anyway, I'll miss you all 8)

I predicted where she would hit, but I didn't predict that my agency just informed me on Tuesday that I will be going to Beaumont from Nov. 7 to Dec. 7 to work with the FEMA hurricane relief program.  Anyway, I'll miss you all 8)


Well good luck to all the people there.  How about a couple of postcards from the edge.  We are only a click away  ;)

Well good luck to all the people there.  How about a couple of postcards from the edge.  We are only a click away   ;)
Okay, I'll try to send a howdy from Texas soon as I can, Adios!