This looks like a pretty serious storm, coming in Saturday morning. My employer has shutdown the office for Thursday & Friday so I have a few days to get things battened down. They say its coming in around Victoria, some models show it a little more east but all of them show the dirty side of the storm hitting Houston. I'll get some pictures of the befores and afters if I can. Looks like a doozy coming.
I will just throw in my best wishes that you weather the storm OK Muldoon.
G/L muldoon
Do you have time to build an Ark?
If not, good luck!
Thanks for the well wishes.
No time for an ark, but I do know how to swim.
The stores are madhouses tonight, lines at the gas stations. The media has everyone whipped up into a frenzy. I know it will only get worse in the coming days. I'm going to try to keep a real low profile for the next few days. Might have some projects to work on over the long weekend. We'll be fine.
Knit me a sweater muldoon. heh
Wishing you the best. I witnessed the Andrew experience "up close & personal".
My advice is if it looks like you are going to get tagged by a cat 3 or higher evacuate if at all possible. My then sister-in-law and three of her kids spent several hours huddled in bath tubs with mattresses pulled over themselves while the house basically came apart around them. Had Andrew been moving just a bit slower it's unlikely they would have made it. They were 2 miles from where Andrew came ashore. We had offered to take them with us or caravan with them, but she thought she needed to stay at home in case the house "needed anything" during the storm. Once the poop really hits the fan there isn't anything you can do.
Again... good luck.
stinker, my 7 year old daughter just started learning crochet. I'll put her right on it. I cant do any needlework, but I can do the rug hook tapestry thing. However, I'm afraid you would not like the 70's style shag carpet sweater I could make you.
john c, I appreciate the concern. I really do. Were about 100 miles inland, well out of the way of storm surge and hopefully out of the way of the worst of the structurally dangerous winds. Everyone around here is a little on edge myself included. The last hurricane I saw was Alicia - (category 3) in 1983, I was young then but I still remember it as being bad. Me and my sister spent the evening in a tub with a mattress over us, funny you said that it brought back some memories. The "mainstream news" media are making this storm out to be a repeat of Carla from 1961. Same size, strength and landing location.
I agree these storms aren't jokes and I'm not going reckless cowboy yeehaw into it. But I dont want to outright panic either.
I am about as prepared as I can be in terms of stuff and mentality (I think). I have food water medicine ability to cook and purify water and such. I can get by for 2 or 3 days without electricity without too much trouble. After that I have family and good friends I could lean on if needed. I'm just going to keep a low profile and take care of my family and self and help any anyone that comes into my path that I can. I think we'll be ok but I'll certainly be praying on this end, Thanks again.
Best wishes with this nasty ex-president.
He seems so nice in the history books. (Bet you don't see many "I Like Ike" buttons these days :D)
Here's an excellent storm tracer you've probably already got bookmarked: http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/hurricanetracker07/trackerindex.html?SITE=AP
I see there is also a serious typhoon "Sinlaku" headed towards taipei w/ 150 mph winds. Interesting season!! :P
good luck to you and family Muldoon,looks like a real one.I had to run from gaustave living in south louisana,the lafayette aerea.is like an alley way it feels,but our thought and prayers are with you and yours.
Weather modification. ::)
Everyone please remember if in the country and you need this sort of thing, a storm shelter like my underground complex but small could be built for about $50 and up. :).
It would of course have to be done before the threat appears.
You wouldn't have to evacuate if not below water level.
I'll say some prayers for you & be thinking of you - what Glenn said... ;)
I ran errands today to get the last things in place, people are noticeably panicked. Driving is insane, people honking everywhere, swerving across lanes, speeding through parking lots. There was a loud argument at the liquor store tonight, someone yelling at someone for "cutting" in line, then when he apologized and said he didn't realize where the line was starting she yelled at him not to talk to her. Tense is everywhere. No gas at the chevron near the house, lines 6 or 7 deep at the other gas stations. Every grocery store parking lot is packed and has been since 8am. Thank god I didn't need to go into either one of those. The freeways are nice and jammed up as expected. Trapped animals behave badly when scared.
Storm is expected to come in between Freeport and Galveston, pretty much worst possible case with the storm surge from the north east quadrant of the storm going directly into the Houston ship channel - which is where our flood controlling bayous empty out. The story on the news is to expect some serious flooding along with the 90 mph winds. The news is notoriously bad at being over dramatic tho, so who knows.
I did meet some nice people today at the Walgreens (wifes prescriptions) and Radio Shack (transistor battery weather radio), very calm and friendly people. So I cant give up on humanity yet .. but there is a percentage that are absolutely freaking out. Something else I noticed, oddly enough there seems to be alot more litter and trash on the sides of the roads.
Prayers with you muldoon. I expect you'll get rain...but you never know. When Isabel hit it was interesting.
My wife and I are storm spotters for NOAA. We live about 100 miles inland but drove to the beach to see the storm. It's nice to be able to park with the weather channel and Fox News ;D
We followed it inland and it was still packing 80 mph winds when it got to OUR HOUSE. It was a long night. We had a generator and propane as did our neighbor, so we lived like nothing happened for the week it took to get power back on.
The day after the storm, we retraced the route. It looked like a sci fi movie after the atomic war.
Talk about tense. There was no power, no food, no drinking water but in Yorktown, one place was open. They had pre cooked scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and made coffee on the gas grill. That was the only place open for 50 miles. A jewish couple came in and looked bad. The husband had a fit and nearly started a fight when he found there was NO KOSHER FOOD. They didn't eat either. ;D
Its hard to get good accurate information about much else besides Houston and Galveston. My son and his family are near Willis and Conroe. Do you have any web sources that are that specific?
[noidea'
Looks like Ike could be nasty
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/120241.shtml (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/120241.shtml)
Considerations, try typing in a town name or zip code at this site
Quote from: considerations on September 11, 2008, 08:50:29 PM
Its hard to get good accurate information about much else besides Houston and Galveston. My son and his family are near Willis and Conroe. Do you have any web sources that are that specific?
[noidea'
My grandmother lives in Conroe as well, Willis is another 10 miles north of Conroe. Its well north of Houston, about 120 miles from the coast. The only news source that would be specific is the courier, which is conroes newspaper.
http://www.hcnonline.com/conroe_courier/front/
If I get any specific news and have the ability to post I'll keep you updated.
Got weather on your Blackberry, muldoon?
Quote
Anywhere/Anytime1 Weather Forecasts
Experimental
You can now receive your weather forecast from the National Weather Service anywhere/anytime using your wireless device. All you need is a wireless device that can surf the Internet along with a wireless Internet service provider. Read the full Service Description Document about this experimental service.
You can use either of the following URL's to access your complete weather forecast:
* HTTP enabled wireless devices: mobile.weather.gov
* WAP enabled wireless devices: cell.weather.gov
What kind of weather information can I receive?
Once you enter your "City, St" or zip code, you will receive your current weather information and links to the following...
* Forecast-at-a-Glance - a quick word or two describing the weather and a forecast temperature for the next 36 hours.
* Detailed forecast - The complete forecast text issued by the local NWS weather office for the next seven days.
* Doppler Radar Image - This is the same image available you are used to seeing from our website, just transformed into the best possible image that your wireless device can display.2
Tell us what you think! You can help NWS make this service better by taking this survey and providing your feedback and suggestions.
1Your reception is subject to your wireless providers area of coverage.
2The color and quality of images and graphics will vary with make and model of the wireless device. Depending on the capability of your device, not all available links will work.
good luck muldoon, my prayers are with you. the situational panick is exactly why we should be over prepared for emergencies except for the little incidentals that always seem to come up at the last minute.
now imagine what it would be like if the whole country experienced some sort of super emergency- it would not be hard to believe that roving bands of thugs in dire need of supplies would come to take anything they could get their hands on, and you better not get in their way. prepare now, relax later. :o
i only hope the thugs would go to glen's place first. that would weed out alot of them. not to mention the ability to bury the evidence with all those toys. ;D
There are plenty of pre-dug holes around here if you know where they are, but -- yeah --- I'm into fertilizer also.
After Hurricane Andrew there was widespread looting on Miami Beach. The National Guard was first on scene but the looters quickly found out that while the Guardsmen had weapons, they had not been issued ammo ??? d*. A few shots in their direction and they retreated.
Next up the 10th Mountain Division (I think that's the unit) who promptly returned fire thus ending the looting.
QED
I was in Dallas when Rita hit a few years back. The evacuation was worse than the huricane. G/L muldoon.
Quote from: John C on September 12, 2008, 10:51:26 AM
After Hurricane Andrew there was widespread looting on Miami Beach. The National Guard was first on scene but the looters quickly found out that while the Guardsmen had weapons, they had not been issued ammo ??? d*. A few shots in their direction and they retreated.
Next up the 10th Mountain Division (I think that's the unit) who promptly returned fire thus ending the looting.
QED
Not wanting to derail the topic, but I believe our "Border Patrol Agents" are issued guns, but are not allowed to use them.
all boarded up. what a chore. At least they are all cut so if I never need to do this again it wont be so bad. Also got the garden put up too, nice thing about containers is they can be dolly'd into the garage easy.
Were all pretty much done now, storms sposed to be here soon but the eye wont make landfall for some 11 more hours. This thing is huge. For that we printed up the weather forecast for the weekend and posted it outside.
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Ike/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2589.jpg)
Good for you Muldoon, Glad to hear you finished your preparations. I have been watching the force of the wind and water on TV and I can honestly say I am happy to not be in it's path. I hope you and yours come out the otherside unscathed.
Looks like this video was shot in the Galveston area - if this was happening before dark then it will likely be a long night for this part of Texas.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7613598.stm
(https://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/jraabe/texas-1.jpg) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7613598.stm)
Some of the charts are showing an expected 20' high storm surge in some areas! :o... isn't that about the same as a Tsunami???
That's not very nice.
ABC13.com gives live coverage. Ike is right over my son and his family's head at this moment, but down to Category 1.
No luck contacting him. They are in a brand new house, its only a few months old. I have my fingers crossed for everyone. I hope we hear from Muldoon soon.
It looks like Ike has missed us. We are only getting some wind (up to 30mph) and maybe some rain shortly, which we badly need. If you have Directv and want to watch local houston KHOU, tune to channel 361. That is the CBS affiliate in Houston.
muldoon and all affected by Ike, I hope you are all well.
3 million without power in Texas - some for weeks to come it looks like.
I found a couple stories from those who stayed.
QuoteSedonia Owen, 75, and her son, Lindy McKissick, stayed to shoo off looters. She was armed with a shotgun, watching floodwaters recede from her front porch. "My neighbors told me, 'You've got my permission. Anybody who goes into my house, you can shoot them,'" Owen said.
another
In Surfside Beach, retired carpenter and former Marine Ray Wilkinson became something of a celebrity for a day: He was the lone resident in the town of 805 to defy the order to leave. Authorities found him Saturday morning, drunk.
"I consider myself to be stupid," Wilkinson, 67, said through a thick, tobacco-stained beard. "I'm just tired of running from these things. If it's going to get you, it's going to get you."
He added: "I didn't say I had all my marbles, OK?"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26637482?GT1=43001
hmm Sounds vaguely familiar.
Were ok. No power, cell phone real bad, huge mess, took some damage but I can repair. Scary. I heard from my nana in conroe considerations, she says its a mess but not that bad. Hoping for the best for your family, odds are good there ok but unable to make contact. Praying
For everyone else affected by this. Its still bad here.
Thanks for the update, muldoon. We were worried about you.
We hope all goes as well as possible for you considering the situation.
Quote from: muldoon on September 14, 2008, 02:54:50 PM
Were ok. No power, cell phone real bad, huge mess, took some damage but I can repair. Scary. I heard from my nana in conroe considerations, she says its a mess but not that bad. Hoping for the best for your family, odds are good there ok but unable to make contact. Praying
I remember how scary it was muldoon. A wave of 70 to 80 mph wind would come through every 30 seconds or so and I'd cringe, waiting for a tree to fall. No power and my cell phone didn't work.
Then after the wind, going out to look at the mess and patch what needed patching. Kind of like hell.
You'll get through it! Prayers are still going out.
Quote from: glenn kangiser on September 14, 2008, 03:02:59 PM
Thanks for the update, muldoon. We were worried about you.
We hope all goes as well as possible for you considering the situation.
I second that.