Well, people are trying to decide whether to be in panic mode over Gustav or not. Rita created a lot of trauma, and it's just about the only thing people are talking about now. I doubt it will hit here, but it's a frenzy anyway.
My own Rita experience was bad -- took me 22 hours to get to a town that's an hour and a half away, thanks to uncommonly poor planning on the part of the emergency planning people. I'm very glad in retrospect that I left (and I'd always rather say "I wish I'd stayed" than "I wish I'd gone") but I'm not in the same situation this time, and I plan to stay.
SO! I'm still hoping to put those seedlings out this Sunday. Keep your fingers crossed they don't drown. Come to think of it, keep your fingers crossed that I don't drown! I have a canoe!
Check this site out for weather updates: http://www.ih2000.net/ira/bmt-wth.htm
Keep that hurricane out of my fall garden!
well, the whole family is supposed to be leaving for vacation in Destin, fla, next friday. we werre going to stop in Gulfport, Miss and spend the night and head into destin on sat, sept 6. this is our first vacation in 1 1/2 yrs and we are soooo looking forward to it. now i dont know what is going to happen. i sincerely hope it doesnt get stronger and only brings us rain! we do need that. good luck to you.
tracie
Another hurricane tracking site: http://web.tampabay.rr.com/wolfy/
This is the only reason I hesitated in moving to Houston. But, go where the jobs are don't we? May we all be blessed and it pass us by.
Tir_Na_Nog,
This will be my 24th year living in Houston. I grew up in NEW ORLEANS. First thing I did when I moved here was get the New Orleans Hurricane Tracking Coordinates. Then I found out the distance Houston is from any REAL body of water. Based on my findings and my experience with MAJOR hurricanes in New Orleans, I've concluded it would take about a Category 4 with SUSTAINED winds of 100-140mph, and with direct tracking on Houston to make me leave town...we're just too far inland for flooding of the kind that would cause catastrophic damage.
And, Hurricane Alicia was a total fluke, in that the storm stalled directly over the city and just poured too much rain, too fast, and too long on ground that was already too saturated from the previous week's rain. Now, THAT was my 500 year flood....
Hurricane Alison did some major damage in 1983?, because of the wind. But Houston just got a lot of broken windows in the downtown CBD...
aggiegirl, if they declare a mandatory evacuation, be aware IH-10 will be closed. No east/west traffic this time. But your vacation is a week away -- this will all be over with but the cleanup by that time.
Edited to say, Tir and Gym, what I've heard is that Harris County is preparing for taking in people from Jefferson and Galveston Counties, not evacuating.
This message was edited Aug 29, 2008 2:00 PM
that is what we are worried about, traffic or road closures. the stupid thing is sooo slow! i want it to hurry up and do whatever it is going to do. it was supposed to make landfall early mon, then early tues, i dont know when now. i dont mean to sound insensitive, it is only a vacation, after all. i just hope it doesnt strengthen greatly and keep that until landfall.
tracie
Well, folks, I'm heading home for the long weekend. Keep your dirty fingers (garden dirt, of course!) crossed! Talk to y'all after it's over!
This is so new to me, this coastal city living. I never even THOUGHT about hurricanes growing up as a kid in the north.
Strange thing here is husbands office closing down for hurricanes and telling all to take off without pay. What a bum deal. But I'm glad you can research flood plains etc before buying, that helped some. Though there are NO guarantees.
Just got this from a friend:
Office Procedures Concerning Storm and Office Closings
As we watch the progress of the storm, the following are the firm's guidelines based upon the hurricane's intensity:
Hurricane Category #1
No excuse for being late. Leave earlier to give extra time to avoid fallen trees and limbs.
Hurricane Category #2
Due to the horizontal rain, you may wear jeans.
Hurricane Category #3
Whereas most of the area will be flooded we suggest you avoid wearing open toe sandals when coming to work. Canoes will be provided to get to the building safely without getting wet.
Hurricane Category #4
More than likely there will be no electricity. Given that, we will have manual typewriters available to all staff members. Please take extra caution and wear water-proof make-up if Category 4 or above.
Hurricane Category #5
Velcro will be provided to keep you attached to your chairs when the windows blow out. For those that survive, we will have chocolate cake at 3:00 pm in the kitchen.
Have A Nice Day!
:)
Cute and loved it Bubba.............. I'm about 20 miles from the water but still get a lot of rain and wind. Living this close to the gulf is just a way of life for us. My family is always on standby with living essentials after being in several throughout the years. Everyone just needs to have a plan of action (just in case). Have emergency supplies and be prepared. It was always a circus when all my kids were small and we had pets, now, it's just the old 2 of us with one chihuahua, weathering what comes our way.
Everyone,please use good sense and judgement.
Wishing all a great and safe week.
Bubba ~ I loved the levity and will have to pass it on... thank you!
Here's hoping all are safe... We are already dreading the anticipation.
Over 100 miles inland and folks are cleaning out stores and consuming gas at an unbelieveable rate. We saw Rita and her evacuees here so the locals are already in panic mode. We also endured an extended time with no electricity so I am preparing by charging up all rechargables. The best thing since sliced bread are the led lights. They run for an amazing amount of time using little battery juice. Also doing up laundry ~ nothing like clean drawers during a time of stress. 8 ))
i have seen doing that up here too and we are over quite a bit further up than you guys are. of course, our area was without electricity for a week after Rita. we were very lucky, though. they had forcasted it to come right through here, ended up east of us and they were hit really hard.
tracie
Yup ~ east of you and it came right over... hope y'all get to enjoy your vacation. You know there is another one behind Gustav ~ Hannah I think. They are predicting a hit on FL crossing over and into the Gulf ~ but what do "they" know?
Brigidlily ~ what are you planting for fall?
hopefully it wont affect us, we are going into the panhandle and i think hannah is supposed to be on the south end. well, at least we bought trip insurance, so worst case, we arent out our money.
tracie
Well I live in Mont Belvieu a straight shot in Galveston bay from Galveston. Rits was headed straight for us and Chambers County did a mandatory evacuation. It was something. She turned to the north but we were gone eith no where to go.
We had 100 mile an hr winds here and she destroyed 80 percent of my plants. But so many DGers were so gracious and I have a beautiful yard again. I had my DH who passed it will be 2 yrs ago Sept 15th. I won't set out on my own this time with my one dachshund and a chi-weenie. It was way to scary staying in parking lots with DH there. I won't go by myself. I will get my laundry done as I always need clean drawers in time of stress. LOL Better buy some extra T-Paper.....lol and velcro.
Loved that Bubba.
Just praying he is a dud....haha you think any luck in that he dies down to a little water spurt? A girl can dream.........;O)
Stay Safe,
Sandy ^8^
We are preparing for loss of power more than rain. We will take down hanging baskets and bird feeders, and anything else that might turn into a missle. We have one 90' pine tree that we are worried about. Depending on the direction of the wind, it could fall on our house. Wish we were young enough to still be brave and able to climb up and take it down, limb by limb.
Hope all of you stay safe.
Annette
Praying for everyone's safety, for my fellow Texans and for all in the path of Gustav! Stay safe and dry was the wish I heard all the time during hurricane seasons while in Miami, and I pass it on you. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.
Bubba, you always light our spirits.
Big hugs,
Goofy (reporting from her temporary exile in Miami, where Gustav's mane is bringing gushes of rain and wind)
I am staying put here..I am located between Houston and Beaumont Texas right off Highway 90..Traffic is still going on out there..nearly bumper to bumper but slowly moving...I am ready...lol..I rode out Katrina and Rita and any other storms since 1956..LOL...
According to the new earlier today, Gustov is already a category 4 and will be a category 5 hurricane when it hits. It is expected to generate gusts of 190 miles an hour — as fast as a tornado. There won't be much left in its path for a while. I sure hope folks heed the evacuation notices.
Bubba, loved those guidelines!
it looks like it is supposed to come ashore at a level 3, similar to Rita. something about the weather as it gets closer to shore. thank goodness it isnt supposed to hit as a 5, but we will see.
tracie
Just to calm those like Tir - Alicia in 1983 - was a cat 3. We were directly in the eye of that one in southwest Houston near Sugarland), and I saw two small trees uprooted in my back yard. My DD is now 25, and she slept through it all, we just watched it! I would not have left.
Allison in June '02 was supposedly "JUST" a tropical storm. It moved north, then returned and dropped 20" of rain total with major flooding. I'd take a fast moving hurricane 3 over a slow moving TS any day. The flooding was incredible. Much worse than the winds of Hurricane Alicia. You'd have to be very close to the coast to have severely damanging winds in a cat 3. Downtown Houston is 40 miles from the coast.
I do pray for those in the path of anything more than a Cat 3 close to the coast.
Edited for spelling andclarity.
This message was edited Aug 30, 2008 11:02 PM
WELL, HOW WAS THAT FOR A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT DO THEY KNOW!?!?!
I got a little wind, and the sidewalk almost got completely wet. But I got an extra two days off! Much nicer hurricane than Rita, that's for sure! Hanna shouldn't bother us, but Ike is now a Cat. 4 -- just waiting to see. Then Josephine.