I put new batteries in three flashlights, and none of them worked. I had two more flashlights that required batteries that I didn't have. I have at least one more somewhere that I can't find. Finally, I found a little pocket flashlight -- guess I won't be reading tonight!
Hurricane Ike Watch
If the flashlights have been around a while try rubbing a pencil eraser over the battery contact points.
There may just be a bit of corrosion stopping your juice.
LEDS are certainly the way to go now.
We're putting solar ones, w/ a small collector on the roof, in the new room we're building.
I figure they work great in the yard..... why not bring them inside.
You all Hang Tuff!
Be Safe!
Ric
pod: it was in our neighborhood someone wrote "take a hike ike" on their boarded up windows. nice to see the humor in all things. :)
I saw a sign on the weather channel " Go home Ike - Tina isn't here"!
LOL
The radio weatherman said he was old enough to remember the "I LIKE IKE" buttons. Said he'd bet they weren't popular today...
I saw a picture of a boarded-up place with the "Take a hike Ike"...I think it was on CNN earlier. Oh, if you dream of having beach property on the coast someday, look at this link. It is a projection they've put together for Cat 4 surges/flooding in different places along the areas where Ike is headed. Now, Ike is NOT a Cat 4...but it could happen sometime. It definitely cured me of any desire to live on the coast. No, no, no...you couldn't pay me to live there. Scary. Especially since it's been said that global warming will mean that average ocean levels will rise, making it even worse.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/09/12/hurricane.ike.texas/index.html#cnnSTCOther2
This message was edited Sep 12, 2008 8:18 PM
I have you all in my thoughts, and praying for you to be safe.
Alexandra
Dear DGers,
Please do whatever it is to be safe. My heart is hurting worrying about what I am seeing on the TV. And, no, Linda TX8, I don't want beach property. I'll just visit and love it. I'll take a huge tornado anytime rather than a hurricaine. They get it over and done, you know what you are dealing with. Not this agonizing wait with all of the TV "worst scenarios."
To the many that I know, ((Hugs)) and to everyone (Hug)! Hope to see you all on the flip side. Material things and plants we can replace, but we cannot replace you. You are unique! No one else has it to trade. Major prayers, I'm sure from our whole nation, heading your way.
Merpeg, Peg.
Speaking of tornadoes, we're in a tornado watch right now. Peg - Did you have any damage when that horrible tornado came through Midwest City a few years ago? We visited shortly afterwards, and there was so much devastation! I dunno, I've lived in the Midwest with many near misses. I think I prefer the hurricane. You know it's coming and you can prepare. Those tornadoes are sneaky. I may change my mind - we'll see.
Thanks you all for your prayers. I know that I appreciate them!!
ceejay, I was telling DH I miss the far north because worst case is a snowstorm. He said those kill people to and you also lose power. But still, they seem by far the least deadly and damaging of natural disasters aren't they?
This world of hurricanes is new to me. I worried about their threat in moving to Houston but by goll they had to make this place the engineering capital didn't they!?
Well, Ceejay, it looks like the storm center is going to pass over both of us. New Waverly isn't exactly on the clean side of this thing, yet. We lived in Cypress during Alicia, and she went straight up I45, too. We lost a huge oak tree that just missed our daughter's bedroom. We were fortunate. It was the day before daughter's senior prom, and she was so mad. We had no power, and since we had our own well, no water for her to take a shower, no hair dryer, no nothin'. One of our friends, just a couple of blocks away never lost water or power, and let her get ready at her house. Love those friends!
CeeJay,
I had no property damage, though the whole tornado was less than 1 mile away. But I grew up in that area and knew a whole lot of people, and my husband was at a business meeting and my daughter was at a school function in that area. Both places they were at stood with damage, though everything around them was gone. Just flattened.
So, we were very lucky and blessed. We had shingles, glass and insulation everywhere in our yard. But the strangest thing, I found almost 200 family pictures, clothing, jewelry and several drivers license during our cleanup. No Dorothy or Toto though. There was a network set up by a local newstation, and they broadcasted pictures of found things, and setup a website, so we were able to get a lot of it back to the original owners. The drivers' license I sent back to the listed address, and one young teenager was not where she was supposed to be and wished I had never sent that license back. And told me about it. Life goes on even when we're like how??
Watching the weather reports and praying for those in the storm's path.
I grew up in the north, so I am very familiar with its weather. I just HATE snow and snowstorms. I hate the cold. I hate the feeling of my lungs freezing when I breathe. I hate numb fingers and toes. If there was just one, or two snowstorms, and then it all stopped, OK. But it just goes on and on, all winter. I'll take it here any day. I've lived here 16 years now (and several in an earlier life), and this is my first encounter with this kind of hurricane. We were on the clean side of Rita, so damage was minimal - just some concern because we didn't know what was going to happen. More concern this time, with reason. We are directly in its path. I guess I'll get to see what it's like to be in the eye of the hurricane. Not something I can say I ever wanted...But still better than freezing every winter! Remember - people keel over shoveling snow all the time.
Ah I do not miss the snow either :) but it IS safer to deal with.
ceejay ...I can relate to your feelings we just moved here a year ago July and this last winter Rockford Illinois area changed the record snowfall with what they got.
I do not miss using the snow blower to clean the drive way to get out nor the driving in the snow with the crazies up there.
I miss making snowmen and playin on the snowmobile but no the cold
Belvidere got hit by a tornado in the 60's wiping out alot of the town and the high school just as school was gettin out but I missed that as I didn't get there til the 80's so I've never been in either of these storms nor been in tropical storms and depressions as we have had with gustav and are suppose to get from Ike.
keeping everyone in my thoughts and prayers though this and we all agree in Texas to report in when we can right????
Should have previewed - missed a lot of your comments. LOL!
Peg - We were returning to Texas from some friends' anniversary party - we used to live in Edmond - and decided we had to have some Braum's ice cream before we left the state. We exited the freeway when we saw the Braum's sign, and fortunately (for us) it was standing and open. But everything around it was destroyed. That was great that you were able to return photos. Ungrateful teenager. :-D
Annette - Hope you fare well with Ike! I'm glad I missed Alicia!
Thanks for your prayers, Katie.
The wind has picked up here in just the last 10 - 15 minutes though I can still see the moon. I wish I'd been able to get my plants in the garage. I just didn't have enough help to move them. We put them up against the house but judging from just the breezes they're going to have problems once the real winds get here. I know I should care more about myself but I do love my plants. Oh well, I had fun collecting them, I can always do it again if necessary. There are folks with far more things to worry about.
Anne
Anne, can you lay them down so the leaves don't get shredded?
Ah - Mibus points out another negative fact - the driving on ice. And remember all the snow piles that last until May!! And by then they're all dirty and black. Yuck! I could go on and on...;-)
But back to the hurricane.
I wish the maps would show when you will start feeling the effects - not just when the eye will pass over you. I've got all kinds of maps here, but none of them say when I should expect that outer band of hurricane force winds to hit.
I have way too many to do that. A conservative count would be upwards of 30 hibiscus and brugs in containers. I only had a little help late last night from my nieces' husband. Too late now, with my back the way it is I couldn't handle even the moving that he did. I went around this afternoon taking down wind chimes and porch decorations and securing small items from my planting table (which I'm now wishing I'd taken down). It truly sucks to be on my own like this. I have a bf but he lives about 2 hours away. So can only do the best I can and hope for the same.
Anne
P.S. wind has picked up even more since last post.
well they are saying the western eye wall is in Galveston and the eye has not yet hit land soooo I am guessing in the next hour or so???
they are saying it will hit us tomorrow afternoon some time.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26295161/
This isn't exact, but it looks like it's suppose to hit land at 11:00 p.m. EST - so you should be seeing it right about now.
TWC just said about 2 hours to land fall.
The dirty side won't be for about 2 hours after that.
Wundermap.com appears to have the best and constantly updated radar and tornado data.
Make sure you click those options and refresh the screen every 5 minutes or so.
Ric
So is landfall the front side, followed by the center and then the dirty side? For about a 4+ trip? I don't know how this works.
The lower east side (4 o'clock) will be the highest winds and heaviest rain.
That's feeding directly from the Gulf.
West of Houston safer than say LA/TX border... at this time.
Ike is so slow it's going to be a long night.....
Ah. That makes sense. Thanks for the info. Holding my breathe (in case that will help).
Wind is picking up quite a bit here. We've been sitting outside watching and waiting. I sure do hope my greenhouse doesn't end up in the next county. Everyone hang on and be safe.
Kim
I've been judging the wind speed by how much the coral vine (hanging just above the kitchen window) moves. Looks like some pretty good gusts, but nothing sustained yet, no rain yet. Just heard rain in New Caney, so it should be here very soon. Elec has flickered a little here and there, so that may be gone in a while. My son, dil, and grandgirl in Houston (thankfully on the cleaner side) have had no elec since about 8:30.
Lifting all of you up in prayer. I hope you all heed the warnings and get out if it is headed your way. Take care and keep in touch, Cindy
Raining here, with wind gusts, but nothing scary going on yet.
Aloha,
I wanted to let you know that all across the country we are praying for you, and for your safety.
Jen
Same here ceejay.. the hurricane force winds are just S of us, but TG I am not in the predicament you are.. I am praying also for all of us, but especially all of you closer to the eye!! TC!!
TY for all the concerns shown us.. and the prayers!! We appreciate all of you so much!
Becky
Unable to sleep thinking of so many in harms way. Will continue to pray that all of you will be safe. God is our refuge.
Christi
Me to Christi. Belonging to Dave's we have cultured so many friends that no matter where the storm travels it affects someone we know and care about. Still Praying for everyone's safety.
Cindy
Well, I have been in Montana vacationing the last week, so was unable to prepare for the storm. All my potted plants, feeders, lawn chairs, etc (all the stuff you are supposed to take in!) are still outside - no telling what will be left when we return. The zip code I use on DG is for my moms house in Deer Park, but I actually live a few minutes down the street from where one of the weather channel guys is broadcasting (I live off Nasa rd 1 right off Nassau bay/Clear Lake). It's not looking good there - he has clocked wind gusts over 100 mph from his location. My poor cat!!
As you can see, I am not getting any rest tonight (it is almost 4 am now). The hospital I work at downtown is on lockdown, and they are having to move people in to the halls away from windows. It is kind of tough for my unit (ICU - which has lots of big windows and is on the 4th floor) to move anyone since they are on ventillators and stuff. Glad I am not there!!! Will keep everyone posted. Hope everyone who stayed behind is doing ok
From a closet in houston this really sucks
Just checking in everyone! Randy, did you go to the bunker or stay home? Peg
I bet you are...in the closet.. just saw that Ike at 4:00am was 23 miles from Houston so that puts you about in the eye right now!! Sorry to hear this!!It's hard to go to sleep.. even in a closet when you have all this going around you!!
We are having probably at least 60 mph+ winds. All I know is limbs are flying, and everyonce in a while the roof is popping(we have a tin roof) it's the tornadoes I am most worried about
TC as best you can!!
rntx22 I am glad you are there.. everything can be replaced at your home. I know you are worried, but I still am glad you aren't here to go through it
Lights really flashing .. better get off
My sister and her hubby took in their son's family because they live in a mobile home. My daughter's family, in another part of Houston were also going to ride it out. Does anyone know what parts of Houston have lost power?