Hurricane Ike

[cartman]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I am all in favor of people doing what it takes to be safe, but I can't fathom how a warning of CERTAIN DEATH ends up looking like a good idea in retrospect.

If the predictions of a storm surge of 20 feet, potential waves of 50 feet, and water 9 feet deep more than a mile inland come to fruition, then the warning is spot on for those right on the coast..

[Celeval]

Good lord. Anyone still there, get the hell out.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Celeval

Good lord. Anyone still there, get the hell out.

As most media outlets are mentioning, if you're still there, you're probably better off staying put rather than getting stuck on the highway in a traffic jam in a hurricane.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

As most media outlets are mentioning, if you're still there, you're probably better off staying put rather than getting stuck on the highway in a traffic jam in a hurricane.

That only goes if you are not in a mandatory evacuation zone. For those places with evacuation orders, they definitely are NOT better off staying.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by cartman

That only goes if you are not in a mandatory evacuation zone. For those places with evacuation orders, they definitely are NOT better off staying.

True. They were discussing Houston earlier and I'm pretty sure that's where the traffic jams start. I heard that the coastal areas are already pretty empty.

[sterlingice]

The Google map for Houston traffic isn't that bad at the moment

SI

[Senator]

Hunker down

and Houston traffic is ALWAYS a traffic jam on 45.

[sterlingice]

Well, and there's always one on 10 and 610 but since rush hour is almost over, it's showing as not too bad.

SI

[cartman]

A lot of places in Houston and Austin just told people to take today off or work from home. Most schools are closed as well. That definitely helps alleviate some of the traffic issues.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Holy Jesus! They've got an idiot reporter on the shoreline on FoxNews sending back video of the waves coming in. There's some BIG waves already and the storm center isn't even to the coast yet. There's a live feed on the website if anyone has a morbid curiousity.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FYI....CNN has a good live local feed as well.

[cartman]

Oof. These guys are in a world of pain.

Coast Guard says tanker must ride out storm

Coast Guard says tanker must ride out storm

HOUSTON — The Coast Guard says 22 people aboard a 584-foot freighter adrift in the Gulf of Mexico must ride out Hurricane Ike because it's too dangerous for a rescue attempt.

Chief Petty Officer Mike O'Berry said Friday that high winds will prevent Coast Guard aircraft or ships from reaching the ship about 90 miles southeast of Galveston. The ship has lost propulsion, he says.

No details were available on the name of the ship, which was hauling petroleum coke, or details on where it was headed.

Ike's eye was forecast to strike somewhere near Galveston late Friday, but the massive system was already buffeting Texas and Louisiana.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I talked with someone in Austin. They said that the storm track was shifted 100 miles to the east. He said they'd get some wind, but may not even get much rain.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

I talked with someone in Austin. They said that the storm track was shifted 100 miles to the east. He said they'd get some wind, but may not even get much rain.

And the point you are trying to make is?

[cartman]

Parts of Galveston are already under water, and the eye is still 8 to 12 hours from making landfall.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by cartman

And the point you are trying to make is?

You had mentioned that a lot of people were taking the day off in Austin. I was just pointing out that it sounds like their forecast has improved quite a bit over the past 24 hours.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

You had mentioned that a lot of people were taking the day off in Austin. I was just pointing out that it sounds like their forecast has improved quite a bit over the past 24 hours.

They want to keep the roads clear because Austin is one of the main evacuation destinations for those fleeing the storm.

[Senator]

I think our Kemah place is toast.

[Butter]

Sorry, man.

I hope everything turns out ok for our Houston area contingent.

[Lorena]

Our kids are getting off of school early to alleviate some of the the traffic congestion. We actually got a call from our son's school late yesterday telling us he'd be in school for just a couple of hours.

My best to those in Ike's path.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by cartman

A lot of places in Houston and Austin just told people to take today off or work from home. Most schools are closed as well. That definitely helps alleviate some of the traffic issues.

Am I glad to not be on a truck right now. Last year I did almost nothing but Texas regional, so 35 and 45 were the main roads with a lot of time in and out of Houston/San Antonio/Austin. The traffic is crap between those areas on a normal day. It moves at the speed limit, but it sucks. Holidays are almost painfully slow. This kind of stuff, just insane. When the day comes that I45 and I35 are 6 lanes the whole way it will be a little better, but still a mess.

Good luck to those trying to get out. My wife has relatives who live in a bad flood area of Houston on the east side of town. Her aunt spent the last day and a half or so evacuating patients (she is a nurse) only to be sent home afterwards with little time to do anything. And word is this morning that her husband just now started to take this seriously.

[JPhillips]

Warnings and evacuations are vastly superior today, but Isaac's Storm is a great book about the 1900 Galveston hurricane that gives a good picture of what a hurricane can do in that area.

[DaddyTorgo]

GL Texas folks!

Man, I wonder what's up with my grandparents and my aunt/uncle down there? Assuming they're okay - they're out just west of the loop between 10 and 290.

Galveston may really be toast this time, like on a NO-level

[Butter]

I was just watching some of the Weather Channel video from this morning.

Dude, Jim Cantore was freaking out. He was a well-dressed, videotaped version of a guy wearing a sandwich-board screaming "The End is Near!"

Hopefully, he's wrong.

[CamEdwards]

My sister, her husband, and two of their four kids live north of Houston in the Woodlands, along with my mother. They put my mom on a plane to Dallas yesterday to stay with family, since the Woodlands is expected to get 100+ mph winds (at least they were as of yesterday).

[bulletsponge]

well acording to thier predictions the eye of the storm is going to pass right over me. luickily im inland

[Eaglesfan27]

Work just let us out early, because they are expecting 60-65 MPH wind gusts here in the Baton Rouge area. We are already getting some heavy rain storms from the outer bands and have had gusts of 45 MPH at the local H.S. Water Surge is expected to be 10 plus feet as far east as Morgan City, LA.

[Tasan]

bulletsponge, where are you? I'm in Spring just east of 45 at Louetta. We've hunkered down here and are expecting high winds, but overall I think we'll be okay. Rain will probably be bad but we are at a real high point in our neighborhood with a very large low area a few miles to the east of us to take most of the water. Sorry to hear about your family house in Kemah, Senator. Its probably not going to make it. They are showing a guy RIGHT NOW in Kemah on the news, and there's at least 6 inches of water on the ground right now, and the surge hasn't hit yet. I45 northbound right here near our house doesn't look too bad, and if they have the counterflow going it shouldn't get much worse.

Galveston's 17 foot seawall now looks like plain coastline. The city has about 4 feet of water in places right now. They are saying completely underwater except for a few tall buildings by this evening.

The airport here by my house (IAH) closes in about 45 minutes.

[Tasan]

Oh yeah and most people got off work yesterday afternoon, and everything except gas stations, food, and Wal-Marts/Targets are closed today. All area schools were closed today and some got out early yesterday, and I'm talking about stuff not in evac zones.

I think people are under reacting to this because of Rita. Its going to be worse that Rita here in town (mainly on the coast) and I think alot of folks are going to get in trouble because of it.

[Thomkal]

good luck to all those in Ike's path

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Tasan

Oh yeah and most people got off work yesterday afternoon, and everything except gas stations, food, and Wal-Marts/Targets are closed today. All area schools were closed today and some got out early yesterday, and I'm talking about stuff not in evac zones.

I think people are under reacting to this because of Rita. Its going to be worse that Rita here in town (mainly on the coast) and I think alot of folks are going to get in trouble because of it.

Galveston is already flooding, from what i hear. They're expecting the whole island to go under.

http://www.khou.com/

http://coastguardnews.com/coast-guar...la/2008/09/12/

[cartman]

Here's a map projecting the storm surge. It does show Galveston as being completely under water at the height of the storm, as well as some communities pretty far inland.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FoxNews has Geraldo Rivera in Galveston. They went live to him and he was standing in about a foot of water next to the sea wall. Just as he started to talk, a 3-4 foot wave came across and knocked him on his ass. Some Galveston firefighters were walking by at the time. They picked him up and told him this was the only time they'd save him from the flood waters. They all laughed and walked off to the fire truck. Great stuff.

[Senator]

yeah, Kemah has no shot.

For those who have family there or spent their lives on or near Galveston; rarely has my stomach been like this. I am just heart sick about what is happening, and is going to happen.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

So do they even offer hurricane insurance in places like Galveston and New Orleans, where flooding and hurricanes are a real possibility? If so, are the premiums ridiculously high?

[Cringer]

To break from the doom and gloom that this pretty much is, DirecTV has one of the local Houston TV channels going for us (maybe for everyone?) on some oddball channel. A reporter was down at Galveston or around there on a beach and all of the sudden there was a guy in full bear costume walking along the water. It was rather funny to see.....

[Lorena]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

FoxNews has Geraldo Rivera in Galveston. They went live to him and he was standing in about a foot of water next to the sea wall. Just as he started to talk, a 3-4 foot wave came across and knocked him on his ass. Some Galveston firefighters were walking by at the time. They picked him up and told him this was the only time they'd save him from the flood waters. They all laughed and walked off to the fire truck. Great stuff.

"This water is filthy"

Geraldo Rivera Slips And Falls On Air While Reporting On Ike (VIDEO)

[Butter]

Originally Posted by Cringer

To break from the doom and gloom that this pretty much is, DirecTV has one of the local Houston TV channels going for us (maybe for everyone?) on some oddball channel. A reporter was down at Galveston or around there on a beach and all of the sudden there was a guy in full bear costume walking along the water. It was rather funny to see.....

DirecTV ran a New Orleans station nationally during the hurricane they had a couple of weeks ago. They ran the station for a few days.

[BishopMVP]

Galveston webcams - http://www.galveston.com/webcams/

[albionmoonlight]

thoughts and prayers for those affected and about to be affected.

[sterlingice]

I'll be giving my parents a call tonight- they're at 249 and Spring Cypress in Tomball. But being that far out, they'll get some bad weather but not horrible home destruction level stuff.

SI

[astrosfan64]

The eye of the hurricane is planned to go right through my neighborhood in Kingwood, TX. That is NE Houston.

We are right off of lake houston. The good news is we are a good 65 miles from the shore. So the storm surge doesn't bother us. We just have to worry about tornados and high winds.

This sucks, all I want to do is go to the store and get NHL 09.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I'll be giving my parents a call tonight- they're at 249 and Spring Cypress in Tomball. But being that far out, they'll get some bad weather but not horrible home destruction level stuff.

SI

My boss is right there as well. He spent last night and this morning boarding up his floor to 20 foot ceiling windows in his great room. He has a lot of tall trees around him, and he had visions of a big branch crashing through.

[Cringer]

Houston TV is reporting a fire in Galveston. Thick black smoke is all the guy can say, sounds like the fire dept. was trying to get to it.

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by Senator

yeah, Kemah has no shot.

For those who have family there or spent their lives on or near Galveston; rarely has my stomach been like this. I am just heart sick about what is happening, and is going to happen.

My wife and I got married in Kemah, so that is a special place for us.

My mother-in-law lives in the Cyprus area.

Ike could have been much stronger, but its still going to be on hell of a storm.

[Lathum]

TWC just reported and estimated 40% of Galvestons 60,000 didn't evacuate?

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Lathum

TWC just reported and estimated 40% of Galvestons 60,000 didn't evacuate?

I pray that is inaccurate information.

Also, my thoughts and prayers to everyone in the storm path.

[Cringer]

Houston TV is reporting about the same EF. I said it early to my wife, and I didn't say it in any way jokingly either, people will be dying in this thing.

[Tasan]

Originally Posted by astrosfan64

The eye of the hurricane is planned to go right through my neighborhood in Kingwood, TX. That is NE Houston.

We are right off of lake houston. The good news is we are a good 65 miles from the shore. So the storm surge doesn't bother us. We just have to worry about tornados and high winds.

This sucks, all I want to do is go to the store and get NHL 09.

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I'll be giving my parents a call tonight- they're at 249 and Spring Cypress in Tomball. But being that far out, they'll get some bad weather but not horrible home destruction level stuff.

SI

I'm right smack dab in the middle of these. I'm very interested in where that eye goes. The main thing that concerns me is the wind, as I'm in an older neighborhood with lots of tall pines and oaks.

[Lathum]

MSNBC has a public official on now