Hurrican IKE and The Aftermath.

[Geico266]

Is it just me or has there been a lack of posting here on VAF the last few days? I'm hoping everyone is okay and just away from computers for a while. You guys along the gulf never heard of laptops & WIFI?

As you guys & gals (that were affected by this monster storm get back to "normal") let us know what you have been doing and what has happened to you and your family.

We need STORM STORIES!

We are all "family". Take care!

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

I thought it odd yesterday that the National Weather Service included the words "certain death" in the forecast. For an agency that -- at least up here -- can't predict a sunny day, it seemed a stretch.

That said, I'm trying to get a handle on all the people who fled and all the people who helped out. Is it possible to get a list going here about who needed to leave and WHO and WHERE the person is that opened up the hangar/homes?

[N395V]

Originally Posted by Geico266

I'm hoping everyone is okay and just away from computers for a while. You guys along the gulf never heard of laptops & WIFI?
As you guys & gals (that were affected by this monster storm get back to "normal") let us know what you have been doing and what has happened to you and your family.
we are all "family". Take care!

After Katrina it was 2 weeks before the roads were clear enough that we could travel more than 5 miles from home. We were without power, or running water for 5 weeks, phone service was out for 3 weeks as was cell phone service in most locations. Government and the order of law were totally absent for 2 weeks (not because of incompetence but because the infra structure was destroyed) and many less than nice people were roaming the area helping themselves to whatever they wanted. And that was 100 miles from where Katrina came ashore.

For those closer to the coast (who stayed) their main concern right now is survival. Residents who evacuated will not be allowed to return for quite some time. A few with generators and sat based internet may be on line but most will reserve their generator runtime for the essentials.

It is probably going to be awhile before we hear any credible news from the Galveston area. This storm is huge. At 9AM today HOU is reporting baro 29.54 no other data available. All weather reporting station SE between HOU and the coast are not reproting. Closest airport weather East of HOU/Galveston I could find was Beaumont Texas Wind sustained>30KTS gusts to 54KTS vis .75 mile


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/us...1cb&ei=5087%0A

My heart goes out to them as I know they are afraid, alone, and suffering.

[Ironflight]

The main reason we're not hearing reports from the impact area is lack of electricity I suspect - 3 million without power now! I am reporting now from College Station, only due to the fact that Texas A&M left their servers and internet up, and Louise has an office here - now that the storm has gone far enough north, we came in to see what is going on in the world. (Our condo doesn't have Cable or 'net, as it is just a crash pad Louise uses a few nights a week).

Cell phones are working down in the Clear Lake area - I have talked to a few friends and coworkers who stayed, and to my Fire Department contacts to get quick damage assessments. I haven't heard any direct reports from anyone south of the Galveston/Harris county line yet though - does not sound good from the media. (BTW, the "Certain Death" comment came from City or County of Galveston folks, not the weather service. I am pretty sure that we will have a number of people that stayed in Surfside or the west end of Galveston are going to just disappear off the face of the earth. The best quote I read was the Fire Chief in Surfside that told people who weren't evacuating to write their names and social security numbers on their forearms in permanent ink....then handed them a Sharpie!)

Anyway, I am hoping we'll get more information as the day goes on - roads are very badly flooded and blocked with debris from the reports I have gotten, so even news crews are having trouble moving around. Hurricanes have to be experienced to be believed!

Paul

[Mel]

Originally Posted by Ironflight

Hurricanes have to be experienced to be believed!
Paul

No thanks. I'll believe you!

[MJarreau]

My sister living on Champions Golf Course (north west Houston) experienced no major damage although they have not reviewed the tree on their roof (no leaks they can detect yet). They did not report flooding.

A sister near Hobby had flooding in the street but not in the house. She reported lots of tree debree throughout the neighborhood and folk already beginning to clean up.

My sister in Baytown, TX, stayed with the sister at the golf course. However, her husband works for the city and remained there due to his duties. He was able to let us know their house did not flood.

It would appear that none of our family has power or land line telephone. They are currently relying on cell phones.

My mother and a brother live in Pass Christian, MS, (just east of where Katrina landed). Half of the houses on both of their streets were reduced to foundations (most didn't even have any debree). We were among the amazing few who suffered relatively little damage. Two of my brothers and I arrived in Pass Christian 3 days after the storm and the National Guard had already done an amazing job of clearing many of the streets. Mom has since moved. I hope and pray the people of Galveston and Houston didn't suffer anything as horrendous.

Michael

[the_other_dougreeves]

Dallas has been spared most of the wind and rain, but as I write this, it is raining heavily outside. Lots of rain to the NE.

The only PIREPS I have from Houston are from Clear Lake near EFD (little damage to structures, lots of list limbs and trees), the 290/Tollway area (some roof damage, some downed trees) and Katy (tree damage only). Power is supposed to be out in most areas of Hosuton.

45 south of downtown is supposedly impassable in areas due to flooding and debris, as are many other highways near water (e.g., Texas 146). Photos of the Galveston causway suggest it will be a while before it is passible - lots of debris, including boats.

TODR

[RatMan]

Paul is right, if you haven't seen the power of a hurricane you just don't understand. Life on the gulf coast of MS has changed forever. It's been three years since Katrina hit, (that's how time is measured here) and most of the nation would think the gulf coast has had time to recover. But it will never be the same.

Entire neighborhoods were simply wiped away. A lot of folks can't afford to rebuild so their slabs just sit there. Some have sold out to developers and high rise condos are being put up. Some would say they are pretty but compared to the ancient oak trees and 100 year old houses they have replaced, they're just another condo you cound find in a dozen citys.

As Paul said, people just disappeared never to be seen again. Some washed ashore weeks after the storm. It was horrible.

My heart goes out to those on the TX coast that now have this journey in front of them. Life has now changed. Normal isn't normal anymore.

[CNEJR]

Last night at my little ranch was horrendous. Had it all boarded up, but winds and rain was heavy. Lost at least ten big oaks, don't even bother to count pines. No power but the generator, stripped out the power lines all the way to the state highway. Going to be a tough week. Praise god, the water started receding from my lake before it got to the house. Don't know about my airplane at CXO yet or my businesses down in Houston.

Just another day in the life.

[Low Pass]

I rode it out in east Pearland. My home survived well, but most of my fence is down. All of my trees survived, but quite a few little branches and probably half the leaves are stripped out. Many old, beautiful oaks and pines are either down completely or broken in half all around the area.

It was definitely an experience. I boarded up yesterday just as the wind came up when I found myself with some spare time between prep at work and the storm arriving. I really, really take my hat off to Home Depot. They staffed their Pearland store the day of the storm selling people like me (and about 75 other locals) the last of their sheeting. Without covered windows I had decided to head to a friend's place. After covering the windows, I feld good staying home.

The best way to describe what it was like the movie Poltergeist. Strange, loud noises, odd wind and pressure sensations, lightning flashing. Once I opened the front door, knowing it was blowing like heck so I held tightly, and the door was pulled out of my hand. It swung closed, but before latching it swung open just as hard, then with the same speed swung back shut. Another time I heard some odd pressure/sound pulsations at about 1 second frequency that lasted a minute or two. The entire time was a dull roar that increased every couple of munites. It was a very surreal thing.

Now at work in the Texas Medical Center. It's one of the few places that power stayed on and we have lots of wonderful AC! We lost 12-14 windows, lots of trees, some roof mounted equipment, one burned up pump motor, lots of signs, quite a bit of water damage. One impressive thing was the wind swung the front end of a (filled) 6,000 gallon/55,000 lb water trailer about 2 feet! And it was on skid type landing gear - not wheels.

I feel pretty lucky. After this, I'm really not sure I'd hang around for a Cat 3.