IKE 2008 - Main Thread

[kstar]

As many as 20,000 people may have stayed on Galveston:
http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2008/09/post_50.html

I heard two reports where they were telling these people to mark their name on their body . . . to expedite identification in the "clean-up".

[livi]

How are you guys in Texas holding up? Whats the situation around Galveston right now? Sending you my thoughts and hope that you will be alright.

[onewhippedpuppy]

What I heard was that Galveston police told residents to write their SSN on their arms. Scary stuff. It will be interesting to see what things look like when the sun comes up. Some of the footage I've seen shows lights on in Houston, so hopefully it's not as bad as predicted.

[masraum]

We lost power at about 8:30 hours before the rain started. I'm on my laptop and a 3G wireless card. It's windy and raining, but neither are that bad. Lots of tree bits on the ground. So far, we are getting it pretty easy. Our dachshund just went out to take a leak, but the bigger dog doesn't do rain, so she's holding. Hahah.

The coastal areas and anyone near water that's low lying are screwed.

According to a local TV station website, there are 2 million without power, pretty much the whole area up to downtown. They also said that the hurricane force winds aren't staying that strong on land, but that they are just Tropical Storm force winds which is good.

It's warm in the house and noisy making it difficult to sleep.

Hopefully, the carnage is limited tomorrow.

Stay safe and dry.

[red-beard]

I talked with my wife a little while ago. The wind really picked up at midnight and they lost power at 3:30 am. They are on the northwest side. They'll turn the generator on, after first light.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by kstarnes

As many as 20,000 people may have stayed on Galveston:
http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2008/09/post_50.html

I heard two reports where they were telling these people to mark their name on their body . . . to expedite identification in the "clean-up".

Fox interviewed a moron store owner. He said he was staying, because Ritia didn't pan out. By the time they interviewed him by phone, he was screwed. The streets were flooded and the bridge was flooded. I hope he survives.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by kstarnes

Thanks for the heads-up re 361 on DirecTV! ...

+1...I hope you guys are all faring OK through this...good luck!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

It doesn't sound nearly as bad as it was forecast to be based on a couple of reports I just read, mostly from people/reporters in Houston though.

Anyone know if Galveston still exists or whether it's been destroyed? Yesterday it sure looked like the entire island was going to be literally wiped off the map.

[David]

My wife pussed out yesterday and said we're leaving, so we're hanging out at a friend's house in Austin.

I heard from my next door neighbor this morning. He said it was windy with a little rain and a few trees down. No major damage.

Power is out at our house so as least I was able to watch Monza qualifying this morning. I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it, but it was sure interesting.

[legion]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

It doesn't sound nearly as bad as it was forecast to be based on a couple of reports I just read, mostly from people/reporters in Houston though.

Anyone know if Galveston still exists or whether it's been destroyed? Yesterday it sure looked like the entire island was going to be literally wiped off the map.

Geraldo was on Galveston. Maybe nature did the world a favor.

[Nathans_Dad]

Here's a little update, my sister lives in Memorial which is in west Houston just off of I-10. Their house took a couple hits, tree limb through the roof into their office, also tree limb down in the back yard, took a power line with it and started a fire which luckily burned out before the limb went through the roof of the garage (which had 50 gallons of gas in it for their generator ).

Anyhow, except for being pretty soggy, they are ok. Here is the pic from this morning of their front yard. Break out the chainsaw!!

[artplumber]

The icon Brennans burned apparently. Friend's house in far SW had a fair amount of wind damage (by text message). Pretty new neighborhood so less trees to become projectiles.

[Rick Lee]

Why do emergency workers risk even a scratch to rescue people who ignored evacuation orders? I don't get that. If there are no consequences for ignoring that and they'll still come and rescue you, what's the point in ever heeding the order? Let 'em sink or swim.

[masraum]

We got off really easy here at my house. Nothing wrong with the house or anything. Just no electricity and a bunch of leaves/branches to clean up.

I finally got a few hours of sleep this morning. I didn't wake up until around 11. This morning at around 7am the road in front of my house had around 1.5' of water which is one of the lightest floods we've had here since I moved in about 13 years ago. The back yard is full of tree material. I spoke to a buddy who's in San Antonio. He has a house in Pearland farther inland from me. He heard from a neighbor. His house is fine, but several neighbors have lots of damage to their rooves.

The JP Morgan Chase bank building downtown didn't do well. It lost lots of windows. I work across the street from the JPMorgan Chase building, Jones Hall, and the Chronicle.
http://images.chron.com/photos/2008/09/13/13004243/600xPopupGallery.jpg

Here's a photogallery by the chronicle which is across the street from where I work.
http://www.chron.com/news/photogallery/Ike_blasts_Houston_Galveston.html

I hope the rest of you faired well.

Red Beard, any news from the family? I assume you have family in the area.

[Tobra]

seem to remember having to reschedule a dinner when the roof blew off that Brennan's in Houston due to a tornado

Depending on how fast it moves, you are looking at water rising for a while. With a big storm surge, you have nowhere for all that water to go.

Y'all have a fine mayor there in Houston, BTW.

[Pazuzu]

Lost power and water sometime after 1:30, but somehow my office (3 blocks away) has power, water, internet...it's the only lit up building for miles.

Minor structural damage around here, lots of trees etc uprooted, messy roads. The real pain comes when day 2 of no power/water kicks in.

Hope everyone else faired as well as we did.

[Don Plumley]

Glad you guys are doing okay.

[masraum]

I saw an article that said that a restaurant employee and his daughter are at the hospital with burns over 70% of their bodies, so it looks like the fire was probably an accident started by them.

According to my boss, our building downtown has power.

I went for a short drive to survey the damage in my area. My neighborhood is fine. Lots of branches and a few fences down. Our neighborhood was built in the late 60's and early 70's, and has lots of tall trees. I think those trees are what saved the houses sheltering them from the wind. While driving around, I saw lots of damage to commercial buildings and other newer neighborhoods. A buddies neighborhood has lots of damage to homes and the surrounding stuff, but his neighborhood is much newer with no trees.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Why do emergency workers risk even a scratch to rescue people who ignored evacuation orders? I don't get that. If there are no consequences for ignoring that and they'll still come and rescue you, what's the point in ever heeding the order? Let 'em sink or swim.

Because they are trained to be heroes. The training is not to second guess; it's to go for it.

The same reason a Marine will run for a pillbox or fall on a grenade or go down in a tunnel with a .45

Only at the higher command levels does somebody stop & think about the risk and start the calculus of human life.

BTW - USSC did tell that freighter there would be no rescue while the seas were so high.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by masraum

Red Beard, any news from the family? I assume you have family in the area.

Yep, they are OK, but no power. We lost a few shingles and a couple of sections of fence. Nothing too bad. Again, as above, new neighborhood so no large trees, etc.

I'll be home tomorrow PM.