Friends in Need When Nature Hiccups, Natural Disasters forum Options

[volcanopele]

hmm, well, I guess it is a good thing they moved next year's LPSC from South Shore Harbor...

The storm surge potential looks particularly bad, more typical of a Cat 4 than a high Cat 2. Add the size and the fact that it looks like it making landfall just southwest of Galveston...

[Tman]

Now this picture from the partly flooded Galveston Island looks strange http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ap_fire_ike_080912_ssh.jpg
There's a map that shows spots in and around Houston where flooding and damage have been reported.

[CosmicRocker]

... Hope that's hyperbole. To the Houston-area umsf's - take care, y'all, wishing you dry heads (and feet!)

I was hoping it was hyperbole, too, but it really is pretty bad down here. We evacuated, but returned as soon as the storm moved inland enough that the winds we would be driving through were less than 40 mph. I wanted to get home as quickly as possible to begin any necessary repairs that might be needed.

So far, we haven't been able to get home, because all of the roads in our area are still flooded. Today we were able to get within a few miles of our home. Yesterday, we couldn't get within 15 miles, so things are apparently improving. We have second-hand reports that the rising water came up to the street in front of our house and stopped, so I think we avoided water damage. I don't know about wind damage. The people who live across the street from us probably had 6 feet of water in their house. A city nearby with a population near 10,000 was completely flooded. Every home there suffered flood damage. There are probably many similar coastal communities.

I think our subdivision was built over 50 years ago, and no homes here had ever been flooded until this hurricane. Reportedly, quite a few homes were flooded this time. Supposedly, two large barges are laying across the highway going out to our neighborhood. They would have to have been blown more than ten miles over surge flooded land to beach on that elevated roadway. I'd love to get some pictures of them. I am trying to capture pics of the devastation, and plan to post them to a Picasa web album after I get home. I'll post a link here.

We're living in an RV, and luckily we have a generator and a Verizon aircard for an Internet connection, as well as other amenities some around here lack (like satellite TV and AC). We are fortunate, so far. Gasoline is in short supply, because electrical power is nonexistent in all of the Beaumont-Port Arthur area and most of Houston. Some businesses have generators, and are open for business.

Many thanks to those of you wishing us the best. I'm trying to look at this as just another adventure, but I am getting too old for many more adventures of this kind.

Tman: That was a great picture of fire, water, and wind.

[hendric]

Some pictures from Ike
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/t...ul_life_of.html
Also, that house in picture 11 is visible in this overhead view, at the left middle.
http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/ike/geo-C25883958.jpg
More overhead photos
http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/ike/

[CosmicRocker]

We finally made it back home tonight. The county road was passable all day, but we had to wait until evening while the road was used by ranchers trying to round up and evacuate 3000 head of cattle from pastures that had been flooded with salt water. We were extremely fortunate in that our house had only minor damage that I can easily repair. Two large Yellow Pines fell away from the house. I wish the four remaining ones had fallen, too. They are a significant threat if they fall on the house in the next hurricane.

I'll be pretty busy tomorrow helping some of my less fortunate neighbors, but I'll try to get an album of pictures up when I have time. In the meantime, our local radio station has a page up with links to a lot of local pictures and video. Of course, you could also do this.

Oh yeah, here's a little surprise we found on our front porch as we drove up. The poor thing didn't look very well, but I kept our little dog in the vehicle until I could assess the situation. I was sorry to note that when I walked up to it and tapped it's tail with my foot, it did not move. I wonder what did the little fellow in. I was thinking of skinning it out. Anyone here know anything about curing gator hides?

I guess I had better start googling...

[djellison]

We were extremely fortunate in that our house had only minor damage that I can easily repair.

That's good news - seeing some of the devastation out there just breaks my heart. I can't even begin to imagine what I would think or do if our house just washed away.

There's a picture of a guy who's had a yacht land on his car. I think an dead Alligator might beat that.

You didn't try CPR on it did you?

[Tman]

Good to hear that! The devastation around the coast looks frightening. Something between tsunami and tornado. Can't imagine from my experiences to be exposed for hours in such a strom. Here their attacks last at most few minutes or seconds in "such" high level.
I just wonder how long it will take to get all electrical power installations waterless or at least partly operative.

What do you think, what was the reason for the Alligator's death?

[paxdan]

Yikes

[imipak]

Glad you and your family and house are OK, Mr Rocker. Looking on the bright side... if you fell the remaining trees, you'll have a better view of the night sky

Some of the images at the links Hendric posted are incredible; reminiscent of the aftermath of a nuclear blast. The scale of the destruction doesn't really come home until you look at the satellite imagery. It also seems that Galveston in particular had a narrow escape from something worse, which boggles my imagination in unpleasant ways.

[CosmicRocker]

... What do you think, what was the reason for the Alligator's death?

I didn't want to admit it at first, but the poor thing died after I tried to administer CPR to it.

I got some great pictures today of the two barges stranded across the four-lane highway near our home. I thought it might be fun to make a Photsynth with them.

[CosmicRocker]

I've had people wanting more images of our home and it's environs after Hurricane Ike. I have posted some of the more interesting ones in this web album. I'll add images to the album as I am able. In some ways, this hurricane has been surreal...
---Link deleted, now that it is no longer needed---

We are doing well, and it appears that our electrical power may return sooner than predicted.

[belleraphon1]

From Emily's blog...

http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001692/

"Meanwhile, it's October and therefore fire season here in Los Angeles. Neither of the two rapidly developing wildfires in northern Los Angeles County threatens The Planetary Society, but one is uncomfortably close to my neighborhood, in an apparent repeat of the fire fun we enjoyed three years ago (though this time, I must say, the wind is much worse). I just checked and didn't find any satellite imagery of the fires yet -- neither TERRA nor AQUA has passed over Los Angeles since these fires started. I'm not sure how much more DPS coverage I'll be able to do today! "

Wish everyone well ....

Craig

[nprev]

Thanks, Craig. It's much closer to Emily than any other member I know of (NE of downtown LA proper;. I can see the smoke from down in Torrance, though), but it shouldn't make it into Pasadena...still a lot of geographic separation there.

On a personal note: Gotta go under the knife this Fri for a hernia, and the damned thing apparently hemorrhaged over the weekend; without being too graphic, trips to the loo have been disproportionately frightening. Going to the doc tomorrow, might be going in for surgery sooner. (Note: Noticed the stupid thing like six months ago, was too busy to take care of it...NOW it hurts, NOW it's scary...you got one of these, don't wait, just go get it fixed!!!)

[Shaka]

OK, Tinman! We won't expect many coherent posts out of you on Saturday. But we expect you back in swing by Sunday PM. *
Can't let Doug build up too great a margin.
You're our only hope to catch up with him.

* Demand a recovery room with wide-band Net access.

[ustrax]

Nicholas, Be Brave!
We'll be here crossing our fingers!