This one is for Texas --IKE

[texasjohn]

Newspaper this morning has death count at 40.... various reasons....given the number who did not leave, amazing it is not higher.

I'm developing the view that the human race is made up of some people who have good judgment, and some who don't. Initially it looked like Corpus was going to be dead center... I went down, picked up my MIL and scrubbed initial plans to take her to Houston area to visit granddaughter she hasn't seen in over a year and brought her to Central Texas. Turned out to be right decision... it was still a cat 2 when it passed relatives' house in Houston... we got no wind or rain. Some would say i went to lots of trouble for no reason. I think not.

Somehow, the decision to do unsafe things is embedded in human nature....without Columbus, Wright brothers, MLK, Madam Curie, innumerable others who pushed the envelope, history would be vastly different. We're built to take/seek risks... sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.

Sadly, take this attribute to the financial market and we have the current meltdown. And those who did not knowingly choose that risk are burdened with the consequences.

 

[EddieWalker]

Day four without electricity. The generator is getting kind of finicky. It's running strong for a few hours, then it dies. Everything in the fridge and freezer is still good, but if the generator gives out completely, I'm in trouble there. Steph and the kids have gone to her Mom's house where they can bath and get ready for the next day. Laundry is starting to stack up too.

I never imagined it would take this long.

Eddie

 

[mikim]

OK -- I ate lunch and calmed down a bit --- I was privy to some of the conference calls where the evac decisions were being made. The folks in charge of doing that did an excellent job not only of calling for evacs when they did , but also having rescue crews available asap for the stupid people that did not listen. I heard from the county emer ops people that the coast guard guys were saying that the majority of people they were picking out of the water on Bolivar were drunk. The dummies were having hurricane parties when suddenly it hit them ...oops we're gonna die....and they got on their cells and cried help. Naturally they won't own up to that. My daughter asked me to call a good friend of her's because the husband didn't want to leave ... and they live right on the water. I called and told him what some emer ops people were telling people. Ok if you don't leave - then take a permanent marker and write your ssn on your arm so IF we find your body we'll be able to identify you. Between that call and his wife - they did leave.... and would have died if they hadn't. I hear they lost the house.....and several neighbors, that as far as anyone knows, didn't leave. Last I heard they were still trying to find those neighbors. ---Maybe they left -- we can only hope so. My Son-in-laws boss has a big fancy house on the water and a 140' sailboat. When he came back from evac - the boat was gone. They found it in some trees 20 - 25 miles away. My feeling is that the people that died from this storm are those that refused to leave their possessions to save their own lives. --- I know it's tough - leaving your home and everything in it to maybe never see it again --- I've done it twice now-- BUT IT"S JUST STUFF! and stuff can be replaced. I was burned out in 88 and flooded out in 07 so I know of what I speak. btdt

 

[dmccarty]

Dan -- I wrote a really long angry reply but then deleted it --- I can tell you that evac orders were given in plenty of time - starting 2-3 days prior -- the fact that people didn't leave ......well... I can't talk about it.....

The reason I mentioned the time frame was that on the weatherunderground blog, the ONLY place I'm finding any real information on Ike's aftermath besides the Houston paper/TV stations, someone posted the government maps showing the watch and warning areas. The map progression they showed started on Wed. The warning was from Thursday afternoon/evening. One of the survivor stories I read said they tried to get off the island 9:00am ish on Friday and the water was already up and they could not get out. These people ran a wrecker server and were helping people leave and they got trapped.

The blog also referenced a new conference where the Galveston mayor was asked about the "certain death" warning. The reference was a link to one of the local TV stations that filmed the conference. She had not heard the warning and did not believe it. If the mayor has not heard a serious warning that the NWS put out there is a big problem.

I went back to the blog to try to find the info but I can't find the info now. Just not familiar enough with how that site works.

It certainly seems the mayor did not get the "certain death" warning and I wonder if that effected the evacuation from her city.

There are always the ignorant people who think the storm is not serous, like the group that was drunk and partying that required an emergency evacation. Or the guy that stayed behind because he wanted to go surfing after the storm passed. They are just nuts.

When Andrew made the left turn to head to SE Florida nobody had to tell me to leave. I left as pronto as I could.

The aftermath of Ike is not a focus for local media. And I'm not seeing much on the national level either. Maybe I just expect more coverage when millions are effected in Texas and then the big surprise in the Ohio valley with hundreds of thousands of people without power. I saw 800,000 mentioned at one point.

Later,
Dan

 

[Bird]

It certainly seems the mayor did not get the "certain death" warning and I wonder if that effected the evacuation from her city.

Dan, did you get that information from a blog where people can just post anything they want? I know the news media makes plenty of mistakes, but I'd trust blogs even less.

 

[dmccarty]

I called and told him what some emer ops people were telling people. Ok if you don't leave - then take a permanent marker and write your ssn on your arm so IF we find your body we'll be able to identify you.

Mike I read that 911 dispatchers where telling callers to write the SSN on thier bodies as well. That drives home the point.

Don't take it that I'm dissing the NWS. I'm not. I just trying to find info on the storm. It seems like the water came up and it came up fast. Which might have took some people by surprise. Maybe they thought they had more time than they really did. That does not apply to the idiots who stay behind to get drunk and surf.

I really shocked at how little info is out there. NC usually goes nuts with coverage and more importantly HELPING out the survivors. But I'm just seeing NOTHING. Almost 3 million people without power in the US and there is just a mention here and a mention there.

Later,
Dan

 

[mikim]

Mike I read that 911 dispatchers where telling callers to write the SSN on thier bodies as well. That drives home the point.
Maybe that's where I heard it - the 911 admin offices are downstairs

Don't take it that I'm dissing the NWS. I'm not. I just trying to find info on the storm. It seems like the water came up and it came up fast. Which might have took some people by surprise. Maybe they thought they had more time than they really did. That does not apply to the idiots who stay behind to get drunk and surf.
I watched my boss run the slosh (a program to help forecast the storm surge) a couple of days before Ike got here -- that info went out--


I really shocked at how little info is out there. NC usually goes nuts with coverage and more importantly HELPING out the survivors. But I'm just seeing NOTHING. Almost 3 million people without power in the US and there is just a mention here and a mention there.
hey - no news is good news --right? .... I hope the media drops it as quickly as possible--it'll mean we're getting back to what is considered normal around here (normal Texas style doesn't suit everybody)

Later,
Dan

huh?? msg too short? ///ok---ooops meant to add this -- pics of interest
http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/ike/photo-comparisons/bolivar.html

 

[turbo36]

huh?? msg too short? ///ok---ooops meant to add this -- pics of interest
Hurricane Ike - Coastal Change Hazards: Hurricanes and Extreme Storms

Wow! What a picture. The question that I keep wondering is will these people rebuild and who will pay for it?

 

[Bird]

I really shocked at how little info is out there. NC usually goes nuts with coverage and more importantly HELPING out the survivors. But I'm just seeing NOTHING.

I guess it's just the part of the country that you're in, because we're still seeing and hearing plenty about it, both on local TV stations, local newspapers, and even the national FOX channel on DirecTV (channel 360 for us).

One of our daughters works for a national railway company and of course they shut down operations in the Houston area before the hurricane hit. Normally, our daughter's job (in Ft. Worth) is benefits manager. And now they've set up an extra "800" number for their employees who were affected by the hurricane to call if they need a little immediate financial assistance with lodging, food, etc. So she says that's all she's done the last two days. I don't know about today, but she said at least two of the employees she contacted yesterday lost everything; discovered their homes are gone. But at least it sounds as if she's working for a good company; one that tries to take care of their employees.

Incidentally, on the noon news on the TV today they were requesting donations to help Hurricane Ike victims. They said people could go to Albertson's or Krogers if they wished to make food donations, or they could donate cash online to the North Texas Food Bank or to the Salvation Army. I elected to send money online to the Salvation Army myself.

 

[EddieWalker]

Power is back on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIPPY

Almost exactly four days without electricity really sucked. I'm making microwave popcorn, watching tv with the volume up and turning on the ceiling fan AND the AC!!!! In an hour or two, I'm even going to take a shower!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eddie