IKE is Gonna Rain All Over The Weekend...

Looks like Ike is coming in sometime Friday night or early Saturday morning, somewhere along the coastal bend of Texas, perhaps just west of Matagorda Bay. I suspect Becky and Jerry are going to need to be careful or think about evacuating. My mom is evacuating. Houston is going to be wet, no matter what, as it looks like we're going to be on the east side, coming and going, but there are no evacuations planned for the most part in Harris County. Galveston County is considering their plans I also know there are many people in Galveston county who have already boarded up and are ready to leave.

Since last night, the projected path hasn't changed all that much, though the hurricane is growing in size and strength as it goes across the deep warm water of the Gulf. There is a lot of energy stored out there in the water and As more and more of the models have the come into agreement, people are taking the steps needed to either ride it out, or to evacuate.

Brazoria County has mandatory evacuations ordered (my old stomping grounds..). They're reporting some gas stations are running out of gas, but there are stations who are selling even the premium gas for regular gas prices. All Brazosport schools are closed until Monday, and my mom and some of my family are evacuating from Matagorda county this weekend. There must be a lot of people doing the same, as my mom had to search pretty far north to find a room available.

'Pup and I are riding it out. We're ready, with a camp stove and a grill, and fuel for both, food, water, medications, cleaning supplies and tarps, etc for fixing things. We've got plywood for our windows, but unless the storm takes a drastic turn to come in at Galveston, we won't need to put them up. We'll probably not need all our supplies, which, believe me, is FINE with us.

Outside, it's warm and sunny and bad weather looks as if it should be a million miles away.

But looks can be deceptive.

More later.

YOWSAH!!

When in danger,

Or in doubt,

Run in circles,

Scream and shout.

Why? Lookie...

Criminy. See where the black, blue and purple are meeting? That's the Houston area.

The red, white and yellow...just south of Corpus Christie.

Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.

We Might Not Like Ike

That blue line does not make me happy. It's the computer model that has it headed towards Houston.

Well, to be honest, none of them make me happy, as, well, somebody's gonna get walloped, and that's just never good.

Odd, Very, Very Odd...

'Pup and I were grabbing a quick bite to eat at a restaurant near where I-10 and the Beltway 8 intersect. As I glanced outside the window, I suddenly noticed a whole convoy of ambulances going by. I counted, 1, 2.....11, 12, ....14.....18... and then a lull... and another convoy including some white transport buses and a police car... then another with 14 and ANOTHER with 11. And that's just what we saw in about a half an hour.

All headed West. All had passed by most of the hospitals in Houston, including Memorial Herman, Memorial (yah... later).... and the next hospital would have been a smaller, satellite hospital in Katy, then nothing until Sealy, about 30 miles after that.

Where were they going? Why today?

Evacuations would have been yesterday and the day before, not today.

What in Hades is going on??

It's Cooommmmiinnnggg..

The evacuation has begun in ernest. Gustav is expected to hit land with winds of at least 140 mph.

"Authorities in Hardin, Orange and Jefferson counties Saturday were making arrangements for residents with no transportation and other special needs, such as medical disabilities, to leave the area.
Jill Frillou, a spokeswoman for Orange County, said a voluntary evacuation in place for the general population could become a mandatory order as early as Sunday morning."

from: Associated Press, found on the website for the ABC affiliate here in Houston.

Edited addition:

'Pup and I live in NW Harris County. We're far from the danger zone, and, while we'll make sure we have batteries and such, our greatest danger would be a power loss because of some high rains to the East of us.

Give thoughts for the people of coastal Louisiana, and of High Island, Texas. They're heeding the warnings, for the most part and leaving all but the most precious of their belongings behind. I hope they are able to come home again.

Then, and Now

Just about 3 years ago, a huge storm was bearing down on just about the same part of the Gulf Coast that is targeted now.

Three years ago, some people left, many took precautions but planned to "ride it out", and others... didn't even pay attention to what was going on.

Lest you think I'm kidding...I know several people who, until I mentioned the hurricane today, didn't know one was coming. They'd not been watching the news. I hope I got them to pay attention today.

Last time, the cities had "hurricane plans", but they weren't really serious about things. It looked good on paper.

This year, New Orleans has a mandatory evacuation, with buses, trains and airplanes lifting out special needs residents and those with no other transportation. The announcement was made that, should anyone wish to stay behind, there would be NO help available. None. It's either leave, or fend for yourself. (It's a rather Darwinian selection process there, isn't it?) This time, the residents are NOT leaving their pets behind. There is room on the bus for all members of the family.

There is at least one town in Texas that is evacuating and people are being told that even 911 will be turned off, as EVERYONE is evacuating.

Houston and Houstonians are preparing to receive about 45,000 Louisianan residents. Last time, with not much prior notice, Houston took in about 250,000 people in one weekend. Things are better organized this year, I hope.

We might get some rain from Gustav, as it's supposed to take a southerly hook and then stall for a while over some part of Texas. You never know though. We're still more than two days to landfall, at the earliest, and things can change awfully fast.

Oh, and there's another storm out there, it looked, for a time, as if were just going to follow Gustav in, like a pesky little sister tagging along after a bigger brother. But, instead, it looks like Florida might get a little more rain--which, it does. not. need. just now.

Happy Labor Day, y'all.

Stuff

This will be the first of several posts I'm going to do today. There is just so much STUFF to talk about, I'm not really sure where to begin. Should I do a Lipovox review? Seems unimportant somehow to the hurricane that will be affecting us by early in the coming week. Where will it hit? I don't know. Coming so close to the 3rd anniversary of Katrina's, and then Rita's hitting Louisiana and Texas...this storm is unsettling. People are playing it safe, going about their normal lives (how else?), but everyone's.... planning, considering, checking. I'm not even going to start to predict where the storm will hit, not until Sunday at the earliest. There is just too much distance to tell where the storm will make landfall.

Too early to tell, but not too early to start to worry.

This is NOT Good News.

This is not some happy making news here. Hurricane Gustav looks to be headed into the gulf and with water temperatures being what they are (high 80's and into the 90's), it will have LOTS of potential energy to suck up and then dump on someone.

'Pup and I keep a hurricane kit.

Might need to clean out the master closet, as that is the biggest and safest area to shelter in. Gonna be fun with Spitty and Butch. See, they do NOT get along.

Still, it may not head towards here. And I do feel sorry for the vacationers in the Caribbean who will have their vacations cut short, or made rather more exciting than they wished it to be... (Humm a good reason for travel insurance, eh?)

At the Spring Fling, it was noted that there was a case of bottled water in the van. Well.. see... that's part of the hurricane kit. No good having the water where you can't get to it, and it does need to be rotated, used and replenished.

Time to keep watching the news.

Harry Potter and the Cone of Uncertainty

Looks like Edouardo is wavering in his convictions. He's wavering a little. The good news is that he might not get very powerful...more a very strong Tropical Storm, rather than a weakish Hurricane.

Oh well. I'm glad. I want the rain, not the wind.

I did finally convince my Good Boss that it would not be good for us to open tomorrow. It took going to some of the TV station's hurricane centers and explaining what a "cone of uncertainty" was, and why being smack dab in the middle of it for the past day is not a good thing to have happen to you.

Speaking of which, doesn't the term "Cone of Uncertainty" sound like a Harry Potter novel?

Harry Potter and the Cone of Uncertainty

Has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?

I'm going to bed, up early to watch the weather and finish picking up the yard.

Y'all sleep well.

Holy Fresh Manure, Batman!

Edouard isn't even here yet, but an errant thunderstorm just dropped a BUCKET of rain and some downright scary lightning... followed IMMEDIATELY by the clap of thunder.

'Pup and I were scurrying to get some of the various and sundry bits and pieces that have been accumulating in the backyard. It started raining so hard I was soaked to the skin in no time flat and 'Pup was not happy with me being out in the lightning.

Truth to tell...neither was I.

The lights flickered on and off a few times after I retreated inside.

Hopefully, tomorrow will have enough pauses between rain bands before Edouard's winds reach us up here in the NW area of Harris county.

Humm.... whadda ya know? Rain makes my hair curly.

ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!

It is hard to explain to someone who has never been in a hurricane or tropical storm, that what is coming...is not just a rain shower with a little wind, nor is it even a somewhat more intense thunderstorm. It is a whole lot more than that.

My Good Boss, having never been in a tropical storm or hurricane here, does not understand fully just why I and the other tutors are saying... "It might not be a Good Idea to be on the road as it makes landfall." (that would be about 7 am as it is estimated now.

He wants to stay open tomorrow. He thinks the television is just exaggerating a little.

Well, okay, they probably are. But. That doesn't change the bare facts that one does NOT drive to work as a (possible hurricane) big storm comes lumbering in, slamming the coast line and drenching the whole area. And did I mention that there would be a little wind associated with the storm?

Arrrrggghhh!!

My only hope is that the other tutors agree with me and they are approaching him with the same information I and the television have been giving him.

I hope he believes at least one of us.

'Cause, folks, ain't NONE of us gonna be drivin' to work tomorrow morning, unless the storm takes a drastic northerly path, and given the prevailing conditions, that ain't likely to happen.

Sigh.

Gett'n Ready for Tropical Storm Edouard

Well.

It never rains but it pours.

We're going to have some thunderstorms come through the area today (rain! yay!), and then, tomorrow morning, we'll be dealing with a (possibly hurricane) Tropical Storm Edouard.

We've batteries, water, food and meds. If it strengthens further, we have some plywood cut already. I suspect that by tonight, I'll be live blogging the storm.

Today, I have to go to work and explain to my Good Boss that, no...it will not be a Good Idea to open the tutoring center on Tuesday morning.

Now, I'm off to get some bread (we're out) and fill my car with gasoline.

See y'all later.

My Happy-Happy-Joy Dance

(This is me an hour ago:)

"IT'S RAAAAINNINNGG! LA LA LA LA IT'S RAINING!!!"

(Five minutes later: )

"Oh Crap!"

The big blob missed us, all we got was some sprinkles for a little while.

Shoot.

On the other hand, we are going to have some company soon.

Uhmm Edouard, you'll be welcomed if you bring rain. Any little friends, like tornadoes, can just stay home. 'Fraid I don't have enough guest rooms, you see.

Seriously, a good rain bringer needn't bring any other gifts. No, really. Just you is all we could ever want.

Let's see. Where's my storm checklist....

Well, at Least it isn't a Hurricane.

Sometimes, we don't hear what's being said. Instead, we "hear" what we can understand within what's being said. For example, if some one said to me, "A new CAT5e is coming in soon."... Well. I'm not going be thinking about a cable meant to insure a high signal integrity. I'd be thinking hurricane, breaking out my tracking chart, going over my list of supplies and making sure the animal carriers were available. You live on the Gulf coast, well, it's just what you do.

In fact....the last sentence? The one that said "high signal integrity"? I'd be thinking, "Now why would a signal lie?"

Humberto

Was that crazy last night or WHAT?

Here we had this innocuous little tropical disturbance lurking off the Texas Gulf Coast. Then, it got a little more disturbed and became a depression. Not satisfied with it's life (depressed and all) it got a little attitude and became a Tropical Storm.

Then?

It threw a danged hissy fit, stomped off to the East and decided to dump alot of the baggage it carried all over the rest of the Gulf Coast. And it was a blow-hard about it too. No suffering quietly for Humberto...oh no.

It stayed a hurricane for quite a while after it went over land too. Now THAT'S attitude!

A Wet Thursday

And Friday and Saturday and probably Sunday as well .........and then it will be time for Dean to arrive. Have I mentioned it's been a dampish summer?

How damn........err I mean damp?

Our usual annual average rainfall is about 44 inches a year. We've had a little more than 48 up here in our neck of the woods, and there are parts of Houston that have seen twice as much as we've had. Seriously. East Houston, Southeast Houston........is a very wet place to live these days. They got from 8 to 10 inches today. My rain guage only registered about 3 inches for the day. We may have gotten more, as the guage is not in an optimal place for really gauging rainfall.

Oh well.....we've spent the money already for the plywood and it's cut and ready to install. We do have to figure out how to cover a door that is mostly glass, but I think we've got it figured out. we may be installing a couple of boards to each side of the door, to which we can screw in or attach the hangers we'll need.

We've an engineer friend who helped us out with bringing home the wood and cutting most of it.

We've neighbors who will help put the boards up.

All in all,

We're blessed.