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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 19, 2005 16:08:01 GMT -5
If we weren't dealing with enough here in Houston with a quarter of a million Louisiana refugees, now we have another hurricane headed our way.
I'm going on record as saying that hurricanes royally suck.
Believe it or not, I lot of folks are saying they hope this one turns toward New Orleans where it can't do much more damage.
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Post by jacksparro82 on Sept 19, 2005 18:25:49 GMT -5
the latest models are showing it for Corpus Christi. I dont think anywhere on the texas coast can handle a powerful storm. I saw pictures of the damage from some category 1 storm that ripped through victoria a year before i got there and i was shocked of how much damage it did considering how far victoria is from the coast and the category of the storm.
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 19, 2005 18:49:33 GMT -5
Actually, 6 of the 9 models having it hitting at Galveston ... nonetheless it looks like it will be hitting somewhere on the Texas coast. That little baby hurricane you saw the damage from was nothing compared to what this one could do. Don't you wish you were back in the Crossroads? Can you believe a lot of the evacuees from Louisiana may be having to evacuate now for the second time in less than a month? I'll be loaded up my parents as well my sister and her three kids down in Galveston County later this week if it continues this direction. But my experience here on the Texas coast has told me that these storms can change directions in a heartbeat ... and they usually do.
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Post by PAmedic on Sept 20, 2005 1:05:24 GMT -5
Hope all is well w/ your family SLY- tell them NOT to wait 'til the last minute- move EARLY and move QUICKLY.
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 20, 2005 13:17:18 GMT -5
So a guy in Philly is giving hurricane evacuation advice to someone on the Gulf Coast? Gracias.
All the Home Depots & Walmarts are loaded with folks getting last minute supplies. I live on the opposite side of Houston from the coast so my house should just have to worry about flooding. But my parents will definitely be in an evactauon mode at some point here in the next few days. There is a voluntary evacuation underway on the island already. But my parents live on the mainland.
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Post by bigsmooth on Sept 20, 2005 15:04:46 GMT -5
sly, if you feel you need to go, then roll. i was here in raleigh for the last hurricane that came through and caused massive flooding and we are 2.5 hrs. from the beach. we lost power for days, and there was a lot of damage. i know you know what to do, so my prayers are with you and your family, and the entire area. even though i do not know you personally, you are a friend! stay safe brother!
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Post by PAmedic on Sept 20, 2005 15:33:19 GMT -5
So a guy in Philly is giving hurricane evacuation advice to someone on the Gulf Coast? Gracias. sorry if I insulted your intelligence, was actually legitmately concerned for you. Disregard- guess you have it all under control. (this was coming from a EMS/Emergency Mgmt standpoint where- in a major flood impacting the Delaware Valley last spring, many of our residents who attempted to "ride it out" ended up stranded and in need of rescue, putting my guys at risk in doing so.)
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Post by SCAR on Sept 20, 2005 15:36:09 GMT -5
Sly I hope your viewing audience likes you as much as the people on this board seem to. :-)
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 20, 2005 18:03:39 GMT -5
;D
Seriously, we go through as least once a year down here. That's not as often as our South Florida friends, but it becoming somewhat routine. We know exactly how to put the plywood up and where to stash things in the attic.
Its now scheduled to arrive late Friday night at about midnight. My parents will probably head up to our place Thursday.
As for me, I'm actually on a freelance assignment in New Orleans Thursday. I fly back Thursday night and I'm scheduled off on Friday & Saturday. But at televsion stations it is all hands on deck during these deals. So I'll probably be camped out in a sleeping bag at the station. If it continues to head toward us, I'll send my family over to Austin. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
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Post by PAmedic on Sept 21, 2005 5:35:17 GMT -5
warm and dry up here
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 21, 2005 10:17:29 GMT -5
Remind me of your weather come January. Its sunny and warm with no wind or clouds here right now. The proverbial calm before the storm.
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Post by cheer95 on Sept 21, 2005 10:55:11 GMT -5
Sly are you on the north side? Got a call from my daughter's dad that they are heading to Austin. They are on the north side. Just wondering where it is hitting. My daughter is really nervous for them. Keep you all in our prayers for safety.
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 21, 2005 14:07:33 GMT -5
I live on the NW side of town. The storm is aimed just south of Houston right now. Heading to Austin is a great idea if you can find a place to stay. All hotels & motels in Austin & San Antonio are booked solid but there are still rooms in Dallas. But I-45 northbound is bumper-to-bumper creeping 5-10 mph all the way up. You do the math on how long of a trip that will be.
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 21, 2005 17:34:08 GMT -5
Gas stations are out of gas and the shelves of all the stores are empty. All the freeways are parking lots. My parents are trying to make the 55-mile drive across town to my house. At their current rate, it will be between 5-7 hours.
Category 5s are nothing to mess with. I pray it veers south toward a less inhabited area such as near jacksparrow's old place.
My wife is furious that I still have to fly to New Orleans tomorrow. I'm hoping they close the airports so I don't have to go.
Hurricanes suck.
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 22, 2005 8:17:52 GMT -5
The good news is my trip to New Orleans was cancelled because they closed the airports in both Houston & New Orleans.
In the meantime, the storm is turning a little further north flr a more direct hit on Houston. We are reconsidering whether or not to stay or head to Austin. But the traffic is SO bad that we may not be able to make it.
Did I mention hurricanes suck.
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Post by SCAR on Sept 22, 2005 8:44:27 GMT -5
Sly,
I hope you get out soon. Sounds like it is going to be absolutely deadly around there!
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Post by cheer95 on Sept 22, 2005 8:48:12 GMT -5
Sly - hope you get out of there. I know my ex's girlfriend has family in Austin so they don't need to worry about that, but they live in a trailer so hope he does not wait too long to get out. Traffic in Houston sucks all the time I can not imagine how it is with a hurricane! Keeping you and your family in our thoughts!
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 22, 2005 9:40:03 GMT -5
Traffic now is 100x worse than the normal traffic jam.
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 22, 2005 11:44:20 GMT -5
The storm continues to turn north and the prjections are now east of Galveston. That's good news for 5.5 million people in Greater Houston. At this point, we are getting everything put away and we're going to stay at my in-laws' house a mile or so away. They have more protected rooms without windows than we do.
But we're excited to hear we are moving from the dirty side of the storm to the clean side. That means less tornadoes and less debris. Its bad for the folks in Beaumont/Port Arthur and Lake Charles, LA. But we're feeling better about staying.
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Post by Bald Spot on Sept 23, 2005 8:10:20 GMT -5
First time I ever prayed for someone named Sly. Keep us updated.
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Post by PAmedic on Sept 23, 2005 8:50:29 GMT -5
yeah- hope you can get a chance to update us every now and then, provided its safe.
take care bro.
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 23, 2005 10:22:07 GMT -5
Well, we have the house as secure as possible. We have the entire family bunkered into my mother- & father-in-law's place about a mile or so from my homestead. Its still impossible to leave town so we have no intention of trying. The storm still appears to be headed a little east of Houston which helps some. So instead of enduring strong Category 4 storm effects, it will be more like a 1 or 2 at our place. The biggest concerns for Houston are that it bend back to the west and hits us head-on or if the storm gets stalled once it makes it inland and dumps tons of water on us like Tropical Storm Allison did a few years back. In that case, we could end up with Katrina-type flooding.
On the positive side, its a gorgeous day in Houston right now. We're making the kids play outside while they can since we'll probably enduring a couple of days of torrential rain starting this afternoon.
Its strange trying to decide which of your possessions are most worthy of trying to save. Its amazing how the majority of them would have little to no value to anyone outside of our house. Valuables can be replaced. Lives & things of sentimental value can't.
At some point, we will likely lose power for some time. So I'll have to ask for an excused absence for awhile on the board.
I'll try to get online a time or two before the storm hits.
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Post by cheer95 on Sept 24, 2005 9:55:42 GMT -5
Hope you are doing well! It seems to have been tamer than anticipated! Praying!
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Post by PAmedic on Sept 24, 2005 10:52:11 GMT -5
ditto the above, check in when you can
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 24, 2005 15:47:19 GMT -5
Praise God that the hurricane headed toward less populated areas than Houston. It could've taken countless lives with a direct hit on our city. But it veered over to the Texas/Louisiana border.
At my house, we got less than an inch of rain and wind gusts to about 60 mph. We still don't have power at our house but we do at my in-laws place just a mile or so away. The yard is a total disaster from all of the tree branches falling down. But considering everything that could've gone down, we feel extremely fortunate.
Thanks for all of the prayers.
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Post by PAmedic on Sept 24, 2005 16:57:56 GMT -5
excellent news! glad to hear it SLY
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Post by Bald Spot on Sept 24, 2005 17:04:47 GMT -5
Nothing like having in-laws live down the street.
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 24, 2005 18:06:03 GMT -5
They make outstanding babysitters when you are wits end with your kids.
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Post by HarrisburgFlame on Sept 26, 2005 11:41:57 GMT -5
Sly:
let me also say I am glad you are OK and sorry about the yard damage. I think you'll agree yard damage is the best case scenario given the strength of this storm.
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Post by Sly Fox on Sept 26, 2005 14:22:40 GMT -5
Absolutely. I had 25 39-gallon yard bags by the curb when the truck came this morning. I had 4-5 more bags filled after they left. Now I have tons of unpacking and furniture to move back into place. That also means a bunch of cleaning (yuck).
All things concidered, Rita was not bad here in Houston. The same can't be said for Beaumont/Port Arthur & Lake Charles (where the basketball team is scheduled to play just after Christmas).
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