getting dicey. wind is howeling. transformers blowing. no fires here thankfully. galveston is in trouble. the seawall didn't hold. the refineries on the shipchannel are flooding. i still have power but over one million people don't 11011011
Dan, it looks like you just missed the western side of the eye wall right about the time you made this post. This thing is absolutely huge but hopefully the worst will be over soon on your side of town. looks like it's over Conroe now. I really hope you guys are doing alright. And it's unbelievable that so many refused to leave Galveston.
I just got a text from Dan. They lost power at 6 this morning. The latest news is that 3 million are without power in Houston. We're still holding up the fort here. Power is flickering. Cable is flickering, but we're still functional. Very windy with a light rain. Worst so far is that my fence blew down.
The Coast Guard rescue unit based at Traverse City (MI) was dispatched to Texas yesterday, as well as every available electrical lineman in the state. You'll have help putting things back together again.
I SHOULD have sent this earlier, but by now the worst should be over for Dan an our other Houston members. Have a definite rain look in Dallas now. Heard the windows on all 75 skyscrapers in downtown Houston were shattered but they have power - the lines are underground. Why did people in Galveston stay?! I don't think we are going to like the picture.
This post is from another forum that I'm on. It details my morning. I'm still soaking wet, sitting on the couch, and about to start breakfast for my friends. Pancakes with chocolate syrup, cantaloupe, and bacon. If I can find some bacon. ~~ The rain just got 10 times worse. I ran out to my neighbor's side of the yard to close his gate so the dogs don't get out when they go potty. The fence has gone down. Oh, and if I didn't mention it, I have friends who evacuated here. 5 people, 4 dogs, 2 cats in the house now. After failing to find one of the 4 umbrellas I own, my roommate gives me hers, and out the door with my Crocs. I get to the neighbor's gate, and the latch is broken. Misson: Fail. I look and see some patio pavers on the other side of the gate. I stack them up to block the gate shut. Success. I run around the street with the giant umbrella very Mary Poppins like. Though I'm not sissy, even the wind is rough for me to get through. I literally have to push the umbrella against the went to get back to the front of my house. I plan to grab some rope to tie the gate shut. By the time I get the rope, and head back outside. The patio pavers are pushed over and the gate is open again. I smile at my roommate with her bowl of cereal. She's immediately enlisted into mission: gate security. She dons her baby blue crocs, anorak, and joins me in the wind. I've already given up on the Mary Poppins umbrella. We get out there, push the patio pavers back into place, and she helps me tie the gate shut with some rope. Mission: Accomplished. I run around the street back to the front of my house again. I'm still wearing what I slept in, and it offers no protection against the stinging rain. Even without the umbrella, I'm pushing against the wind with the rain stinging me all over the place. Ouch. Is this what microdermabrasion feels like? My face still hurts.
Things got windy and rainy here about mid-morning. I'm spending the day indoors working on that eternal bathroom remodel. Not expecting too much, but we moved the outdoor stuff into the garage and brought the cat inside. Cars parked away from any trees.
I survived with no loss! I live in Medical Center, and only Medical Center and Downtown have electricity. Apt above me leaked water because the chimney broke; my minivan and car survived without a scratch! A BIG relief to me! Now I expect gas to be so high and rare I'm gonna survive for awhile by biking and using my Burley Nomad! Big thing for me is - should I move out of this city or stay for a job? I've been unemployed a month now, and wonder is Houston dead now or maybe I can replace workers who lost their home and have to move out!
The Acadiana area of Louisiana didn't get hit hard by Ike but we did get wind and tornados. Glad it didn't hit here since we're still reeling from Gustav.
Wasn't bad here alot of wind and some rain lost power for about 30 min at 2:45 am. for us we just had a little fence damage was all. kevin
oh also from what we've heard the storm surge wasn't as bad as expected as Galveston got something like 11' instead of the 20' the forecasters were saying. kevin
I've never considered rain with the force of a pressure washer. Mild stuff, but 300 miles NW of Galveston in Lewisville at 3pm, this is how I35E northbound past FM3040 looked...obviously a wreck on the other side of the road.
I just got off the phone with Dan's wife, Shannon. The house is fine, no leaks, no missing shingles, no damage. Their neighbors got slammed, but even their fence is still up. Since they have no power and 2 children, they're at a hotel here in town (Bryan/College Station) where they have family. They are told that they won't be getting power for 2 weeks.
My friends from Bridge City (completely underwater now) have an estimate of 4 weeks. I'll check in on Dan from time to time.
