Hurricane Rita check in and roll call!!

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I'm waiting until about 3pm to see if the Wife and Kids of my best friend and I are bugging out to a brick school building. Again, I'm way more worried about wind than anything else!

Last I saw, we might get the eye or be damn close to it...

 

[idleprocess]

The latest storm track from the NOAA is putting Dallas on the edge of the probability cone. The forecasts keep migrating eastward. I imagine that Dallas will see some rain at worst.

 

[TorchMan]

Been boarding up windows and securing things in the yard. Thought I was done yesterday, walked out today and saw a thousand things I missed. Got some plywood from the neighbors, scrounged some more.

Be nice to say all preperations are done, but they are not yet. Still assembling bug out bag. Food, water and supplies are good.

On the milder side of it now, or should be. Still very scary and dangerous, and that's assuming no turns or strengthening. Levees broken in N.O. already, and they are on the dirty side.

I'm going to be the Barney Fife of flashlights. Right side holster will have Gladius. Pelican M6 and T4 holstered on left. Left pocket will have HDS EDC U60. And also going to put the U2 in left pocket and clip it. Will not use 3D 30 LED Sportsman's Guide light on holster, but could. It's gonna be a room light. Many minor things to do, haven't eaten yet either. Two days of sun burn and near heat stroke helping neighbors board up. I got blisters on my fingers. Sounds better when Lennon says it.

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. I will attempt to contact the two mods here at some point. Diesel and BWaites feel free to call at any time. Good luck to all in the path, and thanks to all CPF!

 

[x-ray]

Good luck to all my US based cpf'er friends.

Stay Safe

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

At this point it doesn't look like I'm leaving. I think the Kids and I will have a "party" under the bed during the worst of it.

At least we aren't gonna get the dirty side!

 

[Topper]

My thoughts and prayers are with those that will ride this out, and with those that bugged out. Last I heared "Experts" (some of them anyway) are worried that Rita will stall out over Arkansas and turn back towards NO,LA. they do not need that . It is aways a hard choice; stay or go if go then where? Best of luck to all posted and those that did not.
Topper

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

The first rain band just happened. Call out the NG!!! (LOL!)

 

[AlexGT]

Very light rain and moderate wind here, not for long tough, the rain bands are close in the downtown area...

AlexGT

 

[tvodrd]

Idle and the rest of you facing some potentially serious caca, don't forget your water heaters and toilet tanks as sources of potable water.

Larry

 

[bobisculous]

So far, I am highly unimpressed with this. I dont want cars flying or anything here, but I want to at least expirience some decent winds. Hardly any of that, and rain? What rain? Its hardly more than high humudity lol. I am rather unimpressed with this. I guess they say its for the better. News says I can still expect some 65mph winds, which I would be happy with, but the storm keeps losing ground as soon as it gets close to Harris County.

Cameron

 

[TorchMan]

I'm just happy it's been blessedly boring to this point. Like a fall cool front arriving, with little rain. It ain't over yet though. First squall is here and I can hear it.

Dramatic footage of wind driven fire and ember coming out of Galveston. It's driven by 60mph winds. Hopefully they can contain it.

 

[DieselDave]

Bob,
No disrespect meant but you know not what you ask. Yes there is some excitement assoc. with a storm but the aftermath and reality of a direct hit are so much worse than what most people can imagine. If you want the full effect go volunteer in Cameron City or anywhere near there tomorrow or the next day. You will see recovery teams go house to house with cadaver dogs and trust me that is a very emotional scene. Once you see the devastation and despair of the survivors you will never feel cheated for missing the full effect again.

I admit to having the same feeling back in 1995. I got the full effect of a cat. 2 that Aug. night and the reality of the loss and clean-up. I never ever wanted the full effect again for me or anyone else. I've taken steps to avoid the full effect since then, evacuated or gone to a shelter so all I have or will ever experience is the aftermath. No more full effect for me. Now, if I can figure out a way to get my house and lot to evacuate with me and avoid the full effect I will personally have it licked.

 

[Icebreak]

Looks like it's getting weaker by the minute. Cat 3 right now. Man, I'm glad Houston isn't going to get clobbered.

That fire in Galveston is something else.

Looks like Port Charles won't take as hard a hit as was predicted. But still all those refineries in the area may be damaged. I guess we'll know about the platforms and refineries Sunday or Monday. Fill up your gas tanks fellas.

Rita may be like Audry. It may wax Cameron, LA on the coast, surge into Sabine lake then flood all the way into Lake Charles.

Rita, being a big rain producer, I guess the weather service guys are saying there will be a big problem with fresh water flooding.

My brother lives on Toledo Bend. That's a big lake that was man-made from the Sabine river which separates TX and LA. He built pier and beam so I'm pretty sure his home will be OK. I think it was Fran, I can't remember except that it was 1999, that kinda freaked him out when he was living near Raleigh, NC. A kid on his street was killed. The hurricane fences took flight and ripped structures. Knowing my brother, he's way over-prepared which is great. Can you be over-prepared?

This morning the local guys were saying 25 inches of rain for Arkansas. As a tropical storm, unaffected by the jetstream that has moved north since Katrina, Rita may hang out with us for 3 days or longer. I don't think 25+ inches is going to happen, more like 12 to 18 inches. That's still not good. Our home is on high ground which is good.

I'm more concerned with tornados. Two people sneeze at the same time in OK or TX and we get tornados.

NOAA_IR_LOOP
--------------------

- Jeff

 

[idleprocess]

I apreciate the concern, Larry, but the only danger I seem to be facing is the possibility of unscheduled overtime at work in the increasingly unlikely event that there is some disruption of service to Verizon customers in the Dallas area.

I don't regret buying the sundries yesterday. I'll keep some around and just lunch through the rest of 'em...

 

[DieselDave]

I woke up at 03:30, I knew I would. Looks like our Houston members should make out pretty well. From Beaumont on east is getting hammered. I hope everyone is safe and secure. I'm going to back to sleep.

Be safe

 

[bobisculous]

Well, I am now getting what I wanted I know I know, not to ask for it, but sooner or later I wanted to expirience this. Wind is kicking up now. We are finally getting into the solid yellow band, look to be there quite some time too. As someone said, that fire is rather crazy in Galveston! Centerpoint Energy said their was no power in the area at the time that this started, so it will be interesting to find out what started it....

Will report back on whats going on later if we dont lose power. I expect it to only get a little worse though,

Cameron

 

[TorchMan]

I'm so fortunate! The power never went out, a few minor limbs down (from looking out the window) is all I can see. Gonna go out in few and look at the roof. My cousin in SW Houston lost power. Still fairly windy, but not like the a.m. Slight rain. I'm watching news to see how bad it is east. The ticker at the bottom of the screen says "widespread looting in Beaumont", don't know how accurate that is though.

 

[bobisculous]

Well, with the 40-50mph winds we got, we never lost power at all. I am rather surprised considering all the trees that are around here. It wasnt but about 10 yards away from going out too...This tree is literally 10 yards from the pole that bring power into the five homes on our lot, I give it a 9.5 on the landing. I am not sure when this came down, but it was somewhere in the midst of the windy night. We have many branches down around here along with this.

You can see the electrical poles in the back. The tree is at an angle and as is the lines on the pole. They came fairly close. And what amazed us even more is that the tree didnt snap like most all pine trees do. It totally uprooted the thing, so I suspect a rotting tree is at fault here

Not until daybreak did it finally start to actually rain. A narrow rain band settled over us, parallel with I-59 just about and continued over us for well over an hour. I believe it is still there, just now its starting to dissipate. So we are just now starting to get some minor yard flooding.

That was a interesting night. I am told nothing is wrong at my other house in Kingwood, but that was as of 7AM this morning. Since then we have had some more serious wind. The only reason I am concerned is that we have, or maybe had, a Sweet Gum tree that was struck by lightning a few years back and has never looked 100% since. Unfortunatly, the tree is not in our yard and the neighbor never wanted to cut it down, and even worse, is that it leans completely towards our house...I am going to make my way into Kingwood here in a bit to see how the area is, I here power is completely down there as well. I will have to remind myself though to close my eyes as I drive by the Beaver Resort...a small manmade lake area with walls surrounding it cause its a nudist sun tanning place...their metal walls they had, are now completely gone

I guess Texas in not totally out of the woods yet. They are reporting that it very well may stall then hit NOLA then back into the gulf, only to reform into another hurricane or the like and hit south Texas or Mexico. That would be bad to say the least. But I am Ok, no one I know is hurt in anyway...

Cameron

 

[Icebreak]

Several tornado warnings. Possible touch downs reported but not confirmed by State Police. Doppler indicates storms with rotation 7 mi. to my north heading away to the NW.

Big Cozy, duck! Topper, heads-up around 7:30/8:00 p.m.

Some cars have been blown off of I-30. Some cars have wrecked avoiding downed trees and debris on the interstate.

I hate tornados.

 

[rabbit]

To all CPFer in America,

Hope you guys are fine and well!

God bless