Texas residents and Hurricane Ike...

[fwdguy]

Here we go again, another hurricane. So what do you guys do to prepare your model layouts when a storm like this happens, no basements here. :(

When Rita came I took apart my layout, all buildings, locomotives, freight cars where all packed up. My layout looked like I just started it. Everything was to the bare bone and stored safely.

I live in NW Houston, near Tomball so I hope we wont get it to bad up there.

Stay safe.

Mark

 

[Arjay1969]

Mark,

I'm just up the road from you in College Station.   We're hoping it doesn't follow the currently predicted path, 'cause that'll put us right in its path...on the bad side.  granted, we won't have storm surge to worry about, but wind, rain, and tornadoes...

 

Let's just say that I wish I was in Colorado right about now. 

[jawnt]

'Bout the simplest thing to do is model the aftermath of total devistation. Do that on a permant basis and you don't even have to worry about rivet counters or anyone saying it ain't prototypical. Just over spray every thing grey, brown or green --- pile junk everywhere and call it finished ---- come to think of it, I'm already there  

John T in the cow pasture 60 miles WNW of B/CS

[SilverSpike]

Good luck to you all! We have family and friends in Houston and Austin, and friends spread out around Fort Worth area. Thoughts and prayers for everyone! My folks in NOLA just arrived back from the Gustav evacuation on Tuesday.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I live in west-central Louisiana just 18 miles from the Texas line where LA8 west becomes hwy63. We've been on the receiving end of several hurricanes in the past 10 years, with Rita being the worst. Each time I had to abandon my trailer and leave my layout to whatever fate awaited it. The only time it got any damage was when Rita ripped part of my roof off and the rain poured in and soaked a section of the layout measuring 3 feet by 4 feet. The damage was easily repaired. Repair operations involved the use of an old asbestos lined hair dryer, some glue and a lot of WS turf. Fortunately I hadn't ballasted the track in that area yet. The hardest part was replacing the backdrop, but that was eventually done over the space of a week. I think before the next hurricane season comes around I may buy a few cheap shower curtains. Two to use to cover the layout and one to replace the 20 year old plastic curtain that's in the shower now.

[fredswain]

My layout is only 2' x 8' so if it gets destroyed I'll just have to rebuild it. The layout I'm not concerned with. It's the equipment that concerns me. I've got tons of train items that I don't want ruined including many rare Lionel postwar items valued at quite a bit of money. I store my trains in water tight plastic tool boxes. It's the best I can do. I too am near Tomball so hopefully I won't have a whole lot to worry about. We'll find out in the next day and a half or so.

[NittanyLion]

An extremely close friend of mine is at NAS Corpus Christi and I haven't heard from her in a few days.  I'm taking that as a good sign because she's been too busy getting ready to leave and then leaving.  Read they evacuated all the aircraft today so I'm reasoning she's left too.

[C&O Fan]

last i looked the eye was going over my house now it appears to be just slightly west of me

i'm at I-10 and 610

im putting plastic bags over the layout and hoping the large oak tree behind my house remains standing

if not i'll have the bags to throw stuff in

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200809.html

 

[Robby P.]

I think thats one of the bad things about United States weather.  Up north, snow/temp, South hurricanes, out west earthquakes, and midwest tornadoes.  Where are you suppose to go??????? 

Well good luck all down there.  The only one I have ever been in was HUGO.  That was back in 89 and I was only about 9 at the time.  I am sure everbody layouts will be ok.  If it gets flooded (layout) you could always make it a dock/shipping layout  .

[sparkyjay31]

All I know is this, and it's my opinion...I spent 6 years in Gulfport, MS in the Navy.  RUN!  Yup, like a scared kid.  Run like crazy.  Anything can be replaced except YOU.  Do the best you can in the next day to protect it and get out of Dodge.  Pack up what you can and leave the rest to Mother Nature.  It exactly what my wife and I did several times. 

Best of luck to all you on the Gulf Coast.

[tin can]

I'll be hunkered down in College Station, as well.  I'll be off tomorrow; maybe arjay & I will get together to work on modules????

[leighant]

I hope my house and my layout in Corpus Christi come through the storm all right.  We aqre on the edge...

This is what REAL railroads did in Corpus Christi for Hurricane Allen back in 1980.

 

            Unlike some coastlines, the Texas Gulf Coast is not rocky, but sandy and low lying.  Areas suitable for steamship docks are often areas that will flood when hurricanes come.  Rails need to run into the low lying areas to access the docks, but levees and flood walls need to be built to protect from storm tides.  Occasionally, the best alignment for a gradual rail line conflicts with the need to cut off a tidal surge route.  A break will be left in the storm wall for routine use by the rails, to be filled in on an emergency basis during a hurricane watch or warning.  I know of storm walls with railroad openings like this at the Port of Corpus Christi and also at the Conn Brown shrimpboat harbor in Aransas Pass.

            Of course, the only time to see or photograph the storm gates in use would be the few days every few years during a storm emergency.  When Hurricane Allen was approaching the Texas Coast in 1980, I took a few extra minutes from my newsgathering duties the day before the storm to run down to the port tracks and shoot a picture.  (I could justify the side trip on station time, shooting a video clip for the news as part of the storm preparations.)

 

Notice that a permanent concrete storm wall comes up to a clearance point on each side of the rail r.o.w., with a notch for installing pre-made "gate" sections across the tracks.  Then fill dirt is bulldozed against the gate to stabilize it against tidal forces.

[bnsf76]

Good look to all of you.  I lived in Houston (290 & 610) until just a few years ago and still have lots of family there and down in Angleton.  After the storm passes, let us know how ya'll came through.

bnsf76

[fredswain]

I just bought a generator to keep the fridge, tv, and a fan running and it won't start! Lousy Chinese junk! Now I need to go take apart a NEW product and fix it myself. I think I got the very last one in the city too so I can't take it back now. Oh how I wish I had a steam powered generator! If I can burn it, I can make power. Maybe that will be a future project. Then again maybe I'll jsut get a propane regulator and make this work off of it instead. I can do it but don't have the tike before the storm hits to do it. Oh well.

[russstraw]

I have everything about boarded up here in Sugar Land. Right now the eye is supposed to go right over us but it may go either side. I evacuated for Rita but plan to shelter in place for this one. See you on the other side.

[Renegade1c]

I think thats one of the bad things about United States weather.  Up north, snow/temp, South hurricanes, out west earthquakes, and midwest tornadoes.  Where are you suppose to go??????? 

 Colorado! 300 days of sunshine a year, no earthquakes, hurricanes, or tornadoes. mostly just 70 degree weather

 

[Tracklayer]

I'm out here on the north west side of Houston. I've filled all of my generator fuel cans, stocked up on groceries, bottled water, etc, and have everything outside buttoned up and battoned down to the best of my ability. If we lose power and we probably will, we're going to pass the time playing cards, dominos, checkers and watching movies on the portable DVD player. It won't be any fun but hopefully we'll all get through it okay.

Tracklayer 

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Our thoughts, prayers, hopes and best wishes are with all our good buddies and their families that will be enduring the wrath of Ike.

Hope it is short and over-rated and all will be back home before long.

We have had a few Tornados up this way over the years but of course never feel the brunt of the ocean, or the monster size of some of these Hurricanes.

Bless you all.

Keep us posted as to how you all make out.

Johnboy out.................. 

[Don Z]

It appears that I'll be high and dry here in Austin since Ike took a northward turn towards Galveston and Houston. I'll be on the west side of the storm as it passes towards Dallas and north Texas. We're expecting winds tonight and tomorrow in the range of 40-70mph and about 2-4 inches of rain. I guess my new roof will be tested in the storm!

My thoughts go out to all of the Forum members that are closer to the coast...

Don Z.

[Geared Steam]

 Colorado! 300 days of sunshine a year, no earthquakes, hurricanes, or tornadoes. mostly just 70 degree weather

300 days huh?, you must work for the Chamber of Commerce, I have a bridge for sale, would you like to buy it?  Those forest fires and snow storms can be rather bothersome can't they?

I just returned from Biloxi MS, Hwy 90 was closed this morning bcause it was overtaken with the surge. I barely got out of the parking garage, I had to drive through water up to the doors in a Ford Explorer. Along I-10 the wind gust were "exciting" to say the least. I was a long way from Galveston/Houston area. 

This is not going to be good, my hopes and prayers to my friends in that area, I hope you got out.

[Santa Fe all the way!]

Good luck to all of you in the path of Ike. We here in Missouri are suppossed to get 4-6in of rain and possible tornados from the remenants of Ike. If I dont get my sump pump up and running by then, I'll have 8 in. of water in my basement.  I saw on the news today that alot of people are staying in Galveston? The island is at sea level, and they are expecting up to 20' surge with 10-15ft waves above that? I dont understand why they stayed. I hope and pray that there isnt large loss of life.

[tinman1]

 Whatever your choice, staying or running, just be safe about it. I've only been "in" one hurricane (Iniki). Seems the navy decided to wait till the last minute to see if it would turn before sending everyone out to sea, into the hurricane, and that's where we stayed. People were eating dramamine like m&ms.

[twhite]

I've never been in a hurricane (weathered a couple of DOOZIES as far as earthquakes!) but I've made some good friends in Ike's path on this Forum, and right now I'm praying that the worst of it will either miss them or be gone from them very quickly with minimal damage to them and their families. 

In the long run, THINGS can be replaced.  People can't. 

Tom

[fiatfan]

I just received this photo from my son.  It was taken in his back yard in Cypress (a suburb of Houston).

All who are in the track of this storm, stay safe.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

Tom