Ed B: Are you in the path of a hurricane?

[CShaveRR]

Let's see, a 100# infobabe can stand outside in a hurricane and broadcast telling me at 6'5" and well over three hundred pounds that I am in grave danger of certain death for staying in my house?  Apparently all you have to do to survive is get press credentials and stand outside.  Cheap solution and no more fear of life broadcasts.

The "certain death" quote was referring to anyone on Galveston Island who would be stupid enough to try to stay put and not evacuate.  The predicted storm surge is 20-25 feet whereas almost the entire island is less than 10 feet above sea level.  Like most barrier islands, it's not much more than a glorified sandbar.

The story I heard this morning is that these people "may face certain death".  Talk about mixed messages!

(Will they, or won't they? We all will, sooner or later.)

As for gas prices, the "surge" is for real--in the eight-plus hours between driving to work and driving home, the station I frequently use had its price go up 19 cents--and they're still underselling the Shell across the street by a dime (he's up to $4.25).

[edblysard]

Right now it's a cat 2 storm tracked directly into Galveston, Houston and curving up and through Conroe.

The seawall in Galveston is 13 feet tall, and the waves, not the surge, but just the waves, are cresting at 16 feet...Galveston was built up after the 1906 storm, they raised most of the center part of the island by 8 to 10 feet...but it still stair steps down from the seawall or Gulf side to sea level on the bay side.

So you can pretty much figure all the homes on Galveston will get some pretty heave damage.

So far, at 4.06, nothing on the northwest side of Houston but a light rain...they backed up the landfall prediction to sometime after midnight.

The railroad called, said not to come to work tomorrow we will close...what sweethearts.

They also wanted to know if I would work the midnight shift in the yard...I asked the crew caller where the regular crews were...she said they all marked off.

[Limitedclear]

Rails Close Ahead of Ike
9/12/2008

Texas-based BNSF Railway, along with Union Pacific Railroad and Kansas City Southern shut down freight operations in the path of Hurricane Ike, the second time this month that a major storm threat has halted rail service in the Gulf Coast area.

Ike was expected to strike at Galveston, Texas, and then move inland toward Houston, but it brings a wide wind path that could cause damage and flooding across a much broader region.

UP told customers, "All rail operations have now been suspended into and out of the Houston area."

It also said authorities in New Orleans had closed a bridge into that city used by both rail and highway traffic, so the storm was interrupting connections there with other rail lines. Already, UP was having to reroute some traffic away from that city as it continued repairing damage left earlier Sept. 1 by Hurricane Gustav.

BNSF also closed facilities at Galveston, Houston and New Orleans as Ike approached, and KCS embargoed traffic bound for Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas, where it interchanges with the two larger rail lines.

All the carriers move equipment out of the projected storm's path when they activate their hurricane plans, and station repair materials and crews to come in quickly afterward to get service restored.

[moelarrycurly4]

Seem's like ike is taking the path of Alicia and going to come in on the west side of Galveston Island.

seems like Hurricanes alawys sneak on shore at night when you can't see them.

We stayed during Alicia and it was a cat 3 storm.  we almost flooded but did not. I remeber hearing trains moving on the santa fe during the storm. I wondered why they were doing this. Most of the refineries continued production during alicia if I recall.

[edblysard]

Expecting 100mph winds in a hour...all the reporters on Galveston just figured out it really is going to be a bad place to be in the next few hours...they all sound shocked that the wind and rain is whipping them up...storm surge is expected to reach several miles inland...hope they have all the ships on the ship channel on lose wharf lines, gonna be a wild few hours.

Still no serious rain in northwest Houston, but you can see smell and feel it coming...

yeah ha...

[Goober]

Expecting 100mph winds in a hour...all the reporters on Galveston just figured out it really is going to be a bad place to be in the next few hours...they all sound shocked that the wind and rain is whipping them up...storm surge is expected to reach several miles inland...hope they have all the ships on the ship channel on lose wharf lines, gonna be a wild few hours.

Still no serious rain in northwest Houston, but you can see smell and feel it coming...

yeah ha...

Ed, thank you for the updates.  Please stay safe, we need you more than the updates.  Our prayers are with you and yours. 

Jared

[Modelcar]

....We're thinking of you and your family Ed.....Hope you can hunker down low and secure enough in your home and long enough to make it through it safely. 

[selector]

Good luck, Ed.  I would say "good bye", but our modern use would make it seem a morbid farewell instead of its original, "God be wi'ye."  I'll say a prayer for those who couldn't manage to find a way out of Galveston.

-Crandell

[Last Chance]

Im hearing stories on satellite tv that people already are being trapped on roofs and fires going on there.

Be safe wherever you are in that area. Gonna be rough.

[moelarrycurly4]

There were some people who tried to stay on Boliver pennensula (might as well be in the bay) and the storm surge flooded thier houses so they had to be rescued. There was a warehouse fire in Galveston and some sort of Housefire there. not a lot of rampant destruction just flooding.

[edblysard]

Boat repair facility at the yatch basin in Galveston on fire, along with the warehouse...fiberglass and associated chemicals burning...Galveston FD is going to let it burn itself out, no need to risk personnel.

No serious rain yet, but wind gusting up to 40 mph...Galveston is closed, real danger is the storm surge already have flooding in east Harris county, all the bayous full.

So far, one storm related death...young man was struck by a tree he and his father were cutting down because it was damaged in the last storm and they didn't want it to blow over on their house...he was trapped under the tree when it went over.

 

All our hospitals are in lock down mode...everyone is ordered to remain in place...curfew in place...police will arrest anyone found out in the mandatory evacuated areas.

 

If you're not out of town by now, its too late.

Hatches all battened down, and I am surprised phone lines and internet still up...525 thousand people in the storm surge area...expected to be with out power for several days.

[Modelcar]

.....Lots of members on here thinking of you and your family Ed....Keeping it all in our prayers for you.

[edblysard]

Big Q..

Thanks...I worry about the folks on the east side, they will flood and get the worst of it.

Sustained winds in Houston at 43 to 50 mph

[moelarrycurly4]

10 pm I am watching all the news channels from ther 13 ,11,2,26 still up and streaming

[Murphy Siding]

     Wow!  On the weather maps, Houston looks like the bullseye of a dartboard!

[tree68]

     Wow!  On the weather maps, Houston looks like the bullseye of a dartboard!

Yep - My first look this morning makes it appear that the eye went right over Houston.

[TimChgo9]

I have been watching....  Ed , I hope you and your family is okay, praying that you all come out of this okay. 

 

[tree68]

This site allows you to watch all four Houston stations simultaneously.  You can control the volume for each one.

[dharmon]

My parents live not too far away from Ed's neighborhood.  Power is out, some trees down but not too much standing water yet.  Overall from their perspective that part of town is doing okay so far.  Can't speak for Ed'd neighborhood but it's only a couple of miles away. 

Hope you're doing okay Ed.

 

Dan 

 

[Mookie]

Just got home and found a message in a bottle.  Hard to read, but something about all Blysards are ok.  No power.  Lots of water.  Won't have to cut the lawn this weekend. 

Now about the rest of the eastern US.....

Mookie

[CShaveRR]

Glad to hear that, SJ!  I'm sure that if you toss said bottle out the window, it'll get to us sometime tomorrow.  They were saying that it could be over a week before power's restored to some folks.

[jeaton]

Notice what washed up in the storm?  (Three posts above.)

[alcodave]

 I hope everything is good with ED B. Gas prices in my part of Ohio went up to 4+ dollars a gallon already "Due to the hurricane".

[Mookie]

Notice what washed up in the storm?  (Three posts above.)

Yeah, he probably commissioned a ship from the Navy to deliver the bottle! 

[edblysard]

Alive and well...power back on, water still off...Kemah is pretty hammered, Galveston got it good too...

Only lost a vent off the roof, others in my neighborhood got trees through the roof and other stuff not so pleasent..out with the Jeep and a long tow chain clearing roads into the neighborhood...will check back a while.

[edblysard]

Dan,

Drove down 43 to Shepard...you parents neighborhood made out ok....lots ot bare trees and the pines trees took a beating, but looks like it will be ok...want me to check on your mom and dad?

My parents live not too far away from Ed's neighborhood.  Power is out, some trees down but not too much standing water yet.  Overall from their perspective that part of town is doing okay so far.  Can't speak for Ed'd neighborhood but it's only a couple of miles away. 

Hope you're doing okay Ed.

 

Dan 

 

[CShaveRR]

out with the Jeep and a long tow chain clearing roads into the neighborhood

Now that just figures!  Glad to see that the storm hasn't really affected you, Ed!  That's from both of us.

[edblysard]

Carl,

You gotta be able to wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and know you did what you could...whats the quote..."If not me, who, if not now, when?"

We are better off than lots of others...roof dosent leak, A/C works, and the toilet flushes...got all we need, others did not fare as well, so got to have a way for the emergency personel to get in and out...have a couple of Aggies will chainsaws who ran out of beer, so we found them something to do...one has a big macho truck like Adrian, a winch and a nice hardhat...maroon of course.

Got most of the main roads in cleared to at least one lane open, cleaned out the storm drains as best we could, most of the water in the hood has gone down.

Steaks in the freezer defrosted overnight, so I guess we will grill tonight, might as well get the neighbors to come over and cook to, could make a block party out of it...

Lots of transformer fires and house fires caused by power lines down on the east side.

Hilton in Clear Lake lost a wall...all the bad stuff you expect out of a hurricane.

By the way, I would like to thank all of you folks who wished us well...a little tardy, I know, but it has been a busy 24 hours.

As an add on...if you know someone who evacuated, call them and tell them to stay put...most of the city is without power, water pumping stations are not working, and any water that is flowing in the pipes has been compromised, it will require boiling before drinking...where ever they are at is a sight better than here right now...Mayor White urges all those who left to wait a day or two before heading home.

[Modelcar]

.....Ed....you triumphed again....We're so clad to see you on here and hear you all are ok and with just minumun damage.  Your good spirit of help for your neighbors....But that doesn't surprise me.

[arkansasrailfan]

we've had some wild weather today too. Tornadoes and Ike, and Gustav a couple of weeks ago. It's wreaked havoc but not on the scale of being on the coast. Here people act like it's the end of the world when it rains. good thing you made it through, though.