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

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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, September 14, 2008 9:18 PM

Ike is making his presence known in northern New York.  The scanner is lighting up with numerous tree/branch/wires down calls.  So far we've escaped it, but the wind is definitely here.

With any luck the storm will blow through quickly and I can get a decent night's sleep.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
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There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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Posted by moelarrycurly4 on Sunday, September 14, 2008 9:16 PM

My chainsaw I used was bought for Alicia, Still going strong.

 

My car is under the pile to the right

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Posted by edblysard on Sunday, September 14, 2008 9:07 PM
Yeah, your from Texas...you got the tools,the skill and the inclination, so why wait for someone else to do it for you...glad you came through it...good luck to ya...

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Posted by moelarrycurly4 on Sunday, September 14, 2008 8:51 PM
Right after  I posted this morning ( like minutes)Ike came roaring thru western Kentucky.  OUr neighbors tree uprooted into our trees sending our trees on to my car ( wait for the insurance to figure that one out.) Ripped out our electric phone and cable from the side of the house.  I just repaired my own phone and internet as it will be days before phone co arrives.  And as you can tell we just got power back on. Massave tree damage in my yard. But i could have been much worse. we are all safe and sort of spliced back together
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Posted by edblysard on Sunday, September 14, 2008 8:22 PM

Yeah, I forgot they all moved over here last year...

The two Aggies who helped me out yesterday arent even from here...Matt and Don...Matt from Oaklahoma, Don from Oregon...down here visiting Matts girlfriend, got stuck in traffic trying to get back to College Station, turned around and stuck it out here...got up yeasterday morning and decided to go out and clear roads...they dont even live here and are helping out...then to come home and see welfare parasites on the TV news whining about not getting "assistance" as fast as they think they deserve...man, these two kids have every right to haul stakes home as soon as they could, and instead they are out clearing roads for people they don't even know...and the flip side of someone sitting on their can in a FEMA paid for hotel room that they have lived in for over a year, complaining because they don't have A/C yet...makes you wonder sometimes.

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Posted by arkansasrailfan on Sunday, September 14, 2008 6:49 PM
I know why we haven't heard anything from New Orleans, it's because nobody's there.
-Michael It's baaaacccckkkk!!!!!! www.youtube.com/user/wyomingrailfan
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Posted by edblysard on Sunday, September 14, 2008 6:43 PM

White Oak Bayou...

Under normal circumstances, there is maybe 2 feet of water flowing through a concrete channel...this is at least 30 to 40 feet deep.

Typical tree damage...the home owner was next door helping his neighbor cut limbs off a tree blocking his driveway.

His attitude was "I can't do a think about the one on my house, but I can help my next door neighbor with his."

 

Murphy,

PTRA called while I was typing this...they asked if I could come in tomorrow morning...offered gas money, said they would feed us, and all the ice and water we can tote home with us...so expect some photos tomorrow sometime.

 

Highballer...funny how that works out...one house come through fine, next door gets wiped out...glad you moms is one of the survivors.

Crandell,

The owners of all the Landry's restaurants in Kemah already have announced they will rebuild all the boardwalk, and all their facilities on Galveston...when asked why they would rebuild in the same place after all this, the brothers said..."Because we grew up here, this home, where else would we build?"

 

Funny, haven't heard a thing from Mayor Nagen, or New Orleans...

Ya know, I think we can manage with out them...

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Sunday, September 14, 2008 6:12 PM
     Ed- glad to haer everything worked out OK.  Any word on how the railyard came through?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by txhighballer on Sunday, September 14, 2008 5:03 PM
Ed glad to see you made it. My mother's house is fine.got a few leaks in the roof,no power but otherwise allright.
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Posted by arkansasrailfan on Sunday, September 14, 2008 4:33 PM
200,000 people lost power in my state, and the wind was wild last night. My lights kept flickering on and off.
-Michael It's baaaacccckkkk!!!!!! www.youtube.com/user/wyomingrailfan
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Posted by selector on Sunday, September 14, 2008 11:00 AM

Ed, it is good to hear that so many folks can count themselves lucky, including you.  Time for reflection and open/public dialog now with/between City planners and those most likely to have to endure something like this, or far worse, in future days.

-Crandell

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Posted by Ted Marshall on Sunday, September 14, 2008 9:18 AM

Ed,

Glad to learn that you and your family made it through ok. We here in SW FL really dodged a bullet with Ike, but we still have over two months left in the season to worry about whether we'll be next; Living in paradise doesn't come without cost.

I hope the clean up goes smoothly and life as you know it gets back to normal soon.

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Posted by moelarrycurly4 on Sunday, September 14, 2008 8:06 AM

Ed

 

from what i saw only HIgh Island made it ok on boliver.

Crystal beach etc pretty much blew away. we have ike this morning huge wind gusts and rain

most rain to our west tho

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Posted by edblysard on Sunday, September 14, 2008 7:50 AM

Oddly enough, we are getting more rain from the thunderstorms that followed Ike in than from Ike proper.

Ike's major damage was the storm surge, and the winds.

My house sits on the spill from the old Acme Brick Works clay pit...we are about 3 or 4 feet higher than most other streets, so its all down hill from my house.

Dan's parents live in between two of the big bayous, White Oak bayou is just down the street, so if the bayous don't over flow, it should drain off pretty well there also.

Really wishing the rain would slack off enough for me to get on the roof and check for missing shingles.

 

I45 on the inbound side that faces West Bay is buried with debris...every thing from iceboxes to furniture to boats...if it was on west beach or the west end, its on I45 now.

Balinese room is gone, nothing but a pile of debris...the driveway to the Flagship is gone, although the hotel is still there.

61st pier is gone as are almost all the wooden piers on the gulf side of the island...several homes on Galveston simply floated away...we will have a better idea of all the damage later today when the weather clears.

Haven't seen anything about Bolivar, but I don't think the jetties made any difference, so I would guess most of the beach front homes are in small pieces and a few blocks inland now.

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Posted by rvos1979 on Sunday, September 14, 2008 6:44 AM

At least now the rig is getting a bath.....

Stopped here in Sullivan, MO, raining very hard now, with about a 30mph wind, can't see the fuel island from where I'm parked, supposed to be like this untill about 11am or so, then clearing.  Glad to hear you made it out relatively unscathed, though some got it worse.

I don't even bother to listen to the news anymore, too much hype going on in it lately, though I do keep up with the trucking news, have not seen diesel prices jump like gas, was $4.019 when I topped off in Effingham, IL yesterday, though the company I work for told us to try to keep our tanks full this weekend.

Keep fightin' the good fight, Ed.....

Randy in Sullivan, MO 

Randy Vos

"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings

"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV

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Posted by jeaton on Saturday, September 13, 2008 11:15 PM

Ed

Glad to see you are OK.  I gather your end of town is on fairly high ground with drainage that can handle a heavy onslaught.  I have to say that high winds and big old trees make me a bit nervous.  I have a couple around my house that could possibly do in the 6X6 old growth post and beams that hold the roof over my head.

I have an even healthier respect for a storm surge.  Nobody would have to order me inland with a hurricane in the forecast.  In 1969 I was in Pass Christian and stopped at a nice park with Oak trees with trunks 3-5 feet in diameter.  A few weeks later, Camille took them out like they were match sticks.

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics

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Posted by jeaton on Saturday, September 13, 2008 10:47 PM
 dharmon wrote:

 Mookie wrote:
 jeaton wrote:
Notice what washed up in the storm?  (Three posts above.)
Yeah, he probably commissioned a ship from the Navy to deliver the bottle!  Cool [8D]

Nah...I'm about as landlocked as a Navy guy can get right now.  If you look up Trona RR....right around there. 

And all this time I thought the Army and the Air Force had a lock on prime locations. 

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics

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Posted by dharmon on Saturday, September 13, 2008 10:15 PM

 Mookie wrote:
 jeaton wrote:
Notice what washed up in the storm?  (Three posts above.)
Yeah, he probably commissioned a ship from the Navy to deliver the bottle!  Cool [8D]

Nah...I'm about as landlocked as a Navy guy can get right now.  If you look up Trona RR....right around there. 

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Posted by dharmon on Saturday, September 13, 2008 10:07 PM
 edblysard wrote:

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?

 dharmon wrote:

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 

 

 

Thanks for the offer Ed.  Been in contact with them this morning.  No damage, but some of the neighbors weren't so lucky.  A few trees on roofs and subsequent water intrusion.  I was surprise to hear that the water didn't pile up too much in the streets.  Glad to hear you and the ladies are fine. 

Dan

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Posted by moelarrycurly4 on Saturday, September 13, 2008 10:05 PM
Just got a call from my friend who lives 45 at the south beltway. he said they are still without power, have some trees down but house made it ok.  This was his first Hurricane, spooked him about 4am.
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Posted by videomaker on Saturday, September 13, 2008 9:56 PM
  Welcome back Ed, Glad to see you came thru with little damage! Good luck with the clean up !
Danny
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Posted by moelarrycurly4 on Saturday, September 13, 2008 9:39 PM

Ed

 

Glad to see you made it ok. I noticed all of the souviner stands and restaurants, including the Balanise room got washed away. 61st street pier gone etc. It must have been some storm surge a lot worse than Alicia. 45 covered with debris along the causway. Kemah got it again like they did in alicia. I was there in spirit watching it all on the net. Looks like we get the remants tomorow. Wish I could come help but I would be in the way.

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Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, September 13, 2008 8:52 PM

....Rough stuff Ed....I was shocked to see so many windows blown out of skyscrapers in downtown Houston....Terrible mess....

Love your last pic...

Quentin

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Posted by edblysard on Saturday, September 13, 2008 8:38 PM

I would have understood what you meant...and for a lot of people, obviously God did go with them...

You guys are great, thanks for the worrying...

got go watch and make sure the Aggies dont decide the grill would make a good bonfire...

 selector wrote:

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

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Posted by edblysard on Saturday, September 13, 2008 7:55 PM

The drainage bayou normally has 3 feet of water or less.

Cedar tree didn't make it, and the power line didn't either.

Common damage.

Looking west on our street, the tree in the background came up roots and all, took about 30 minutes to clear one lane.

And Mother Nature saves the best for last...

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Posted by arkansasrailfan on Saturday, September 13, 2008 7:35 PM
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.
-Michael It's baaaacccckkkk!!!!!! www.youtube.com/user/wyomingrailfan
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Posted by Modelcar on Saturday, September 13, 2008 7:28 PM

.....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.

Quentin

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Posted by edblysard on Saturday, September 13, 2008 7:18 PM

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.

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Posted by CShaveRR on Saturday, September 13, 2008 6:54 PM

 edblysard wrote:
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.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by edblysard on Saturday, September 13, 2008 6:47 PM

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?

 dharmon wrote:

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 

 

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