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Fun with Ike - Occhidiangela - 09-12-2008
Wednesday I boarded up the house. Mrs Occhi went into chicken little mode, and evacuated to Austin Wednesday, with the kids, despite my pointing out to her that the odds of the storm changing direction to due West and Baffin Bay as a landfall was remote, due to my diligent scanning of various NOAA and other weather web sites. She wanted to be ahead of any bums rush out of Corpus Christi. I spent the rest of Wednesday with in laws and neighbors helping them board up their houses, but all were happy to stay and ride it out. My brother in law the cop, and his wife the nurse, both have to be here anyway.
Thursday, as the track developed, Mrs Occhi called me from Austin. "Power will likely be out, or so they expect, so what should I do? Go to San Antonio?" My reply: come home, south of landfall is a hell of a lot safer than tornado alley, which large hurricanes tend to generate after landfall. So, last night she and the kids returned home. I had already put in store lots of canned food and water, a month ago, but she had to get more. So, we did, in the event that power outages impact the Texas grid as far south as we are. It's still possible we lose power for a few days here in the sparkling city by the bay, though it's a low ball bet. Then again, one can miss a saving throw at any time, eh?
My friends out at the air station flew most of the planes out of town Tuesday and Wednesday. The people who live on Padre Island, and Mustand Island, two barrier islands between Corpus Christi and the Gulf, boarded up the houses, got their boats well inland, and headed for higher ground.
Latest forecast is Tropical Storm strength winds, a bit rougher than Dolly gave us, for Friday night and Saturday, and plenty of rain. Old news in Corpus Christi.
My cousin and friends in Houston are bracing themselves for a full face shot. Cousin Dave is staying put, as his Rita evac put him on the road, in traffic, when the storm hit, and he finds that risk calculus ridiculous. He's over fifty miles from the coast, so his only concern is wind and rain damage that me can repair once the storm blows through, and if things get too rough in the aftermath, he'll head to Oklahoma to his parent's house. His wife told me that as of yesterday afternoon, in the gas stations near their house, not a drop of gasoline was to be found.
David thinks the damage to the rigs in the Gulf won't be that bad, not like Katrina and Rita, based on his readings from various buoys in the gulf that he monitors. (He works for BP.) So, price of gas may spike for a week or so, but unless the vast bulk of petro workers are unable for return to some sort of home, a week or so later most wells/rigs will be back in business. He's been through quite a few storms in the Gulf in the past twenty years, so I think he's got a good feel for how that will play out.
My sister in law in a SE Houston suburb isn't evacuating. That has us worried, as she's not that far from the coast. (Lives near Alvin Texas) If that solid surge hits, and if the winds stay at Cat II or III on landfall, she and her husband, and our nieces/nephews, will be in for some rough going. Her husband has a couple of generators and some gas stored up, so they will probably be OK for a couple of weeks if they don't get smashed by the storm. (He's a Southwest pilot.)
Mrs Occhi noticed on the drive home from Austin a lot of National Guard convoys on I-37 heading north. I told her that was part of Governor "Hair" Perry's mobilization order for about 7500 guardsmen to be in position to move in to assist storm hit areas once the storm blows through.
I intend to attend another hurricane party/blow out at a friend's bar tonight.
Glad it isn't us getting slammed, my thoughts, prayers, and hopes for good fortune are sent forth to all our friends between Port Lavaca and Sabine Pass. Looks like Ike is gonna hit them hard.
Occhi
Fun with Ike - --Pete - 09-12-2008
Hi,
Quote:Glad it isn't us getting slammed, my thoughts, prayers, and hopes for good fortune are sent forth to all our friends between Port Lavaca and Sabine Pass. Looks like Ike is gonna hit them hard.And our thoughts are for you, Mrs. Occhi, and the kids. My all the storms but the little ones miss you always.:)
--Pete
Fun with Ike - Occhidiangela - 09-12-2008
Quote:Hi,Gracias, amigo, and greatly appreciated.
And our thoughts are for you, Mrs. Occhi, and the kids. My all the storms but the little ones miss you always.:)
--Pete
Occhi
Fun with Ike - kandrathe - 09-12-2008
Stay safe. My thoughts are with you.
Fun with Ike - ShadowHM - 09-12-2008
May you and yours stay safe, Occhi.
Fun with Ike - Occhidiangela - 09-13-2008
Quote:May you and yours stay safe, Occhi.Pete, Shadow, Kandrathe: thanks for the positive thoughts, I hope you can bottle whatever it is you did, since we look to be pretty clear of the worst of it. The police chief and fire chief late this afternoon stood down the first responder condition for those two departments, and we don't expect anything over fifty knots of wind here overnight, if that.
The folks up Houston way could use a little of your good karma, they look to be meeting Ike pretty soon.
Thanks agian.
Occhi
Fun with Ike - Alram - 09-13-2008
You should be fine where you are. I'm glad to hear y'all will be safe.
Quote:Thursday, as the track developed, Mrs Occhi called me from Austin. "Power will likely be out, or so they expect, so what should I do? Go to San Antonio?"
Fun with Ike - Bun-Bun - 09-13-2008
Quote:You should be fine where you are. I'm glad to hear y'all will be safe.
Yep. Customers with reported power outages in Austin overnight: 2. Right now it looks like there will be minimal or no rain at all in Austin proper, with some minor wind gusts.
Fun with Ike - Tris - 09-13-2008
Now... let the price gouging begin:)
Fun with Ike - Alram - 09-13-2008
No rain. No wind gusts. Nice day.
Fun with Ike - Jester - 09-14-2008
My hopes go out to you and any of the many lurkers who live in hurricane/tornado/earthquake/etc country. I've never had to live with that kind of thing, but I can only imagine how much it must change your view of things to roll the dice on your house, family, friends, and community at the whim of the weather.
Glad nobody's been hurt, hope you had a good time at the bar anyway. :D
-Jester
Fun with Ike - Occhidiangela - 09-14-2008
Quote:My hopes go out to you and any of the many lurkers who live in hurricane/tornado/earthquake/etc country. I've never had to live with that kind of thing, but I can only imagine how much it must change your view of things to roll the dice on your house, family, friends, and community at the whim of the weather.We did. :lol:
Glad nobody's been hurt, hope you had a good time at the bar anyway. :D
-Jester
My cousin and in laws are without power in Houston, but are otherwise OK.
Galveston really took a face shot. I'll be looking around here for someone putting pallets of relief supplies heading that way on Monday. Today the in and out up in Houston is madness, as initial federal and state relief convoys arrive, and have to deal with people blocking the roads. Same old story. People who stayed and who didn't put in any emergency rations/water are moaning about aid not arriving "right now." Some power was restored in Houston yesterday, then this morning big thunderstorms hit from the frontal system coming in off the Great Plains, and poured down enough water near Galveston to flood a few roads that had just drained. Those folks aren't getting any breaks, so far.
Occhi
Fun with Ike - Nystul - 09-15-2008
Good to know you're OK. I'm not sure if Ike made it to Ohio, but it was windy enough today to blow someone to Oz. And to knock the power out a few times.
Fun with Ike - Phyloxerra - 09-15-2008
Glad to hear that you and the family are safe Occhi, hopefully the weather will cooperate a bit.
Fun with Ike - Mordekhuul - 09-15-2008
A buddy of mine has no power and his house is in an old neighborhood where power is likely to be out for a while, due to the wreckage.
He'll be raiding from his parents' house tonight.
Another friend of mine lost power, but luckily had it restored 4 hours later on Saturday. He raided from his house last night.
Two other friends of mine are still without power. They raided from the above friend's house last night.
Its good to see how a community can band together and ensure that my guild keeps raiding on schedule...
Glad to hear folks on this thread are doing well, in all seriousness.