Can't watch the weather channel anymore...

[stoney321]

So, a lot of you know that my husband grew up at NASA. His house is about two blocks away from where CNN, the Weather Channel, and CBS are bunkered down, which, incidentally, is the hotel we stayed at when we went to his HS reunion a few weeks ago. It turns out that the lobby flooded, a chunk of the stone building was ripped off, and the boats that were... a football field length away towards the cove are up in the driveway of the hotel, which is built on a man-made hillock, pretty high up from the visible coast.

Last night we heard from a neighbor that stayed (gah) that the water was up to the window sills on the houses in the neighborhood. Which means from the base of the house, that's about four feet up. The houses are also built on hillocks, and my father in law figured at one point that they were 9 feet above sea level at the base of their house. When everything dies down (and up here in the metroplex we've already got the leading edge of the storm over our house, and may I remind you that my house is a five hour drive from my husband's childhood home - BIG storm) my husband and some of his old buddies from the neighborhood are driving down there with chainsaws to help cut trees off power lines to speed up the process of getting people back.

I am SO happy that our neighborhood up here is one of the smart ones: all of our power lines and phones lines are buried. We've got a line of water and tornadoes headed our way, but I don't anticipate any major damage, for we are the third little piggie with a brick house. *insert bass line here*

It seems that just about everyone in League City and Clear Lake (the neighborhood that surrounds NASA) bugged out, with the exception of one or two folks. They will have no power, no running water, no TOILETS, no GAS (hey, yeah. You have a generator. Is it going to run on wishes and dreams after three days?) no food, no POLICE. I get that some people absolutely cannot afford the gas and food and lodging expense of fleeing a storm. I really, really do. But Texas isn't Louisiana. (Sorry.) They had buses RUNNING THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS ready to pick people up and take them to the Red Cross, or to the state-funded shelters. All pets were allowed to come, and were tagged, scanned and sent up to the shelter right by my place, a big huge acreage with lots of room.

Then again, all day yesterday my husband was scoffing this storm, saying he didn't get why it was such a big deal. After all, he and his folks weathered Alisha and the tropical storm a decade back that dumped the largest rainfall of any storm EVER on EARTH. (he sat through that one in his TRUCK on the side of the highway. Yeah, I was a bit nervous to say the least. People next to him drowned in their cars. Good lord.) He's all *beats chest* Strong like bull! Then he saw pictures of the waves and said, "Oh, shit." Yeah, dummy. That's when he started making calls to our friends that are back in Houston and the 'burbs on the coast to tell them that this one they shouldn't try to ride out.

Hooo rambly. But that's what a journal is, right? Anyway, if you stuck around this long, and you want to get involved in some way, here's the Red Cross, and they are STILL helping folks that fled Gustav over a week ago, and here's the SPCA that took not only all the LA. pets ahead of Gustav, but the Houston-area strays and loved pets, too. We drove past yesterday and there are some vanity cattle (not for eating, but for loving) some donkeys, goats, a few emu, and lots of horses, in addition to bunnies, cats, dogs, lizards, hamsters... (I want to just roll around in the animals. Theoretically, though, because I don't want all that dander on me. Hahaha. Ahem.)

Today is a lord of the Rings trilogy kind of day. What else do you do in a torrential downpour? (Maybe the Back to the Future series? OOH. HELLO, me: STAR WARS!) Bunker down, those of you in Texas through Missouri - it's a biiiiiiig one.

(Oooh, it turns out that the refineries that are north of NASA towards Beaumont don't look like they suffered any damage, which means gas prices should fall dramatically in a day or so. Whew. I heard of y'all with over $4 gas! That's insane!)

Comments

[altyronsmaker.livejournal.com]

Be Safe, Stoney! I rode out three hurricanes in '04 and probably should have evac'd for one of em, but man oh man, is it scary. 'Course we had one noob, who was from a part of the country that didn't have hurricanes OR Tornadoes regularly, out riding around in his car checking damages to the neighborhood. He thought it was over, pulled up next to my mom, who ran outside quickly to pick up the biggest of the fallen limbs from our tree, and said, "Wow! That was a tough one! Glad it's over."

My mom, ever the smartass, said, "Um, sir? this is the EYE! In about, oh, ten minutes, it's going to be just as bad, if not worse, than it was a few minutes ago. I strongly suggest you drive your little vehicle back home and get out of harm's way." Yeah, needless to say he slammed his car in reverse and went back home. Idiot.

Anyway, be safe, secure, and let us know how ya fare.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

We'll be fine up here - we've got flooding threats, but they're not until this afternoon, so we're going to hustle to the store and get last minute things. I hope y'all are okay down there!

OH MY GOD ABOUT THAT GUY. He didn't know what the EYE was?!?!? Some people are just too stupid to live.

I'll be checking your journal to make sure you're staying safe, too! *hugs*

[altyronsmaker.livejournal.com]

My three biggest fears about tropical weather: Flooding, tornadoes, and trees falling on my house.

I'm lucky this season. Central Florida hasn't seen too much by way of tropical nastiness - Fay was here a few weeks back, but nothing much besides her. We got rained on. We needed it, as the lakes have been far too low, so that was nice.

And yeah, he was one of our snowbirds recently permanently transplanted. Had no clue about tropical storms. Poor guy.

[bienegold.livejournal.com]

We had a lot of kids from the coasts at my college, and some of them thought tornadoes were a myth, no lie.

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

I was wondering how things were going on your end so thanks for the update.

*cuddle*

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

We're about to get DUMPED on like a car wash. For now, the winds are picking up and it's just steady rain, but it's coming. (We'll be a-ok, trust me.)

But isn't it crazy to know that I'm 400 MILES away from landfall and we've had the edge of the storm on us for hours?!

*hugs you tight* I'm making a big pot of chicken tortilla soup later today, if you can get your boat to my front door. ;)

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

YUM! I'm on my way!

[chaotick.livejournal.com]

Cool! thanks for the update. It's wild 'knowing' so many people all over the US and the world through LJ. Hopefully you'll get through it OK - just want to say that underground utilities aren't 100% protection - last ice storm that hit here (N. Carolina) 4 years ago affected us directly (also with underground stuff in our neighborhood) when the lines that feed the neighborhood (which are above ground) were downed by a tree limb - 4 freaking days until a crew made it to our part of the affected area - they brought them from all over the US. I about kissed each and every one of them full on the mouth when they finally did show up - the worst is the 'boredom' from doing without all of the lovely entertainment things that need electricity to run. Especially the internet. Sigh. I'm such a spoiled baby. At least it didn't affect the gas lines (we have a gas fireplace) so we were warm. Lack of A/C would be the pits - so keeps fingers crossed you're not going to be hit.

I'm such a Mary Sunshine, aren't I?

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Isn't it neat to have friends all over? (In fact, this coming week I'm going to NY with one of my online buddies from New Zealand. Cool, eh?)

Oh, granted that underground lines don't mean instant protection, but living in Tornado alley as I do... It doesn't make sense to have power lines exposed PERIOD. It takes a hell of a lot to knock our power out, and in the five years we've lived here, have yet to have that or the phone lines cut out, whereas when we lived in the heart of the city, every few weeks we'd lose power/phones.

I'm pretty confident we'll be fine up here - just east of us? Hmm. several inches of rain an hour is predicted. We've got about 2-3 an hour that we're expecting. Yipes.

[soulwhispers.livejournal.com]

hope you stay safe!

i'm in florida and a few weeks back fay just like sat on top of us for about 3 days. moving like between 4-6 miles an hour doing absolutely nothing BUT RAIN RAIN RAIN. things are still flooded in places around here. i'm very greatful my neighborhood wasn't damaged like that.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh, y'all got DUMPED on, didn't you? Those are the worst - those tropical storms/depressions that just SIT.

We will, and thank you very much!

[soulwhispers.livejournal.com]

yes indeed. some places about 15-20 inches. it was wet wet wet. 3/4 days straight you couldn't walk outside with rain, constant rain.

your movie marathon sounds golden, enjoy.

[mumsisdaughter]

Thinking of you all--be warm and safe :(

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! We're just hoping all of our friends and family back at the home front (Houston) are doing the same. They don't have phones in most places for the time being...

*hugs*

[ann1962]

I wondered how you were doing. Another person on my flist is in Houston. I can't wait for her to update.

[lynnenne]

Stay safe, honey! *hugs you and the family*

[violethamster.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you posted, I've been thinking about you and hoping you and your family were okay. Hope you all stay safe and hope your house doesn't suffer any damage. I don't know how you guys deal with that kind of weather, I'll take snowbanks higher than my head any day rather than hurricanes and tornadoes.

[kwizbit.livejournal.com]

Glad to see an update from you, and that you're ok. Stay safe!

[beanbeans.livejournal.com]

It's good to see a post from you and to hear that you got to someplace safe(r). Take care and enjoy the movies. I hope your house and neighborhood doesn't fare too badly. *hugs*

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

Glad you're going to be fine where you are. We've got family in Dallas and will check in with them later.

[chainedinbeads.livejournal.com]

I was watching the news this morning and I couldn't figure out why the prices had gone up as they were saying that most of the gas to that region came from Canada and somewhere else that I can't remember now.

[ethrosdemon.livejournal.com]

Things have changed dramatically in our live times. I mean, that's just a FACT. Like your husband, I laugh at hurricanes a lot. I mean, it's just par for the course being from the Gulf Coast. But a lot of that now is aimed at CNN and the horror mongers more than at the actual storms now. It's fucked UP!! When I was growing up we used to throw hurricane parties and everyone got drunk and waded out into the flooded streets to talk to the neighbors!

Now half my family moved to Ohio because my hometown was so destroyed.

[jupiterinmo.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the update. I've been too afraid to turn on the weather channel now that I woke up. With my shift (10p-6:30a CST), I watched the WC all night with the coverage... scary scary stuff.

It still boggles my mind that thye have this thing tracking pretty close to my land in Missouri (which is just trees and armadillos and snakies... at least our friend River's creek won't run dry, which she depends on for whater). I mean, Missouri, people?!?

*sending lots of good vibes and energy to everyone. Stay safe*

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm glad you posted -- I was thinking about calling you, knowing you all have friends and connections in the worst-hit areas. It's good to know that TX is so organized about relocating people who don't have the means to get away easily on their own (and including the need for safe shelter for pets!).

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

Also, I would like a vanity cow, pls. *stocks up on hay*

[anelith.livejournal.com]

I hope you stayed warm and dry all day inside while the storm pounded away outside. Scary weather! If your power stayed on (and it's great that you have buried lines) then it makes for great movie watching time.

[redbrickrose.livejournal.com]

Stay safe and thanks for the update. *hugs* I hate hurricane season SO MUCH.

[dragonflylady77.livejournal.com]

Whoa. Freaky. Good to know things are organised and people (and animals) are taken care of!!

We don't get tornadoes in NZ, we get eathquakes. The last 2 were a week apart and 5.9 and quite far from where we live but my house swayed all the same..

[darlas-mom.livejournal.com]

Yikes. It is SCARY down there. It's good to know y'all are okay! I have relatives in Winnsboro, TX, but its weather forecast seems to be warm and partly cloudy. Might check on a friend of mine in Tulsa as well--I am decidedly uninformed on how this is affecting Oklahoma.

My part of Missouri is getting rained on liek woah, but TWC predicts sun for us for the rest of the week, so it should blow over without much more than some nuisances. (I'm house-sitting for my mother at the mo', and we've lost electricity two or three times, and the cable and internet about a zillion) I'm really more worried about my poor kitties than my family. They're little guys, born back in May, and they have no prior experience with rain, so they're kind of at "OMGWTF WATER FALLS OUT OF THE SKY?!" (Well, two of 'em are. The third one is deaf and prefers the couch to the windows, so he hasn't really noticed.) Hey, on that, how is Sally-derg handling all this?

Stay safe, darlin', and may I just say that "Back to the Future" is an EXCELLENT choice for waiting out scary weather?

[chantal87.livejournal.com]

I have been thinking about you thse past few days.
Stay Dry! No one likes a puddle.
*hugs you so tightly*

[bitchygrrl.livejournal.com]

Good to see from your update that you and the rest of the Awesome S family *y'all need tshirts that say that* Are going to be in safe area. *makes protective bubble around the family S*

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Stay safe you!

[essene.livejournal.com]

I hope that everything has turned out alright.

In other news, I thought you would appreciate the mockability of this: