No more September Vacations Ever

[Kauai Kid]

We were scheduled to fly out of New Orleans to Kauai the week Katrina hit.
We got to Kauai a year later.

We had a long weekend planned for a resort north of Houston and would have been coming back on Sat. Rebanked it with RCI.

I think Houston is going to get clobbered worse than New Orleans after Katrina. Austin has 27,000 refugees as of Friday morning.


Please pray for those folks, Sterling

 

[hibbeln]

Suddenly our upper Midwestern weather looks like nothing to complain about at all. All we have to deal with is winter and a tornado here and there.
Our thoughts are with all of you Down South.

 

[gstepic]

I heard on the news 70% larger than similar storms

The darn thing is as large as the whole state of Texas! Hopefully it will lose a lot of steam before hitting land, a lot of people are keeping those in the path in our prayers.

Gary

 

[Kauai Kid]

The noon forecast for the Texas Hill Country is for 20 mph winds with gusts to 35 and at most one inch of rain. The further east you go the worse it gets.

Grocery stores are out of eggs (guess the chickens flew the coop) and there isn't any milk, and gas stations are running out of gas. Road traffic is extremely heavy due to evacuees.

Every refugee has a wrist strap with a bar code to keep track of them and all refugees are checked for criminal records if they are going into a shelter.

The government learned a lot after screwing up so badly in Katrina.

Sterling

 

[Steamboat Bill]

Don't forget Hurricane season peaks on Sept 10th, but is most active during the August-October months

Thus, if you are worried about Hurricanes, then you better simply block off Aug-October

However, there are great bargains in the Caribbean during those times, but you may want to invest in trip insurance.

 

[Wishiwasatthebeach]

I am in NW Houston. Staying. Our office building is closed. We are expected to work from home. I think I will be running out of ink cartridge for printing work-related files. Sent hubby to Office Depot. It's closed. Costco is closed.
Please pray for us and the folks in Galveston.

 

[abbekit]

My Galveston/Texas City in-laws got out yesterday after a seven hour wait at Houston Hobby Airport. They were lucky because just by chance they already had tickets booked for a weekend away to Seattle. Southwest Airlines put them on a flight one day earlier.

Lucky for me too because otherwise I'd be entertaining them for the weekend

They are predicting near 100% chance of heavy rain and 40 MPH winds with gusts to 55 MPH here in North Texas. We need the rain but hope the winds won't be too severe. The best thing we did this year was replace our seven year old flimsy fence with a sturdy new cedar fence.

I agree that the cities around here have gotten better at sheltering evacuees when these things happen. Dallas even has kennels set up for anyone in their shelters who brought their pets along.

 

[tlsbooks]

I'm beginning to regret that I didn't purchase trip insurance for an Oct. trip to Orlando.

Prayers lifted for all those in the path.

 

[Steamboat Bill]

I'm beginning to regret that I didn't purchase trip insurance for an Oct. trip to Orlando.

Prayers lifted for all those in the path.

Orlando is pretty safe in October

 

[Transit]

Too many good deals to be had. Hurricains are still not that common .I'll giive it another shot next year.

 

[Charlie D.]

I think anyone who voluntarily stayed in Galveston is crazy. Of course a couple will get interviewed by the news media and get their 15 seconds of fame. Here in Oklahoma there is always a nut or two that grabs their video camera when a tornado is coming instead of ducking for cover.

Charlie D.

 

[pcgirl54]

Prayers to you and all our Tug family in the Gulf states. We are watching the weather reports.

 

[Kauai Kid]

Saturday forecast for Austin: Gusts to 40 mph. NO RAIN

Sterling

 

[Kauai Kid]

I think anyone who voluntarily stayed in Galveston is crazy. Of course a couple will get interviewed by the news media and get their 15 seconds of fame. Here in Oklahoma there is always a nut or two that grabs their video camera when a tornado is coming instead of ducking for cover.

Charlie D.

We use to live in New Orleans & went through Katrina.

I don't have any time any more for those who stay when they have a way to leave. They ought to be forced out at gunpoint if necessary.

They put other people's lives in danger because of their stupidity. It costs the taxpayers big bucks to make some of those rescues that didn't need to happen just because someone is stuborn.

There is a ship out in the Gulf without any power or ability to steer. They waited too long to yell help to the Coast Guard so they had to ride out the hurricane until help could arrive. Fortunately, the Coast Guard would not put their folks in harms way until the hurricane passes.

Sterling

 

[Steamboat Bill]

I don't have any time any more for those who stay when they have a way to leave. They ought to be forced out at gunpoint if necessary.

This reminds me of Nazi Germany or Communist Russia...not America.

The people of the USA have the freedom to do stupid things (like buy a timeshare at full price from a developer) even if it kills them.

 

[Kauai Kid]

This reminds me of Nazi Germany or Communist Russia...not America.

The people of the USA have the freedom to do stupid things (like buy a timeshare at full price from a developer) even if it kills them.

They don't have the right to put others in harms way because of their stupidity.

 

[Carol C]

They don't have the right to put others in harms way because of their stupidity.

How does liability work? If the governor or local officials call for mandatory evacation of flood-prone areas...are govt employee first responders mandated to go into those areas for search and rescue ops?

Other questions come to mind. Will all US taxpayers continue to pay for FEMA and other national response efforts in these disasters that seem to increase in severity year after year? If people choose to live on the hurricane-prone coasts, shouldn't they have to pay for insurance and bear the costs of recovering their homes and businesses? Will US taxpayers get the bill for repairing that JP Morgan Chase bank in Houston, the grandiose skyscraper with half the windows blown out? Something's gotta give; the Fed budget pie can only be sliced so many ways (and pretty soon countries we borrow from are going to turn off the money spigot).

Folks who live near big water for the views and lifestyle take a calculated risk. But the question remains: who should pay when it all goes afoul?

 

[Steamboat Bill]

They don't have the right to put others in harms way because of their stupidity.

That is your opinion, of course, fortunately our US laws are designed to protect individual rights even though (you) may not agree with them.

Thus, people are FREE to "ride out the Hurricane" if they want to, even thought most of us will agree that it is a foolish thing to do.

I am sure you would feel very different if someone showed up at your house with a gun (these are your words by the way) and wanted to force you to do something against your own free will.

I am not advocating doing something stupid (like yelling "fire" during a timeshare presentation) to endanger others, but individual freedoms are something that our entire constitution is based upon and I suggest that you read it.

 

[Kauai Kid]

That is your opinion, of course, fortunately our US laws are designed to protect individual rights even though (you) may not agree with them.

Thus, people are FREE to "ride out the Hurricane" if they want to, even thought most of us will agree that it is a foolish thing to do.

I am sure you would feel very different if someone showed up at your house with a gun (these are your words by the way) and wanted to force you to do something against your own free will.

I am not advocating doing something stupid (like yelling "fire" during a timeshare presentation) to endanger others, but individual freedoms are something that our entire constitution is based upon and I suggest that you read it.

Rescuers died in New Orleans trying to get people who wouldn't (or couldn't leave) before Katrina. I guess you think the rights of the fools who stay are higher than those who rescue fools.

The discussion is getting quite Political and this is my last message on the issue to you.

Sterling

 

[Kauai Kid]

How does liability work? If the governor or local officials call for mandatory evacation of flood-prone areas...are govt employee first responders mandated to go into those areas for search and rescue ops?

Other questions come to mind. Will all US taxpayers continue to pay for FEMA and other national response efforts in these disasters that seem to increase in severity year after year? If people choose to live on the hurricane-prone coasts, shouldn't they have to pay for insurance and bear the costs of recovering their homes and businesses? Will US taxpayers get the bill for repairing that JP Morgan Chase bank in Houston, the grandiose skyscraper with half the windows blown out? Something's gotta give; the Fed budget pie can only be sliced so many ways (and pretty soon countries we borrow from are going to turn off the money spigot).

Folks who live near big water for the views and lifestyle take a calculated risk. But the question remains: who should pay when it all goes afoul?

With FEMA Federal flood insurance, about $350/yr, you can make three claims on the same property and then you get dropped. Private insurances will not write affordable policies with flood coverage; if they are available at all. Federal flood insurance is not available on our time share condos in Hawaii.

Galveston Island is a mess this morning--some buildings still burning because fire trucks can't get to them. The good news, few deaths, much lower storm surge than predicted, the storm was rapidly moving and didn't spend much time loitering around.

Lots of refugees here in Austin. Red Cross shelters intentionally do not have any cots, so people are sleeping on the floor with blankets and sleeping bags--if they brought any.


Sterling

 

[ladycody]

I have to agree....not about the gunpoint thing...but I sure think that people who refuse to leave should be fined to high heaven. People who choose to stay when an evacuation has been ordered are not just risking harm to themselves. They are endangering the people who may need to go in after the storm is over.

The responders in any emergency have to take enough risks to help those who are in danger through no fault of their own. No one should have the right to add additional risks simply because they dont feel like moving out of harms way. It's one of the reasons that pulling a fire alarm without cause is against the law...because it endangers others...including the responders.

Why should a rescuer have to risk their life...or risk having the memory of seeing someone badly hurt or dead and bloated in their minds eye for the rest of their life...simply because some idiot didnt feel like moving? Bless those folks for taking those risks when there is reason...I cant condone behavior that would put them at risk out there again simply because someone else cant look past their own bellybutton.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jyimZOKMux_rjX-yozvAPxy8JwnAD936912G0
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/2008-09-14-ike-main_N.htm

 

[slabeaume]

Ike went through St. Louis, Mo. early this morning dumping 5.5 inches of rain on us in about 4 hours! Needless to say, all our drainage ditches had severe flooding. We usually get rains from the hurricanes that hit the gulf, but never 5.5 inches of it!

 

[summerfun1]

Aruba is great this time of year. No crowds and perfect weather.

 

[mas]

Got a call (indirectly) from BIL; he lives in north Houston suburb just inside the loop.

His words, "...Think of the worst storm experience you have had in terms of wind/rain/noise and it went on for eight hours!! ' He said winds were 73 miles in his location AND if he ever heard they would have winds up to 100 mph they would be out of there! Power is out and expected to be out for 2 to 4 weeks depending on location. Front yard filled with debris but no trees down.

 

[seatrout]

Although some who stayed are simply crazy- There are also many who does not have the means to leave or place to stay other than shelter. Most of us tugger waste our free time planing vacation. Those who stayed- generally do not take vacations.

I have several employees at one of our property that stayed along with 7 resident in one of our apartment building in Galveston. They hunker down in one of our property that was built as a huricaine shelter. There were no injuries to any of our residents and that portion of the property did not sustained any structure damages to my knowledges.

As of right now, FEMA is still closing the island looking for bodies.
Hope there are not too many casualties.