Oh boy, here we go again! Hurricane breathing down my neck - Page 4

Onkel Neal · 08-28-17, 06:51 AM

I'm out in the countryside, between Brazoria and Sargent, TX. We got a few hours of strong wind and hard rain Friday, but nothing too severe (thanks to being 130 miles north of the storm).

We did lose electricity, but I have a generator. I went over to a neighbor's house and chainsawed a tree up that was blocking his drive.

Sat and Sun we saw occasional hard rains and the area is flooded, but our ranchhouse is on a slight ridge so no danger of water entering. The creek in the back is nearly at its limit but I don't think it can threaten us, unless things go completely crazy.

We made a run to town and there are sections of the highway that are covered with fast water. My sister made the same trip later and said it has lessened somewhat, so that's good.

Hearing that Bay City is expected to flood completely due to rivers overflowing. I'll be standing by for assistance if I can.

Skybird · 08-28-17, 08:29 AM

Looks as if you got off with a slap on the wrist.

For the state of Texas, and the US, it might become much less easy. Air Worldwide, a company specialising in risk model projections, estimates the damages to be 1.2 - 2.3 billion dollars, which is surprisingly low. Analyst company CoreLogic rates the damages much higher, giving numbers as high as 40 billion dollars. NewOrleans-killer Katrina caused damages of around 100 billion dollars, half of which were covered by insurrances.

^ German media write that.

Mr Quatro · 08-28-17, 10:49 AM

Snakes have holes and live in the ground can swim and now they will be dropping out of the trees and can be seen on top of mail boxes and fence post and even caught up in the barb wire when the water starts to recede. You can't believe how many snakes Texas has till there is a flood of this magnitude.

I feel so sorry for some of these people ... they look like all they have left are the clothes on their backs.

Catfish · 08-28-17, 02:50 PM

God i just saw videos from Houston, in the news. No food for more than 24 hours, the amount of rain has obviously surprised all, and it is raining again.
I had no idea it was that bad, after reading your comments here.
Has that happened before, in the last years?

08-28-17, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockstar

Batten down the hatches and protect the beer.

Pictures or didnt happen!

Good luck anyway.

Jimbuna · 08-28-17, 05:00 PM

I'd go into hiding Neal, I hear Donald is coming to visit

Onkel Neal · 08-28-17, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I'd go into hiding Neal, I hear Donald is coming to visit

I hope they drop him in the water, that hair might suck up a lot of moisture.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catfish

God i just saw videos from Houston, in the news. No food for more than 24 hours, the amount of rain has obviously surprised all, and it is raining again.
I had no idea it was that bad, after reading your comments here.
Has that happened before, in the last years?

It's bad in beach communities and low lying areas, areas next to rivers, and of course, Houston.

Catfish · 08-29-17, 03:15 AM

Ouch. A lot of flat area with too few slope for draining those water masses.
So much property and infrastructure destroyed..
Hope you are located high enough, all the best.

(Regarding politicians they tend to fly around in a helicopter, land and let themselves photograph with a spade, before returning asap to their next meal and important press conferences to spluttering of that they take full responsibility and promise to do all to help. And so on.
The important measures are the long term ones, like emergency rescue systems, planning and the people working to help. I won't mention climate change, we all know it's fake news since EPA's chief Pruitt (ex oil) knows it all better).

razark · 08-29-17, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by razark

The good news is that the creek has begun to drop.

The creek did not continue to drop.

Jimbuna · 08-29-17, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

I hope they drop him in the water, that hair might suck up a lot of moisture.

Skybird · 08-29-17, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

I hope they drop him in the water, that hair might suck up a lot of moisture.

Dont bet on it. Waterfowls always swim on top, no matter how stinking the brew.

vienna · 08-29-17, 01:11 PM

Actually, to be fair, these sorts of disasters are "damned if you do, damned if you don't" sort of situations for Governors or Presidents; if you go into the disaster area, some critics will say the visit is a political grandstanding photo-op and the visitor is in the way of rescue efforts, etc.; if you don't go, then you are uncaring and insensitive, a viewpoint which is magnified if the area in question happens to be under the administration of an opposing party. Personally, given the advances in communication and audio/visual technology, I don't think it is entirely necessary for a Governor or President to actually go into a disaster area unless there is some sort of pressing need that can only be addressed personally, and those are few and rare. Not going does require some stringent oversight of the individuals or agencies overseeing the disaster relief efforts; we all remember how Dubbya was left with a red face when "Brownie" was found not to be doing such "a good job" after all...

<O>

Mr Quatro · 08-29-17, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vienna

Not going does require some stringent oversight of the individuals or agencies overseeing the disaster relief efforts; we all remember how Dubbya was left with a red face when "Brownie" was found not to be doing such "a good job" after all...

<O>

That was a classic, "Your doing a great job Brownie" said President Bush after his low fly over of Louisiana in Airforce One after Katrina, but don't forget his father ... didn't the other Bush make a mistake when he ignored the aftermath of another hurricane (forget which one) in Florida that the people were still living in tents for years after wards?

This is one big mess that will take years to partially fix and more money than the US Congress can find in their empty FEMA bank vaults.

Print more paper money? This is no longer Bush or Obama's problem ... it's President Trumps problem and he still has the health care bill and the budget by the end of September to take care of ... oh no there I go again.

I'm off to see the wizard.

Skybird · 08-29-17, 01:49 PM

Actually it is pretty much a "damned cause you did it" thing, pretty much of the mess now may be made man-made. I do not even talk of the climate heating thing, but about something I read this eveniing:

In the twenty years between 1990 and 2010, over 30% of the open areas in and around Houston, have been sealed by tarmac, concrete, buildings, roads. Houston is inviting investements by low taxes and relaxed restrictions on building. Its booming, the demand on building and construction permissions is ver yhugh. The sealing of natural ground no doubt continued after 2010 until today, but their statistics ended in 2010. That may be 40% in total, maybe even more, of the soils of 1990 no longer available for soaking up water, also slowing its travelling speeds.

Add to this what I said above: the warmer temperatures, and consider the physics of Hurricans: what warmth of atmosphere as well as the coean has to do with Hurrikans becoming more or less "wet".

It certainly does not help that Harvey is locked in place by several Highs north of it, staying where it is with his thirsty mouth over the water of the Gulf and his youknowwhat over land. Somewhere all the moisture he soaks up must go. And it goes onto the surface of an environment that got sealed off by around 40+ percent of its surface area in the past 27 years.

"Damned cause you did it."

Onkel Neal · 08-29-17, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

Actually it is pretty much a "damned cause you did it" thing, pretty much of the mess now may be made man-made. I do not even talk of the climate heating thing, but about something I read this eveniing:

In the twenty years between 1990 and 2010, over 30% of the open areas in and around Houston, have been sealed by tarmac, concrete, buildings, roads. Houston is inviting investements by low taxes and relaxed restrictions on building. Its booming, the demand on building and construction permissions is ver yhugh. The sealing of natural ground no doubt continued after 2010 until today, but their statistics ended in 2010. That may be 40% in total, maybe even more, of the soils of 1990 no longer available for soaking up water, also slowing its travelling speeds.

Add to this what I said above: the warmer temperatures, and consider the physics of Hurricans: what warmth of atmosphere as well as the coean has to do with Hurrikans becoming more or less "wet".

It certainly does not help that Harvey is locked in place by several Highs north of it, staying where it is with his thirsty mouth over the water of the Gulf and his youknowwhat over land. Somewhere all the moisture he soaks up must go. And it goes onto the surface of an environment that got sealed off by around 40+ percent of its surface area in the past 27 years.

"Damned cause you did it."

I think that is pretty accurate. Houston has outgrown itself.

08-28-17, 06:51 AM	#46
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,283 Downloads: 534 Uploads: 224	I'm out in the countryside, between Brazoria and Sargent, TX. We got a few hours of strong wind and hard rain Friday, but nothing too severe (thanks to being 130 miles north of the storm). We did lose electricity, but I have a generator. I went over to a neighbor's house and chainsawed a tree up that was blocking his drive. Sat and Sun we saw occasional hard rains and the area is flooded, but our ranchhouse is on a slight ridge so no danger of water entering. The creek in the back is nearly at its limit but I don't think it can threaten us, unless things go completely crazy. We made a run to town and there are sections of the highway that are covered with fast water. My sister made the same trip later and said it has lessened somewhat, so that's good. Hearing that Bay City is expected to flood completely due to rivers overflowing. I'll be standing by for assistance if I can. __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

08-28-17, 08:29 AM	#47
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 40,459 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	Looks as if you got off with a slap on the wrist. For the state of Texas, and the US, it might become much less easy. Air Worldwide, a company specialising in risk model projections, estimates the damages to be 1.2 - 2.3 billion dollars, which is surprisingly low. Analyst company CoreLogic rates the damages much higher, giving numbers as high as 40 billion dollars. NewOrleans-killer Katrina caused damages of around 100 billion dollars, half of which were covered by insurrances. ^ German media write that. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

08-28-17, 10:49 AM	#48
Mr Quatro Navy Seal Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 6,772 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Snakes have holes and live in the ground can swim and now they will be dropping out of the trees and can be seen on top of mail boxes and fence post and even caught up in the barb wire when the water starts to recede. You can't believe how many snakes Texas has till there is a flood of this magnitude. I feel so sorry for some of these people ... they look like all they have left are the clothes on their backs. __________________ pla•teau noun a relatively stable level, period, or condition a level of attainment or achievement Lord help me get to the next plateau ..

08-28-17, 02:50 PM	#49
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 16,892 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	God i just saw videos from Houston, in the news. No food for more than 24 hours, the amount of rain has obviously surprised all, and it is raining again. I had no idea it was that bad, after reading your comments here. Has that happened before, in the last years? __________________ >^..^<*)))>{ All generalizations are wrong.

08-28-17, 05:00 PM	#51
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 180,992 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	I'd go into hiding Neal, I hear Donald is coming to visit __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!! GWX3.0 Download Page - Donation/instant access to GWX (Help SubSim)

08-29-17, 03:15 AM	#53
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 16,892 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Ouch. A lot of flat area with too few slope for draining those water masses. So much property and infrastructure destroyed.. Hope you are located high enough, all the best. (Regarding politicians they tend to fly around in a helicopter, land and let themselves photograph with a spade, before returning asap to their next meal and important press conferences to spluttering of that they take full responsibility and promise to do all to help. And so on. The important measures are the long term ones, like emergency rescue systems, planning and the people working to help. I won't mention climate change, we all know it's fake news since EPA's chief Pruitt (ex oil) knows it all better). __________________ >^..^<*)))>{ All generalizations are wrong.

08-29-17, 01:11 PM	#57
vienna Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Anywhere but the here & now... Posts: 7,495 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Actually, to be fair, these sorts of disasters are "damned if you do, damned if you don't" sort of situations for Governors or Presidents; if you go into the disaster area, some critics will say the visit is a political grandstanding photo-op and the visitor is in the way of rescue efforts, etc.; if you don't go, then you are uncaring and insensitive, a viewpoint which is magnified if the area in question happens to be under the administration of an opposing party. Personally, given the advances in communication and audio/visual technology, I don't think it is entirely necessary for a Governor or President to actually go into a disaster area unless there is some sort of pressing need that can only be addressed personally, and those are few and rare. Not going does require some stringent oversight of the individuals or agencies overseeing the disaster relief efforts; we all remember how Dubbya was left with a red face when "Brownie" was found not to be doing such "a good job" after all... <O> __________________ __________________________________________________ __

08-29-17, 01:49 PM	#59
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 40,459 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	Actually it is pretty much a "damned cause you did it" thing, pretty much of the mess now may be made man-made. I do not even talk of the climate heating thing, but about something I read this eveniing: In the twenty years between 1990 and 2010, over 30% of the open areas in and around Houston, have been sealed by tarmac, concrete, buildings, roads. Houston is inviting investements by low taxes and relaxed restrictions on building. Its booming, the demand on building and construction permissions is ver yhugh. The sealing of natural ground no doubt continued after 2010 until today, but their statistics ended in 2010. That may be 40% in total, maybe even more, of the soils of 1990 no longer available for soaking up water, also slowing its travelling speeds. Add to this what I said above: the warmer temperatures, and consider the physics of Hurricans: what warmth of atmosphere as well as the coean has to do with Hurrikans becoming more or less "wet". It certainly does not help that Harvey is locked in place by several Highs north of it, staying where it is with his thirsty mouth over the water of the Gulf and his youknowwhat over land. Somewhere all the moisture he soaks up must go. And it goes onto the surface of an environment that got sealed off by around 40+ percent of its surface area in the past 27 years. "Damned cause you did it." __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.