Rita
Update!!!
Sat 9/24, 11:30AM
Just spoke to my Mother. Seems like no damage to the house and there is still power. A couple of small branches are in the street and a slight rain persists.
Sat 9/24, 11:00AM
Seems like Houston and Galveston dodged a high speed nuclear missile. Looks like Port Arthur got some damage as well as Beaumont. Poor New Orleans still took more damage from this storm than anyone else, I think.
Fri 9/23, 3:00PM
J-Rock sent a text message and wrote that he would call later. I'm sure he is in the throws of protecting what he's got in Port Arthur.
My Mother called. She said that Joyce and Napoleon have made it to San Antonio. She and the rest of the family left in Houston have decided to move to a hotel...yes they actually got rooms. I'm not sure if I like that idea. There are 6 or 7 or them and I think that they would probably be better served at home. I don't know, just me; I like to hold what I got and protect the home front. They are in a better position than I to make those kind of decisions.
Rod called again to let me know that the levees in New Orleans are starting to overflow. Mayor Nagin just can't buy a break these days.
Fri 9/23, 9:30AM
Rod called to check in. He and Gen have finally made it to San Antonio...14Hrs. Rod's Mom and Dad have made it to Round Rock, TX (an Austin suburb) and he'll make a visit to see them later today. Rod is going to get in touch with J-Rock. The storm is predicted to hit Port Arthur, TX which is J-Rock's home town. J-Rock's sister lives in New Orleans and had to evacuate to Port Arthur for hurricane Katrina, now she is again in the path of the storm.
Bo Mello checked in as well. 14Hr trip to San Antonio as well. He is with his brother on a military base where his brother serves.
24 evacuees die in bus fire
"There were indications that oxygen used by elderly evacuees could have had a role in the fire, Peritz said. There were a series of explosions, apparently from the oxygen equipment, he said."
Boy is left behind as his family evacuates
Thur 9/22, 7:10PM
Update from Rod, "35 miles in 8 hours."
Thur 9/22, 7:00PM
Bo Mello just checked in. He and his family are headed to San Antonio. It's slow going but they are going to try to make it out.
Thur 9/22, 5:00PM
J-Rock just checked in. He and his family are ok.
Thur 9/22, 4:30PM
Words I remember from my Grandfather:
"Son, I just want you to understand that it's not your fault that all of this is happening, and that there is nothing that you can do to prevent it; but it is your responsibility to help where you can and that is all I ask of you."
Just a thought of mine:
"If you can't get gas in Houston, you can't get gas anywhere!"
Thur 9/22, 2:00PM
Just spoke with my Mother. She and my Grandmother didn't make it out. They were waiting on other family members and now it's probably too late to get out. Fuel is hard to come by. Good news is that my Uncle Reggie and brother Jean are with them. Jean's friend Russel is there too. Jean and Russel are going to take some of the cars to a high rise parking garage later tonight, keeping them high above ground should help with debri or flooding. Mattie is in Chicago so she's safe.
I talked to Joyce as well. They are still at her house. I'm wondering if they should just stay put. It's almost suicide to try and make it out of Houston right now. It will take at least 18 hours to get out of town because of the traffic. Fuel is a problem so there is a chance that they might now even make it out and you don't want to be stuck on the road with no fuel. You can't get home and you can't get anywhere else. You don't want to be on the I-45 corridor when this storm hits... it's automatic death.
Thur 9/22, 12:30PM:
Al just checked in. He and his family have made it to Dallas.
People are trying to be smart. I see from television reports that many cars have extra gas cans and are not running the air conditioning in their car to save fuel. If you run out of gas, you are screwed. Good Luck to them all.
Thur 9/22, Noon:
Rod just called. He and Gen are headed to San Antonio right now. I-10 near his home is shut down but they are taking HWY 529 to Bellville as an alternate route. He's only been able to travel 3 miles from his home so far...he's been driving for a little over an hour now. He and Gen were going to fly up to NYC but there are no flights leaving now. He had to go, his Mom is calling on the other line.
Thur 9/22, 11:15AM:
Finally was able to reach Mark Hawkins:
Grid lock is horrible. He, the wife, and kids are going to hold up in their home located in Southwest Houston. Mark recieved a report from a friend that had left Clear Lake, TX at 8:00PM last night and had only gotten as far as Jersey Village, TX by 10:00AM ( ~45 miles ). Really shows how bad traffic is.
The word from Spencer Turner:
Spencer and his wife are hold up in their home as well. He's concerned about the panic going on right now. The roads are gridlocked and their appears to be some slight hysteria by a lot of residents. His primary concern about his safety and home is flying debri from the storm. Spencer was at Home Depot while I was speaking with him. He needed for supplies to protect the windows and other portals. The line is long he says; an attendent has just told him that the store will close at Noon regardless of whether people are still in line (The people that work there have to evacuate as well.)
Thur 9/22, 10:45AM:
I've been trying to contact anyone in Houston that I can but the telephone network is overloaded, wireless and landline networks. I've tried to call Rod & Al but got nothing. Tried my Mother and my Grandmother on their wireless phone and got nothing.
Latest Weather Satellite Image
Google Map of area from Houston to New Orleans
Wed 9/21, 2:50PM:
Crystal's Report
"Went on the hunt for bottled water last night. That shit is like gold, and there was none. Now the newsheads are saying we could potentially be without electricity for a couple of weeks. "
Wed 9/21, 4:00PM:
Hurricane Rita has just been upgrade to Catergory 5. The Family is heading out of town now. Traffic is at a stand still pace and all Tolls have been suspended to make it easier to evacuate. Shannon J. (My cousin) is reporting that all hotels in Texas have suspended reservations and are on a first-come-first-serve basis. no hotels are showing any vacancies. Some people are forced to travel as far as Oklahoma to find hotel vacancies.
Tue 9/20, 11:00PM:
Sat 9/24, 11:30AM
Just spoke to my Mother. Seems like no damage to the house and there is still power. A couple of small branches are in the street and a slight rain persists.
Sat 9/24, 11:00AM
Seems like Houston and Galveston dodged a high speed nuclear missile. Looks like Port Arthur got some damage as well as Beaumont. Poor New Orleans still took more damage from this storm than anyone else, I think.
Fri 9/23, 3:00PM
J-Rock sent a text message and wrote that he would call later. I'm sure he is in the throws of protecting what he's got in Port Arthur.
My Mother called. She said that Joyce and Napoleon have made it to San Antonio. She and the rest of the family left in Houston have decided to move to a hotel...yes they actually got rooms. I'm not sure if I like that idea. There are 6 or 7 or them and I think that they would probably be better served at home. I don't know, just me; I like to hold what I got and protect the home front. They are in a better position than I to make those kind of decisions.
Rod called again to let me know that the levees in New Orleans are starting to overflow. Mayor Nagin just can't buy a break these days.
Fri 9/23, 9:30AM
Rod called to check in. He and Gen have finally made it to San Antonio...14Hrs. Rod's Mom and Dad have made it to Round Rock, TX (an Austin suburb) and he'll make a visit to see them later today. Rod is going to get in touch with J-Rock. The storm is predicted to hit Port Arthur, TX which is J-Rock's home town. J-Rock's sister lives in New Orleans and had to evacuate to Port Arthur for hurricane Katrina, now she is again in the path of the storm.
Bo Mello checked in as well. 14Hr trip to San Antonio as well. He is with his brother on a military base where his brother serves.
24 evacuees die in bus fire
"There were indications that oxygen used by elderly evacuees could have had a role in the fire, Peritz said. There were a series of explosions, apparently from the oxygen equipment, he said."
Boy is left behind as his family evacuates
Thur 9/22, 7:10PM
Update from Rod, "35 miles in 8 hours."
Thur 9/22, 7:00PM
Bo Mello just checked in. He and his family are headed to San Antonio. It's slow going but they are going to try to make it out.
Thur 9/22, 5:00PM
J-Rock just checked in. He and his family are ok.
Thur 9/22, 4:30PM
Words I remember from my Grandfather:
"Son, I just want you to understand that it's not your fault that all of this is happening, and that there is nothing that you can do to prevent it; but it is your responsibility to help where you can and that is all I ask of you."
Just a thought of mine:
"If you can't get gas in Houston, you can't get gas anywhere!"
Thur 9/22, 2:00PM
Just spoke with my Mother. She and my Grandmother didn't make it out. They were waiting on other family members and now it's probably too late to get out. Fuel is hard to come by. Good news is that my Uncle Reggie and brother Jean are with them. Jean's friend Russel is there too. Jean and Russel are going to take some of the cars to a high rise parking garage later tonight, keeping them high above ground should help with debri or flooding. Mattie is in Chicago so she's safe.
I talked to Joyce as well. They are still at her house. I'm wondering if they should just stay put. It's almost suicide to try and make it out of Houston right now. It will take at least 18 hours to get out of town because of the traffic. Fuel is a problem so there is a chance that they might now even make it out and you don't want to be stuck on the road with no fuel. You can't get home and you can't get anywhere else. You don't want to be on the I-45 corridor when this storm hits... it's automatic death.
Thur 9/22, 12:30PM:
Al just checked in. He and his family have made it to Dallas.
People are trying to be smart. I see from television reports that many cars have extra gas cans and are not running the air conditioning in their car to save fuel. If you run out of gas, you are screwed. Good Luck to them all.
Thur 9/22, Noon:
Rod just called. He and Gen are headed to San Antonio right now. I-10 near his home is shut down but they are taking HWY 529 to Bellville as an alternate route. He's only been able to travel 3 miles from his home so far...he's been driving for a little over an hour now. He and Gen were going to fly up to NYC but there are no flights leaving now. He had to go, his Mom is calling on the other line.
Thur 9/22, 11:15AM:
Finally was able to reach Mark Hawkins:
Grid lock is horrible. He, the wife, and kids are going to hold up in their home located in Southwest Houston. Mark recieved a report from a friend that had left Clear Lake, TX at 8:00PM last night and had only gotten as far as Jersey Village, TX by 10:00AM ( ~45 miles ). Really shows how bad traffic is.
The word from Spencer Turner:
Spencer and his wife are hold up in their home as well. He's concerned about the panic going on right now. The roads are gridlocked and their appears to be some slight hysteria by a lot of residents. His primary concern about his safety and home is flying debri from the storm. Spencer was at Home Depot while I was speaking with him. He needed for supplies to protect the windows and other portals. The line is long he says; an attendent has just told him that the store will close at Noon regardless of whether people are still in line (The people that work there have to evacuate as well.)
Thur 9/22, 10:45AM:
I've been trying to contact anyone in Houston that I can but the telephone network is overloaded, wireless and landline networks. I've tried to call Rod & Al but got nothing. Tried my Mother and my Grandmother on their wireless phone and got nothing.
Latest Weather Satellite Image
Google Map of area from Houston to New Orleans
Wed 9/21, 2:50PM:
Crystal's Report
"Went on the hunt for bottled water last night. That shit is like gold, and there was none. Now the newsheads are saying we could potentially be without electricity for a couple of weeks. "
Wed 9/21, 4:00PM:
Hurricane Rita has just been upgrade to Catergory 5. The Family is heading out of town now. Traffic is at a stand still pace and all Tolls have been suspended to make it easier to evacuate. Shannon J. (My cousin) is reporting that all hotels in Texas have suspended reservations and are on a first-come-first-serve basis. no hotels are showing any vacancies. Some people are forced to travel as far as Oklahoma to find hotel vacancies.
Tue 9/20, 11:00PM:
I'm concerned about Hurricane Rita and whether or not it may do damage to my home in Houston. The hurricane has just entered the Gulf Coast and has been upgraded to a category 4 storm. As a precaution, my family has made emergency evacuation plans. They called last night to inform me as to what those plans were, if they evacuate they'll go up to the ranch in [about 200 miles inland] in Calvert Texas. Landfall is expected on Friday. I'm having huge concerns that Rita may turn and plow right into New Orleans. Again. That would be horrific. That city wouldn't be able to take another hit.
posted by Curt at 3:00 PM
2 Comments:
I am glad to hear everyone is safe. my peps are going to ride it out. My prayers are with everyone who has family in H-Town. Thanks for the update
Okay, after all the panic, at this time Rita is nothing but a tease. She's breaking up before hitting the coast and has become a cat 3. Not to say there won't still be some damage, and the wind is starting to blow, but it isn't what all the "run for your lives, bitches" news reports a couple of days ago were suggesting. Obviously, if people weren't afraid, you wouldn't have seen all those people sitting in traffic for 10 hours. We're used to traffic down here, but it isn't that bad.
And you know I bought hooch two days ago...
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