Posted on 09/19/2008 7:17:51 PM PDT by Ptarmigan
I have dreaded a monster hurricane coming to our area for years. I even said that last year. My fears came true last week at this time when Hurricane Ike came crashing in. Granted it was just a Category 2 hurricane at landfall with large areas of Category 1 winds. You can hear the loud howling winds and rain. Also, you can hear the debris hitting the ground and transformers exploding and creating bright flashes that look like lightning. Going through a hurricane is torture, like having a bunch of large needles inserted into you one at a time. I would never wish it on my own worse enemy.
Glad you made it through to the other side... I have a friend who lives in Houston. Last I talked to her (a few days ago), she was yet without power, but had a wild ride and came through to the other side of the storm.
I am fine right now. Just had power last night. Had no power and phone for a few days. I feel for the people who lost loved ones and everything from Ike.
I went through the same 3 that Doc went thru in FL....and finally got out...never looked back. Even your description brings back terrible memories. I’m glad you’re doing okay, but keep taking care of yourself - physically and mentally.
If one chooses to stay in the path of a "monster hurricane", one should be prepared to accept all that comes with it.
Now, living in SoCal, as I type this, the San Andreas fault could let loose with a 7.0+ quake and the only thing that I would have time to do is to try and get to the 50" plasma tv.
The cat is on her own.
I just got my power on today. I live in the Galleria area, and it was something I never will try to go thru again. I had to go up to College station to stay with in-laws (ugh, but thank God they were there) It was horrible here with people fighting over gas and in lines at the grocery store. Thank goodness I home now, please pray for the ones who don’t have one to go to, and there was plenty.
Gees, you had to go through three huricanes in 6 weeks. That really has to suck. Ike is bad enough for me. The last hurricane to directly affect Houston area was Alicia in 1983.
Thanks! God bless you too. Your father is right on the money about hurricanes. You never want to be in one.
Are you ok?
As a matter of fact, I am blessed by God. My house had minor damage, in Rita and Ike, vs many of my neighbors losing everything. 2 houses down from me a tree is in the bedroom and next door one is in the center of the living room. My area has many pines over 100ft tall and 4-5ft around. My lot is 1.1 acres with 39 pines on it.
My daughter lives in an RV in Nacogdoches. I told her to get out and she spent the hurricane with us in a motel in Nacogdoches. We came to look at the RV and her neighbor 2 doors down had an oak on top. Some were blown off their blocks. Hers was untouched.
My in laws have a trailer in Livingston, and their trailer was surrounded by downed trees and lite poles, but the trailer was untouched. My mom has a house in Texas City, Texas on Moses Lake and was untouched right in the eye of Ike. My brother has a house in Galveston in Omega Bay, and only had a few feet of water in the lower floor that is a garage.
I would call that a trifecta, but don't know the term for 5 in a row. It would have been so easy and understandable to have at least one or two that were at least heavily damaged, but we are all home with lights tonight except for my brother. My opinion is God loves me. I know where my help comes from.
All I can say is I went through Carla in '61 in Texas City when I was 10. I've seen hurricanes. Just run, don't play with fire. There is no shame in running from these things that change direction at the drop of a hat. I rode out Rita here because I thought it was coming through Galveston. I had 17 people with babies and dogs in my house in Rita. Woodville was decimated. We got very little damage to my house. A pine tree fell between my back door and garage and I couldn't even get out of the door without a chain saw. It tore down my meter loop and damaged 1 piece of tin on my garage. The sound of 120ft pines crashing through houses and shaking the ground is indescribable. It was as if an atom bomb went off here. 31 days with no power.
For every hurricane that misses you, there are many that are suffering unimaginable devastation. Many wanted to stay because Gustav was almost nothing and people left. Every hurricane is different. I don't think because the last one wasn't bad, the next one won't be bad either. Ike was a real hurricane, but it was no Carla. You leave anyway if it's headed for you.
Been there done that, multiple times. Glad you’re ok. I blame a lot of this on the weathermen—every mullet blow is a cat 5 in their opinion. After awhile, people stop listening to tehm cry wolf, and that’s when you get in trouble.
The weathermen did that to us a couple weeks ago. Thankfully, anyone with any sense could look at the storm track and the winds, etc and see that this one wasn’t the monster it was being made out to be. We’ve had far worse thunderstorms here—coast of NC—this summer. Sigh. Jim Cantori was here, standing outside with a very calm ocean behind him. “Folks, there’s supposed to be a hurricane here, but as you can see, it’s a beautiful night.” Like we’re so stupid we can’t open a window, or read the radar ourselves.
Anyone who has never been through a hurricane has no idea. It’s like being in the middle of a tornado that lasts for days. The wind makes a particular sound during a cane and so does the rain. After is just as bad—the temp usually shoots up to around 100, the humidity is out of sight, and the insects come out of whatever holes they crawled into. Fireants, mosquitoes, biting flies, you name it.
Conroe reporting in. Just got power back this evening about 30 min after I got back from a gas run for the generator.
What was irritating for most was that the other side of the street had power 2 days ago! Well, we did too, but some yo yo on our side probably had his generator wired into his house wrong and it backfed, blowing a transformer. Oh well.
Minor damage to house and property but several houses nearby sustained more moderate and severe damage.
I worked Ivan and Katrina recoveries and sat right thru Dennis so I’ve seen a what hurricanes and can. We are fortunate. I’ve not seen anything from Houston or south but I’ll bet that it is a different world there.
It is, near total destruction along the coast.
Inspirational photo.
Having seen the Mississippi coast right after Katrina I can only imagine.
Since we only got power up a couple hours ago I really don’t know much beyond my neighborhood and to the grocery store and gas station...and liquor store! The radio really hasn’t been that helpful IMO.
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