"oh Galveston..."
Posted on 09/19/2005 12:33:35 PM PDT by HAL9000
Excerpt -
GALVESTON - With the National Hurricane Center's official forecast naming Galveston as Rita's most likely Gulf Coast target later this week, island officials are calling for a voluntary evacuation and considering a mandatory evacuation.Activating its emergency management plan this afternoon, Galveston asked residents to voluntarily leave in preparation of Rita, which is a tropical storm now but is expected to strengthen into a hurricane when it moves into the Gulf later today. By the time it hits the Gulf Coast on Saturday morning, it is expected to be a Category 3 hurricane.
The evacuation is to begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday if the weather forecast holds. Galveston officials are likely to decide whether a mandatory evacuation is warranted by Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Here we go again!!!
Yes, but this time it may hit someplace that has a plan and *will* execute it.
No New Orleans reruns.
From:
http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou050919_mh_galvestonevac.727aa428.html
The latest tracking map has Freeport as the most likely spot for landfall around 7 a.m. Saturday.
I am in Austin, so watching this one carefully as well.
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I hope the plan isn't to go to the Astrodome.
Methinks Katrina has these folks a bit too edgy. They might be jumping the gun by a few days, as Rita is not due to hit the Texas coast until Saturday. There is such a thing as overreacting.
GET OUT OF TOWN IF YOU ARE TOLD TOO.
There is zero chance that I would leave my home on Monday for a hurricane that might hit on saturday.
No, there's another plan for this scenario. I believe the one used for this is to send people to San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas.
The Astrodome *is* intended for use as a shelter, and it is constantly being restocked per reports. And Houston isn't below sea level. And we have competent leadership here.
Heads up.
Think of this as a heads-up for everyone. It will also get almost all the tourists out of town almost immediately.
uh, today is Monday, right?
"oh Galveston..."
In my opinion, it is not over-reacting.
The highways out of Galveston are limited (you know it is an island). So, if folks make a calm, organized evacuation, it is much to their credit. It gives one a sense of control when familes can organize and go to higher ground on their own timetable, rather than be ordered out.
If those who can evacuate themselves will leave early-on, then the authorities have time to work on the evacuation of those who can't evacuate themselves.
Just my opinion.
Now, that's funny.
Competent leadership can make all the diff...
If the storm surge is high enough, it could get over the sea wall at Galveston, and put water in the streets. There would be significant damage, but the water would drain off after the storm. Hope everyone leaves when they are told to.
The biggest permanent damage in Galveston from these storms is beach erosion. Property near the beach becomes the new beach, and is confiscated by the state.
I don't blame you at all. I spent most of my life in the path of storms and only evacuated far enough to get away from the surge, except for Hugo, which was spent on the USS R.K. Turner at Pier November at Charleston Naval Station. The only reason to go far is a high category 4 or any 5, or a very low elevation located in a high surge zone (see: McClellanville, SC). New Orleans was a special case due to its propensity to, ummm, retain water.
It's these Chicken Littles who create the jaded attitudes. Jerk Cantori and his ilk overplay the Cat 2's and 3's and then everyone ignores them when the real storms hit. Their holier than thou attitudes gag me.
Just my opinion.
A good opinion, IMHO.
It would take 2 days, tops, to completely evacuate Galveston. I am a proponent of evacuation when it is necessary, but to threaten a mandatory evacuation 5 days out is ludicrous. I spent most of my life on the coast, and some time involved in emergency operations, so I'm not encouraging last minute evacuations, but 5 days causes me to question the competence of the person making the call. It's 5 days out, that storm could end up in Campeche or Tallahassee.
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