Texas Roll Call

[LTTJ]

Yeah, our family is all up here, but we have been getting updates from friends all weekend. Friends in Rockport- families evacuated Friday and think their houses are gone. Friends along I-10 near Shiner- getting a lot of rain but on high ground. Friends in Houston area- big mixed bag. My friend's uncle who is a civil engineer down there thinks that the flooding will be worse tomorrow and Tuesday than it already is.

The NWS was saying 3 feet of rain and now they are saying 50+ inches. What a catastrophe.

The local news here was giving out the phone number to the Houston coast guard command so people could call for rooftop rescue directly. I think this will devastate Houston.

I hope everyone in Houston or living along I-10 are staying safe. If anyone is fleeing to Dallas, I can help you find a hotel or shelter here if you need it.


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[badlieutenant]

@LTTJ you're a good chick.

Just another example showing how we have -the best- Jeep forum on the interwebs.

Thank you @Chris!

 

[LTTJ]

@LTTJ you're a good dude.

Just another example showing how we have -the best- Jeep forum on the interwebs.

Thank you @Chris!

Haha, thanks! I'm actually a lady Jeeper, but that's no biggie.

I'm really worried because the Houston local government and our state government were really sending mixed messages about staying or evacuating. Further, the predictions seem like they were really conservative estimates, and now Houston is going to be a disaster. The one bright spot in all of this is that Texas knows how to take care of its own. I believe most Texans will respond by being generous and helpful to those who need it.



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[Kiwi TJ]

We lived in Arlington for 31 years but moved south to get closer to grandkids. Our daughters family evacuated to our house I 2008 when Ike hit Galveston. Now I'm in the middle of Harvey. Doing good but the Colorado river is close by and expected to crest 20 foot higher than flood stage!

I'm hoping for you that the predictions on the Colorado river don't happen.

 

[Kiwi TJ]

Haha, thanks! I'm actually a lady Jeeper, but that's no biggie.

I'm really worried because the Houston local government and our state government were really sending mixed messages about staying or evacuating. Further, the predictions seem like they were really conservative estimates, and now Houston is going to be a disaster. The one bright spot in all of this is that Texas knows how to take care of its own. I believe most Texans will respond by being generous and helpful to those who need it.



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Sounds like the Big State with even bigger hearts...great to hear.:thumbsup:

 

[LTTJ]

Sounds like the Big State with even bigger hearts...great to hear.:thumbsup:

Well you don't mess with Texas. Seriously.


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[billiebob]

Haha, thanks! I'm actually a lady Jeeper, but that's no biggie.

The one bright spot in all of this is that Texas knows how to take care of its own. I believe most Texans will respond by being generous and helpful to those who need it.

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No doubt. This is when community really counts. Stay safe.

 

[badlieutenant]

Haha, thanks! I'm actually a lady Jeeper, but that's no biggie.

I'm really worried because the Houston local government and our state government were really sending mixed messages about staying or evacuating. Further, the predictions seem like they were really conservative estimates, and now Houston is going to be a disaster. The one bright spot in all of this is that Texas knows how to take care of its own. I believe most Texans will respond by being generous and helpful to those who need it.



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Fixed!

 

[LTTJ]

A couple of updates... the entire Texas Army National Guard has been activated. That is like 13,000 people, so that'll help. Houston is asking anyone with boats or vehicles that can make it through high water to help rescue people if they are able. Apparently they have done more than 2,000 rescues as of this morning. Apparently there are a significant number of private citizens already doing this, which goes to show you what Texans are made of.

Dallas is set up to receive thousands of evacuees, and I'm sure Austin and San Antonio are also. I read more than 30,000 people will likely require shelters.

The Red Cross is taking donations, and there is a donation site in Addison near the Tollway and Arapaho for anyone in else in Dallas wanting to drop off supplies.

Houston is still getting rain.


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[Chris]

It behooves me that Houston has such a poor drainage system (at least I'm told), when they're right in the path of stuff like this. Of course I'm not sure any amount of draining system can solve this, but man... it seems like maybe the city of Houston needs some drainage updates?

I'm glad to see that everyone with a boat is helping out and people are going out of there way to help others. I've been watching this on the news and it's crazy. It rains a lot in Oregon (a lot), but the amount of rain they are getting there is epic.

 

[LTTJ]

It behooves me that Houston has such a poor drainage system (at least I'm told), when they're right in the path of stuff like this. Of course I'm not sure any amount of draining system can solve this, but man... it seems like maybe the city of Houston needs some drainage updates?

I'm glad to see that everyone with a boat is helping out and people are going out of there way to help others. I've been watching this on the news and it's crazy. It rains a lot in Oregon (a lot), but the amount of rain they are getting there is epic.

There has been some progress made. I read a great article this morning on improvements to the Texas Medical Center after hospitals learned some hard lessons through Katrina, Rita, and Ike.

Houston is just such a mass of urban sprawl that any attempt to develop better drainage would probably require the displacement of a lot of existing homes or businesses and significant changes to the infrastructure.

Our lunch table discussion today was focused on the decision to recommend evacuation or shelter in place, specifically because the state and local governments weren't exactly on the same page. I am interested to see if this causes the state to be more pro-evacuation, even if the storm doesn't seem too terrible, in the future.


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[Chris]

There has been some progress made. I read a great article this morning on improvements to the Texas Medical Center after hospitals learned some hard lessons through Katrina, Rita, and Ike.

Houston is just such a mass of urban sprawl that any attempt to develop better drainage would probably require the displacement of a lot of existing homes or businesses and significant changes to the infrastructure.

Our lunch table discussion today was focused on the decision to recommend evacuation or shelter in place, specifically because the state and local governments weren't exactly on the same page. I am interested to see if this causes the state to be more pro-evacuation, even if the storm doesn't seem too terrible, in the future.


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That makes sense. Often times it's hard to "upgrade" such a large city, especially when it's foundation has already been laid.

Going forward, I hope Texas learns from this. I would have thought that they would have issued mass evacuations. Unless they did and I just didn't read about it?

 

[LTTJ]

That makes sense. Often times it's hard to "upgrade" such a large city, especially when it's foundation has already been laid.

Going forward, I hope Texas learns from this. I would have thought that they would have issued mass evacuations. Unless they did and I just didn't read about it?

The Houston leadership said shelter in place and the Texas leadership said maybe some people should evacuate. Evacuations are now being ordered ahead of dam openings and more flooding to come.

The problem also is that mass evacuations before have been really horrible. People ran out of gas on I-45 or died trying to get out of Houston trying to evacuate from Hurricane Rita. Evacuating 6.5 million people from Houston- presumably mostly north- is a big issue.

I think they should have ordered evacuations starting Thursday and mobilized the guard then to start getting people out, but it wasn't entirely apparent how bad the storm would be at that point.

The Dallas mayor has been going on about how much of a disaster the Katrina and Rita evacuations were and how they are trying to do better. Apparently the Dallas convention center is being turned into a shelter city of sorts with a pharmacy courtesy of Walmart and a lot of cell phone charging stations. It really sounds like they are trying their best. The University of North Texas is accepting transfer students from Houston area schools and Dallas ISD is preparing to accept students from shelters so they can begin school on time.

Right now, people are being flown in, but Bush and Hobby in Houston are still shut down and I-45 is too flooded to get busses out, also.

Thanks for the Red Cross banner. Houston & Co. needs it.


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[Chris]

The Houston leadership said shelter in place and the Texas leadership said maybe some people should evacuate. Evacuations are now being ordered ahead of dam openings and more flooding to come.

The problem also is that mass evacuations before have been really horrible. People ran out of gas on I-45 or died trying to get out of Houston trying to evacuate from Hurricane Rita. Evacuating 6.5 million people from Houston- presumably mostly north- is a big issue.

I think they should have ordered evacuations starting Thursday and mobilized the guard then to start getting people out, but it wasn't entirely apparent how bad the storm would be at that point.

The Dallas mayor has been going on about how much of a disaster the Katrina and Rita evacuations were and how they are trying to do better. Apparently the Dallas convention center is being turned into a shelter city of sorts with a pharmacy courtesy of Walmart and a lot of cell phone charging stations. It really sounds like they are trying their best. The University of North Texas is accepting transfer students from Houston area schools and Dallas ISD is preparing to accept students from shelters so they can begin school on time.

Right now, people are being flown in, but Bush and Hobby in Houston are still shut down and I-45 is too flooded to get busses out, also.

Thanks for the Red Cross banner. Houston & Co. needs it.


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I assume Dallas is safe from the majority of this?

 

[JMT]

I'm sure Dallas is fine. Everything major, except Austin, is much closer to the coast.

I was told by a life-long resident of Corpus and Houston that the infrastructure/building developments in Houston over the last several decades were made in light of a storm like this occurring not every 50 or 100 years, but every 500. So they got the 500 year storm.

 

[LTTJ]

I assume Dallas is safe from the majority of this?

Oh yeah. We got less than an inch of rain over the weekend.

This is the most recent rainfall totals I've seen put out by the national weather service.

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[JMT]

We're on the fringe of the yellow, got 2 in over the weekend, so that ^^chart is pretty darn accurate. You get in that white zone and you're talking rain of biblical proportions for a couple of days.

 

[Reece]

I just saw some pictures from Lagrange, not good. If any of you are close to the Colorado River you should think about getting away.

Good luck people.

 

[Chris]

Hopefully no one here is from Houston... Those guys are getting pounded.

 

[LTTJ]

Hopefully no one here is from Houston... Those guys are getting pounded.

The closest I know of is @Cisco Kid in Texas City. I'm thinking most others are Hill Country or Metroplex. I haven't seen Cisco comment in a few days.


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