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HURRICANE HARVEY

Started by Biggus Dickus, August 25, 2017, 01:34:51 PM

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Biggus Dickus

This looks like it's going to be a really nasty and damaging storm hitting the coast of Texas. I know Bruce is from Texas, but not sure or not if we have other HAF members living in the area as well. Hope you are all able to stay safe.

It seems as if every condition which can be present to make the storm even more impactful and harmful is working against the coastline.

If I'm reading the reports right this is actually a tropical cyclone which brings with it a whole list of potential problems.

One is that it is slow moving so once it hits the coastline it may just sit there as there is a high-pressure system blocking it from moving anywhere, also the fact that if it hits at high-tide which is expected the water level could be 12 feet above ground bringing with it destructive wave that could effect 300 miles of coastline.
You've got up to 35 inches of rainfall expected at 2-4 inches per hour, so flooding is expected, and also 111 mile an hour winds at landfall and then devastating gusts to follow further damaging the coastline.

It sounds simply nasty as hell...good luck everyone.
"Some people just need a high-five. In the face. With a chair."

Firebird

And if I remember correctly, we still don't have a FEMA director in place yet? I really hope this doesn't turn into another Katrina-like situation.
"Great, replace one book about an abusive, needy asshole with another." - Will (moderator) on replacing hotel Bibles with "Fifty Shades of Grey"

Ecurb Noselrub

I'm 200 miles in, so we are just expecting rain.  But thousands are fleeing inland.

Ecurb Noselrub

Winds now at 130, Caregory 4.  Just hours from Corpus Christi.  Roads inland are jammed.

solidsquid

That storm became a monster really quickly and unexpectedly.  Originally, it was only supposed to be a category 1 max which the coast could have weathered as they've been there before in recent history.  But this thing grew in intensity fast.  Rockport, Texas and Aransas Pass area look like a war zone - destruction everywhere.  My sister lives in Corpus Christi and they came up to stay with me in San Antonio.  My parents live in Cuero just north of Victoria which was hit pretty hard once the storm came inland.  Fortunately, their house made it through the storm but now river flooding is a huge concern.  The last huge flood was in 1998 and devastated the area with a height of 50 feet.  Last I saw the river was expected to crest at 45 feet.

Houston is suffering the worst with an unprecedented amount of flooding it has never experienced.  It is hard looking at social media and seeing all the pleas for help.  A lot of people in Victoria that I know greatly underestimated the impact of the storm and were vastly under-prepared.  With road closures I couldn't even make it down there.

It will take Texas a long time to recover from this and it's not even over yet for Houston.

If anything, this storm has motivated me to get more into preparedness than before.  Luckily I had a place for my family to come to for safety and had plenty of food, water and supplies on hand already.  A lot of friends also evacuated and some came back to destroyed homes and others to homes that were not only destroyed but looted by opportunistic scumbags as well.

Biggus Dickus

How utterly devastating this has been...thought it would be bad, but nothing like this. Been sitting on Twitter reading real live persons tweet that they are stuck in flood ravaged areas and need to be rescued.

At times I feel sort of guilty, sitting at home, dry and comfortable, watching as this unfolds live on my television screen like some macabre spectator sport.

Glad to know you all are safe.
"Some people just need a high-five. In the face. With a chair."

Arturo

Quote from: Father Bruno on August 30, 2017, 08:58:50 PM
How utterly devastating this has been...thought it would be bad, but nothing like this. Been sitting on Twitter reading real live persons tweet that they are stuck in flood ravaged areas and need to be rescued.

At times I feel sort of guilty, sitting at home, dry and comfortable, watching as this unfolds live on my television screen like some macabre spectator sport.

Glad to know you all are safe.

Jeez you just made me think of my friends...they were posting pictures of the flood...I didn't realize they could potentially need being rescued...
It's Okay To Say You're Welcome
     Just let people be themselves.
     Arturo The1  リ壱

Tom62

Quote from: Father Bruno on August 30, 2017, 08:58:50 PM
At times I feel sort of guilty, sitting at home, dry and comfortable, watching as this unfolds live on my television screen like some macabre spectator sport.

I feel sorry for those people. I never felt any guilt for the misfortunes of other people.
The universe never did make sense; I suspect it was built on government contract.
Robert A. Heinlein

Dave

Quote from: Tom62 on August 31, 2017, 11:02:41 AM
Quote from: Father Bruno on August 30, 2017, 08:58:50 PM
At times I feel sort of guilty, sitting at home, dry and comfortable, watching as this unfolds live on my television screen like some macabre spectator sport.

I feel sorry for those people. I never felt any guilt for the misfortunes of other people.

Yes, sorrow is appropriate, and helping materially or with a donation where possible, but, Fr Bruno, I think "guilt" is misplaced if there is no cause on your part. Are the American Red Cross, or any other national body that accepts donations, involved?
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Biggus Dickus

Quote from: Gloucester on August 31, 2017, 11:29:36 AM
Quote from: Tom62 on August 31, 2017, 11:02:41 AM
Quote from: Father Bruno on August 30, 2017, 08:58:50 PM
At times I feel sort of guilty, sitting at home, dry and comfortable, watching as this unfolds live on my television screen like some macabre spectator sport.

I feel sorry for those people. I never felt any guilt for the misfortunes of other people.

Yes, sorrow is appropriate, and helping materially or with a donation where possible, but, Fr Bruno, I think "guilt" is misplaced if there is no cause on your part. Are the American Red Cross, or any other national body that accepts donations, involved?

Guilt may have been a poor choice of wording on my part, maybe uncomfortable is better? It's just that I was sitting warm and dry at home sitting in front of my television watching the events unfold live in front of me. I had a beverage, and plate of food and was watching with my son.

We were commenting back and forth on what we were viewing, sometimes excitedly,  and at one point I felt like I was simply a spectator, unattached, as if watching a football or soccer game.

I guess it was the atmosphere of the home situation that made me feel distant from the events, again more of a spectator. We have made a donation to a national organization to help, but again it was just that feeling I had in the moment.

Part of it is the way the news team cover these types of events I think,  you know with the big scrawling headers rolling across the screen, and the serious and dramatic music playing as they switch between reporters and the "Situation Room". How much of that is simply to report the news and how much of it is overkill simply to keep me watching the events and increase viewers?

Maybe that's how god feels when she's watching all of the shit we go through down here? I can picture her sitting on a nice couch with a large bowl of popcorn, feet propped up on a davenport; maybe a few cold ones as she is watching humans enveloped in untold misery and destruction over the millennia?

"Some people just need a high-five. In the face. With a chair."

Dave

Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Dragonia

The county that I live in started a Harvey Help Plan, asking for donations that someone would then drive over to a contact in Houston..... well, the response from our community was truly astounding. 6 gigantic Uhaul trucks were FULL of essentials like water, medicine, diapers, food, etc.  The piles at the 2 drop-off points were overwhelming. My kids and I went to help load up, and again, so many people showed up to help.
Just a drop in the bucket, but I sure would appreciate a community helping my community if we had a crisis also.
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. ~ Plato (?)

Dave

Quote from: Dragonia on September 01, 2017, 03:55:11 AM
The county that I live in started a Harvey Help Plan, asking for donations that someone would then drive over to a contact in Houston..... well, the response from our community was truly astounding. 6 gigantic Uhaul trucks were FULL of essentials like water, medicine, diapers, food, etc.  The piles at the 2 drop-off points were overwhelming. My kids and I went to help load up, and again, so many people showed up to help.
Just a drop in the bucket, but I sure would appreciate a community helping my community if we had a crisis also.
It never ceases to amaze me how generous people can be at times like this. Even in times of austerity in the UK people still reach deep in their pockets in times if disaster, here or overseas
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Dragonia

It always happens: in times of crisis, communities see their common humanity, we feel the brotherhood of man, sharp hatreds soften, we get shit done, together. And then it fades, until the next emergency.
Why can't we keep that spirit of love and acceptance and "We Are The World" going???
Is it too much of a pie-in-the-sky dream?
Dang, I must be in the mood to rant this morning because I have to reign myself in for the 2nd time in 15 minutes.
But... just one more thing, I wish people would realize that we are all we have in this world and we need each other, no matter out politics, our religions, our parenting style, our income, even our intelligence.
Geeaaaddddd...... Must. Stop.
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. ~ Plato (?)

Dave

Quote from: Dragonia on September 01, 2017, 12:28:12 PM
It always happens: in times of crisis, communities see their common humanity, we feel the brotherhood of man, sharp hatreds soften, we get shit done, together. And then it fades, until the next emergency.
Why can't we keep that spirit of love and acceptance and "We Are The World" going???
Is it too much of a pie-in-the-sky dream?
Dang, I must be in the mood to rant this morning because I have to reign myself in for the 2nd time in 15 minutes.
But... just one more thing, I wish people would realize that we are all we have in this world and we need each other, no matter out politics, our religions, our parenting style, our income, even our intelligence.
Geeaaaddddd...... Must. Stop.

Unranted rant understood.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74