Stay safe in Texas

PappyJoe

Sending prayers to everyone in my home state of Texas this morning. You guys make sure you batten down the hatches and stay safe from the hurricane. 
If you are in an area prone to flooding and you haven't evacuated yet, please get out before the water start rising.

Keep your tobacco and your matches dry. 

PhilosoPiper

We live in the inner loop of Houston, decided to head to our family's farm in East Texas to avoid the flooding and lack of electricity. Safe and sound here!

Woodsman

Hers's hoping everyone is safe.

ghostsofpompeii

The sad thing is the News plays up each of these events as though they were the approaching apocalypse, only to have minor storm damage or the storm fizzles out before it reaches the proportions the media would lead people to believe. So after a while resident don't heed the warnings - and then when something like Hurricane Harvey does exactly what was predicted residents who decided to stay find themselves in the middle of a true  apocalyptic event. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people touched by this hurricane. I've watched the events unfold during the night and can only imagine the terror the people who remained must have been going through. And unfortunately it's not over yet. Living in a home with an ocean view can be beautiful - but because of the hurricanes or possibility of floods I'd never live near an ocean or river. Both are uncontrollable forces of nature that can forever change your life in a moments notice.     

randelli

Safe here just West of Fort Worth. Not sure if my area floods - only been here 1-1/2 years

motie2

Watch the Texas politicians -- who voted against financial assistance for NJ after Hurricane Sandy -- start asking for federal funds to rebuild.

PappyJoe

@motie2 - But you are missing why they voted against financial assistance for NJ after Hurricane Sandy - that bill had a lot of money going to projects unrelated to Hurricane Sandy in areas not affected by the hurricane.

motie2

Yes, Sir. You are correct, Sir. There are many crooks in government in NJ (what else is new?), but our NJ citizens affected by Sandy needed help. Texas, wrapped in moral superiority said no. Thank goodness we can be assured that there won't be any shenanigans with disaster aid sent to Texas, a bastion of truth, justice, and the American way, despite periodic desire to secede from the Union.

If the US doesn't help Texas (but you know they will help, because Texas is a Red State) Texans might turn to Aramco for financial assistance.

I pray for those adversely affected by the hurricane.
Politicians (Texan or otherwise) can take care of themselves.... they always do.

PappyJoe

@motie2 - Politicians tell us they rise to the top to lead us because they are the best for the job. Turds, like politicians, also rise to the top of a cesspool.
And by the way, there were northern politicians who balked at send aid to the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina. 

motie2

Ok. Gotcha. Two wrongs make a right!!!!

All Politicians are thieves. The very best of them are thieves, whose goal is to be re-elected. To what may the thing be compared? To newspapers. People think newspapers exist to spread the news (Oh, I'm sorry: I'm supposed to say "Fake news"). A newspaper's real purpose is to stay in business so they can sell advertising (make money). Politicians exist to get re-elected and make money.

Ordinary citizens are the ongoing victims of politicians, even ones they foolishly supported.

I'm done. Political arguments make my teeth hurt.

PappyJoe

Didn't say that @motie2. Just pointed out that all politicians are the same.

Just remember: Not all liars are politicians, but all politicians are liars.

PappyJoe

For the record. 
I am from SE Texas. Born in Port Arthur, graduated from high school in Beaumont and all my relatives live in the Beaumont/Vidor area.
I think everyone who is the victim of a hurricane - whether it's Texas, Louisiana or New Jersey - should be helped by the federal government as long as checks are in place to prevent fraud. 

thebadgerpiper

My thoughts and prayers go out to those dealing with the hurricane. I had some flooding in my basement last month, but it pales to compare to what's going on down in Texas. Hope everyone down there is safe and sound.

PappyJoe

Heard from a family friend who lives just over an hour north of Houston, by Sunday night, his neighborhood has had over 24 inches of rain. My family members living between Beaumont and the Louisiana border have also had a lot of rain and my oldest sister and her husband evacuated because they live in a low area. Others have some flooding in the streets but not in the yards yet.

PappyJoe

From the National Hurricane Center:

There have been reports of 2-day
rainfall totals of close to 30 inches in the Greater Houston area.
With the additional rains that are expected over the next several
days, rainfall totals could reach 50 inches in some locations, which
would be historic for the area.

Londy3

My prayers are with all in Texas

jim102864

Very sad.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of that entire region.

Woodsman

It's bad down there, They're going to release large amounts of water from 2 dams to prevent failure, and the rains continue.

PhilosoPiper

Update from Houston:
In my neighborhood of The Heights most places are fine and are starting to open up. There are still considerable amounts of people with water in their homes in many of the lower lying areas. 
My relatives in the Beaumont & Port Arthur areas are almost all flooded out of their homes, some with chest deep water. These times are sad for many here in South East Texas, but the silver lining is the love and support being shelled out, not only by fellow Texans, but people from all over the United States. Continue to keep all of us in your thoughts and your prayers.

My church is starting to launch some relief efforts, if you would like to get involved I will include a link. Please whatever you do, do not give to the Red Cross. They are not reliable, and they are known to have poor business practices. 

https://villageheights.church/hurricaneharvey/

PappyJoe

My sisters and all their extended family lives in Vidor, Lumberton and Orange. Only one of my nieces didn't get flooded. My oldest sister lives in a low lying area and they got out fine but haven't been able to get back in to see how high the water got. I say thank you for all the local first responders and volunteers who have helped everyone in the Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange area because from what I have been able to find out, the federal agencies have so far not responded much out of the Houston area. I do know the Coast Guard sent boats and personnel into the area but they are probably working mostly in the Port Arthur area which was hardest hit by flooding.

I'm not being critical of the Federal and State first responders, National Guard, Army or Coast Guard. I know what goes on in the command and control centers and how the decisions are made. Houston was hit harder and flooded before other areas.

@philosopiper - I have only anecdotal stories about the Red Cross, but you are correct. I grew up in Beaumont and back in the early 70s, radio stations used to do food drives to collect food and clothing for hurricane victims. I spent a week loading 18 wheelers and sending them to Corpus Christi as a part of the effort one time. The radio station shut it down when the Red Cross took the food and started making people pay for it. In the my years of working disaster with the Coast Guard, this isn't the only story I've heard. I don't give to the Red Cross. 

Woodsman

Yeah, they'd show pictures in the news of the "Donut Dollies" giving out donuts and coffee, they never showed them charging for them.
That said; Watch out for these phony groups that will pop up asking for donations for Storm Victims, My wife gave a donation through where she worked for 9/11 victim relief, it was phony and we are bombarded by phony vultures to this day. Check a so called charity out before sending any money. Sometimes they catch them, but even then they're out on bail continuing the scam. 

PappyJoe

Some of my family were able to get to the Lake Charles area yesterday and a nephew is heading back with 200 cases of water and other supplies in the back of his truck  to give people in his community. Water hasn't started falling much yet and most of the area to the east of Beaumont is still without power.

PappyJoe

I'm making a supply run to SeTexas tomorrow. 

Londy3

Now the real problems in TX will begin, the salvage and rebuild. 80% of people did not have flood insurance and will likely have to pay out of pocket for damages or rebuild. How will they do this with existing bills and mortgage? If they have to rebuild, they pay for another home on top of what they lost. This is the gap in which I believe Federal govt should assist so victims don't also drown in financial debt too. Think of the billions we give to countries that also have terrorist that are rejoicing in the TX disaster. We help others more than our own people. Don't forget, what ever help FEMA offers will be in the form of a low interest loan that must be paid back. It's so wrong. From the FEMA website: FEMA assistance is not intended to restore your damaged property to its condition before the disaster. Our assistance is meant to help you with essential expenses that cannot be covered in other ways like insurance. Again we need the Federal govt to help relieve the financial loss to restore and rebuild.

PappyJoe

With the help of a local grocery store owner, the wife and I made the trip to a small SE Texas town hit hard by the Hurricane. We had to switch to a higher truck to get in but we got there and delivered some supplies to a nursing home, some to three family members and gave groceries to several families that are still surrounded by water. We had to drive though two areas where the road was covered by 18 to 30 inches of water. We donated the majority of the supplies to a church which was stranded between the two flood areas we drove through. 

PappyJoe

The Coast Guard may have problems responding to Irma.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/09/06/response-harvey-irma-test-coast-guards-limits-admiral-says.html#.WbFDI25UTfQ.facebook