Look out Texas

[fillyok]

Yup Vicki, this is a BIG one. I'm afraid to tell you that you should've probably left again. The experts are predicting Ike is more than 70% percent larger than the average hurricane with storm winds reaching from Galveston all the way to Key West. The expected storm surge is 20 feet and waves up to 50 feet (computer models have the waves at 70 feet). The shallow Gulf of Mexico is allowing Ike to build intensity.

It looks like I'll be okay on the outskirts of the storm. I'll definately lock the pack in tomorrow just in case, but I believe they'll be okay. It makes you feel kind of helpless...like watching a very slow train wreck. Pray for those poor souls on that stranded freighter...the Coast Guard just had to abort the mission to try and save them.

[jerryo]

Thanks for all the concern. As Vicster said Benny, Lady, BobbyCat and I will be staying home at Fort Piney Woods Chowquarters for this one. We are far enough inland that storm surge is not an issue, and the only potential problems are tornadoes and trees falling on us. That could pretty much happen anytime anywhere, so if God wants to smack you in the head with a pine tree, it's probably a done deal. We expect the center of the storm to pass through here about noon Saturday, so power and communications will likely be out for some amount of time. All the water jugs are full, and I just picked up a fresh bag of Nutro, and a bunch of snacks for myself, so we should be set. BTW, that was a good job of praying to move the storm off FillyOK and on to us over here in the I-45 corridor.

The TV just showed a bunch of idiots at the Poop Deck Bar in Galveston partying like it was Mardi Gras. I hope they took the Mayor's advice and wrote their Social Security #'s on their arms, so they can identify the bodies after the storm. Sometimes you need to clean out the gene pool.

[vicster605]

Hey Jerryo, I prayed for it to turn into a Tropical Storm and go to Mexico.... yup, Thats exactly what WE GOT A TROPICAL STORM....not quite what I had in mind
I've been thinking I should of left many times today, Phyllis....but its starting to calm down a bit....not a good sign for Tx. Hope the darn thing goes in during the morning hrs instead of at night.....but it looks like 1 am from what they are saying here......scary the noices you hear....put some cotton in your ears Jerryo The winds and rain will start long before its actually inland....the darned thing is HUGE.
I heard about the people on that freighter this morning.....I hope they make it.....sure will be a ROUGH RIDE
I'm sooooo glad its lookin' better for you Phyllis

[vicster605]

Oh Jerryo, I forgot to tell our wonderful Mayor Ray Nagin extended a WARM WELCOME to anyone in Tx wanting to run here for the storm said, to tell the Motel to give you the Mayor Nagan special discount

[jerryo]

Is that Mayorial discount good at the Marriott and Motel 6, or just at the Motel NoTell?

[chris]

Hope all is going well Jerryo. We have friends in Houston... who happen to be in New Orleans at the moment. (DH's buddy in the insurance industry...go figure )
But, for sure DH is going down... might be first wave of people, might be 2nd but a good chance I will be coming down. You far from there?

Chris

[vicster605]

Depends Jerryo!!!!
Tell them to ask for their discount Chris Now I'm excited, can't wait to meet you!!!

[jerryo]

I'm in the little town of Trinity about 85 miles north of Houston if you guys are coming that way. Should be lots of insurance work to do in Houston, starting tomorrow.

[carolyn dewrance]

I am following the storm on internet, and I am very worried about you all, Please god keep you all safe, and let it go back to the sea. Hold your fur babies tight, and never let go. I wish I could just get up there and turn it away,
We have been having a lot of bush fires in this area at the moment, very windy, and very hot, but no danger to the farms around.
Carolyn

[vicster605]

I hope & pray everyone is safe in Tx. They said last night that 40% of the population in Galveston STAYED......I have been watching in horror waiting to see people sitting on top of their houses like during Katrina. I will never understand after what happened here, WHY ANYONE wouldn't listen to their Mayor who plainly stated YOU STAY YOU WILL DIE and then came back and told them to put their SS#'s on their arms so they could identify their bodies after the storm was over....... Now what part of that would MAKE YOU WANT TO STAY??????
I hope Jerryo is ok....I talked to him and thought he had been thru many storms BUT this is his first.....so now I'm worried about him.....he has indeed gotten a feel for what its like, as this one came in at night Jerryo you have to post ASAP as I hope one of those Piney Trees didn't get you and now I'm worried about you too.
My Niece said they are expecting IKE to come thru Dallas as a CAT 1, not worried about the flooding but the tarnado's are pretty bad in this storm so will worry about that......Darn, I worry about everyone don't I.......looks like this storm is going effect ALOT of states and cause much more damage with the rain and flooding across the states. Hope everyone stays safe!!!!!

[chris]

I have something funny to tell you guys... I thought that Jerryo made up the "fort piney woods" thing... but last night on the news they said "Piney Woods".... lol... evidently there really is such a place... My bad.... hehehehhe

Hope you all are ok... I was looking at photos of down town houston and EGADS thats gonna take a while to fix back up.

[chris]

OMG... speaking of that Vicki... just now on the news they were saying those people that did not evacuate, some called 911 last night... DERRRRR!.... no one could come help them, but they were really just calling to talk to someone, they were scared and saying things like they weren't sure they were going to survive the night. I guess we will find out if anyone didn't make it through out the next few days.

[vicster605]

I heard the same thing about the Piney Woods Too Chris and couldn't help but
My friend Laurie who came with me to Chow Fest....her family is in Houston and they have been talkin' via text all night....
Here's the report from Houston....not sure if the time line is right but still kinda funny at least her Daddy was at the end
1 AM- Its still CALM the wind isn't even blowin'
3 AM- The wind is starting to blow
4 AM- The wind is blowin' REALLY HARD NOW and its rainin' sideways, the sounds are soooo scary!!!
5 AM- THE EYE must be here.....its all calm again and we walked outside, still don't see any damage
6 AM- OMG THE WIND IS BLOWIN' THE OTHER WAY NOW and its WORSE than the FIRST TIME!!!!! Can see the fence is down and stuff is all over the place......the sounds OMG
8 AM- Call from her Daddy......In a nice calm low voice.....Laurie, never, never stay for a Hurricane
I know they had to have the beeeegeeee scared out of them. But so far no flooding which was a worry and they seem to be ok so far.....storm seems to be passing with the worst over.....still getting wind and rain but with these storms DAYLIGHT is ALWAYS A GOOD THING!!!!

[fillyok]

Over 1,200 911 calls!!! I think they should be charged for the rescue IF they are rescued. They started doing that here in San Antonio. If people disregard low-level crossing barriers and attempt to go through them and get stuck, I think they pay something like $3,000 for the rescue. I think common sense should be called uncommon sense since it does seem like it's less and less common these days.

I hope Jerryo and gang are okay.

[Dogdad]

Over 1,200 911 calls!!! I think they should be charged for the rescue IF they are rescued. They started doing that here in San Antonio. If people disregard low-level crossing barriers and attempt to go through them and get stuck, I think they pay something like $3,000 for the rescue. I think common sense should be called uncommon sense since it does seem like it's less and less common these days.

I hope Jerryo and gang are okay.

I hope everyone is ok, I am like vicki, can't understand that if you can afford to get out then why don't you, heard last night that police and rescue weren't going out to rescue because it was too dangerous. I don't blame them, they were warned. Katrina was not that long ago.....

David

[Cara&Haley]

The reporters were calling them the "brave ones", I call them the stupid ones.

I wonder if West Texas Chow Rescue is ok?

[vicster605]

I think what people DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND Is the meaning of MANDATORY EVACUATION....it doesn't mean they are going to come and drag you out of your house....
The TRUE MEANING is THIS.......
IF YOU DON'T LEAVE......if your home catches on fire NO FIRE TRUCK
If you get sick, have a heart attack or choke, need an ambulance......NO AMBULANCE OR RIDE TO THE HOSPITAL
If someone comes and breaks into your house.....NO POLICE
NO STORES OPEN, NO PHARMACY"S OPEN if you run out of water or food.....TOO BAD....
YOUR ON YOUR OWN!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!
That includes if a tree falls on your head WHOOPS TOO BAD (that happened during Katrina, and the man died, lived around the corner from Laurie)
If you have to sit on your roof because it flooded WELL>>>>>>YOU HAVE TO SIT THERE AND HOPE THEY MAKE IN TIME TO SAVE YOUR DUMB BUTT!!!!
Does that sound BRAVE to you??? NOT TO ME
I feel when people stay and can leave that they are taking their OWN LIVES into their OWN HANDS and you can't control Mother Nature.....so good luck. If you stay and call 911 pay up LOL!!! I TOTALLY AGREE WITH PHILLIS They really should do that... Great Idea!!!
If you are sick, elderly or poor you should call you local government officals and let them know....they will assist you to get out of town. ummmm well since the Katrina Ordeal ONLY 3 yrs ago

[fillyok]

As they say in the South, some people jus' need killin'. I think Jerryo said it best though...cleaning out the gene pool.

WTCR should be fine, they're up in Lubbock...about 9 hours from Houston on the other side of Dallas.

And of course we haven't even seen a drop of rain...dryer than a popcorn fart around here...I was expecting to get my lawn watered at least!! I guess it beats the alternative.

[vicster605]

LOL!!! I thought Laura was the only one that uses that expression I LOVE Tx people or should I say Southerners!!!! Guess the furkids don't need their bowls of ice either then??? Thats wonderful !!!! Use the water hose for the lawn, you don't need that kind of rain
Phyllis, did it pass you already??? I know my niece in Dallas said they are expecting Ike to still be a CAT 1 when it goes thru there....not sure when that is though. So if Tx gets LOTS of tarnado's anyway, does that mean they are worse when a Hurricane comes??? Or the same?? Did anyone die in Galveston??? OMG I was sooooo upset that those people stayed, I can't begin to tell you I just told Dogdad that my motivation to leave my house is the vision of all those people sitting on their roofs, and in their attics.....not to mention the dead bodies floating in the streets, doesn't hurt either....but then again I didn't have to see any of that to be motivated to leave because nothing worse than thinkin' about sitting in one of our attics in Aug or Sept. Would be what I would imagine HELL to be like....HOT!!!!

[fillyok]

It's so sad that events like this bring out the worst in people. I just saw on the news that Air Force pararescue troops are risking their lives to try and save people and some of those people are STILL refusing to leave. The troops are giving them food and water...I'd give them a piece of my mind and that's it! I guess they're not afraid of all the diseases that come along with disasters like this.

I also saw a poor cow on some steps of a house...totally surrounded by water. I feel terrible about the animals...they had no choice to leave...the people did.

[chris]

I SAY, RESCUE THE COW..... LEAVE THE IDIOTS AND LET THEM FEND FOR THEMSELVES... THEY CHOSE TO STAY...

[carolyn dewrance]

Went onto one of the web sites, what a mess, and the house burning, wood all over the place and water every where, how I feel for those that are loosing everything they have, I only pray that they and there animals are safe, it's very very scary, what a terrible storm.
Carolyn

[Jeff&Peks]

I SAY, RESCUE THE COW..... LEAVE THE IDIOTS AND LET THEM FEND FOR THEMSELVES... THEY CHOSE TO STAY...

Watch it Chris can't have any of that putting the Chow before the human stuff, where is your Compassion and understanding for the idiots. What's that word? oh yeah you need EMPATHY. I think it means something like, If you don't shop at Wal-Mart how will you understand human suffering.

[chris]

[janet]

hey all, thank god you all are safe and ok. i had the weekend from hell at work, and i couldnt wait to check in here. i guess my prayers are working.