Who here is on the Texas coast?

[Woody's Workshop]

The Weather Channel is giving non stop coverage on Harvey.
The Governor has declared a state of emergency for several counties along the coast.
Major Oil Refinery's are in the region which could effect the whole county.
Flooding is going to be the main issue as this slow moving monster is anticipated to dump at least 15" of rain besides the storm surge.

Who on here is preparing, or moving to higher ground?
Is there any launch events scheduled this weekend that will be effected?
If possible, as a Nation, we should prepare for the worst where refined oil is concerned and the cost increases across the board are concerned.

 

[viciouspeanut]

I'm in Houston - we will see how it turns out. A lot has changed since yesterday when it was predicted to MAYBE be a Cat 1 and now we are being told a Cat 3 - I got my essentials and gas yesterday and urged loved ones to do the same. Hopefully the lower coast where the high winds will be worse is OK. But yes, flooding is going to be a nightmare - 20+" is expected over the next four days. Goes OK at first but we get water logged and start to back up so that is the main concern here. Don't worry too much about gas - there are massive stores of it all over the country and we are pros at getting back up and running.

 

[muddymooose]

I visited San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Padre Island National Seashore back in June. After experiencing the people and places, it makes this storm a lot more real for me. I can't believe how fast this thing gained strength. I've been watching with great concern and hope for the best.

 

[ColumbiaNX01]

I guess people accept the risk when they live on the coast for hurricanes and people say we take risks living in Oklahoma for tornados.

 

[viciouspeanut]

This storm was unusual in the fact it went from a Tropical Depression to a Cat 4 storm in a matter of a day and a half. Very unusual. Prayers with everyone affected - so far not much in Houston other than heavy rain.

As for hurricanes vs tornados I'd take hurricanes. Atleast we have days notice on them - both are obviously horrible disasters.

 

[dhbarr]

I grew up west coast. I'll take tornadoes over real earthquakes or a crowning fire any summer, all summer.

There's sirens and holes in the ground and everything!

 

[Peartree]

A friend of mine is on "high ground" in Corpus Christi if there is such a thing.

 

[viciouspeanut]

They had a mandatory evacuation so hopefully he is ok - they are not going to send first responders to emergency calls after a mandatory evacuation order was issued.

Making landfall now - sensors in ground zero reporting 140+ mph.

A friend of mine is on "high ground" in Corpus Christi if there is such a thing.

 

[cwbullet]

I am in Copperas Cove. Not on the coast.

 

[Nytrunner]

I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, so my immediate family down there is still far enough south to be out of it. Buuuut, I have lots of friends and old classmates all over central texas, so I'm checking facebook for "I'm ok's" pretty regularly. I got to say since I moved to Rocket city, I DO NOT miss having to board up the house and haul out the sand bags for tropical storms and hurricanes every few years.

 

[Random Flying Object]

We are south of Houston. It was a long night of tornado warnings, primarily around Galveston. No flooding so far, just really wet. Too wet/humid to paint so it looks like I'm flying naked for Airfest.

 

[MaxQ]

I have a lot of cousins in Corpus Christi, I've fished Padre island and Laguna Madre with them. Very nice place.
They told me Thursday night they were not leaving and staying put.

Haven't heard from them this morning, but indications are they didn't get the brunt of it.

https://www.kiiitv.com/weather/hurricane/tracking-harvey-/466884319

https://www.facebook.com/KIII3News/videos/10154603683691805/

 

[rstaff3]

I lived by NASA for several years and know what they are going through. Still have friends in the area. Prayers for them, the rocket community and everyone affected.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Rocketry Forum mobile app

 

[Nytrunner]

And levity will come through even in dark times.
I will never understand the idiosyncrasies of football fans

 

[modeltrains]

Various related content:

https://www.politico.com/blogs/on-m...per-paywalls-hurricane-harvey-coverage-242064

Top newspapers lower paywalls for Hurricane Harvey
By CRISTIANO LIMA
08/26/2017 01:07 PM EDT
The nation's three most storied newspapers — The New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal — lowered their paywalls this weekend for coverage of Hurricane Harvey.
The rare, concurrent move by the three titles gave non-subscribers unlimited access to their on-the-ground reporting as Harvey continues to inflict damage along the Texan coastline. It also gives readers access to weather and safety coverage.
"During times when safety may be at risk, access to accurate and up-to-date information is crucial," a spokesperson for the New York Times told POLITICO.
The three newspapers join The Houston Chronicle and other local Texas news outlets in reducing barriers to entry for content in the wake of Harvey.

Are some members of Wrong Planet forum for Asperger's and autism who live in Texas where hurricane hit are posting linking to YouTube videos from networks and from storm chasers.
The Live Storms Media https://www.youtube.com/user/LiveStormsNetwork and the Storm Chasing Video https://www.youtube.com/user/bnvn1 YouTube channels seem to have the best video documentation.

Man, Rockport really got chewed up. People there have some hard work ahead of them.

Hurricane Harvey Threatens Texas Wind Farms — With Too Much Wind
10:41 AM ET https://fortune.com/2017/08/26/hurricane-harvey-threatens-texas-wind-farms/

One of the worst things that can happen to a wind farm is too much wind.
Hurricane Harvey was packing top winds of 115 miles (185 kilometers) an hour on Saturday, according to a National Hurricane Center advisory. That’s more than twice the 55 miles-an-hour speed that prompts many turbines to shut off. The result: The storm could knock out between 2.1 and 3.6 gigawatts of power near the Texas coast, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Production was set to peak in the late afternoon Friday and taper off as turbines automatically begin to shut down, according to Simon Mahan, a director at Southern Wind Energy Association. Turbines generally aren’t designed for hurricane risk, said Alex Morgan, a New York-based analyst at BNEF.

“They’ll pitch down and yaw into the wind, which allows them to safely pinwheel,” said John Martinez, director of operation at Pattern Energy Group Inc., which owns the 283-megawatt Gulf Wind farm in Kenedy County. “This way the blades don’t flex, which can be damaging. The turbines are designed to automatically do that.”

The 3.6 gigawatts of capacity installed in the south power zone of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas is a different matter. About 2.1 gigawatts is directly along the coast.

 

[modeltrains]

Have seen numerous videos where flags were not taken down and I can't figure out why that is. It's not like there was only 5 minutes warning for the hurricane which left no time to spend 10 minutes taking down your flags.
"All weather" flag may or may not mean literally "All" weather as in that it will survive 80 to 100 mph winds.
§174. Time and occasions for display
"(c) Inclement weather
The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an
all weather flag is displayed."

 

[Random Flying Object]

Rain, rain and more rain....

 

[captbk]

I have been thru hurricanes and flooding. I lived ON the gulf. Ive put the plywood on the windows and lost power and had to hunker down around a little radio and candle and try to hear something on the radio over the constant howl of the wind outside. I rode out a couple Cat 1 storms and it's no picnic. This was a Cat 4 and its still raining and flooding like crazy 5 days after landfall. The people of Texas are hurting bad and this disaster will scare south Texas for years to come.

 

[Random Flying Object]

I have been thru hurricanes and flooding. I lived ON the gulf. Ive put the plywood on the windows and lost power and had to hunker down around a little radio and candle and try to hear something on the radio over the constant howl of the wind outside. I rode out a couple Cat 1 storms and it's no picnic. This was a Cat 4 and its still raining and flooding like crazy 5 days after landfall. The people of Texas are hurting bad and this disaster will scare south Texas for years to come.

Roger that!

Looks like the system has moved out. Time to clean up.

 

[Nytrunner]

That is a massive quantity of water.......
Before and after

I've driven/walked almost all the areas in this video. Unbelievable.

 

[boatgeek]

Special thanks to the "Cajun Navy," a bunch of people who are bringing their personal boats to pull people off rooftops in coordination with local authorities. There was a guy on the radio yesterday who had rescued over 50 people the day before, about 10 people at a time.

I like my natural disasters short and without warning, so I live in earthquake country.

 

[viciouspeanut]

All - this is destruction on a scale that I haven't seen before and I've lived here all my life. Millions of people have lost everything. I don't like asking people to donate but if you have the means please consider donating to some of the organizations that have been set up. This will take years to recover from, and anything we can do to assist is going to mean the world. Also there have been many many pet rescues so the SPCA and humane society need assistance too.

Sorry for the post and if it breaks rules please delete it. It's just heartbreaking to watch my city hurt. But thousands of first responders, private citizens and people out of Houston have been down to help and that gives us hope. God Bless Texas.

 

[Peartree]

Have seen numerous videos where flags were not taken down and I can't figure out why that is. It's not like there was only 5 minutes warning for the hurricane which left no time to spend 10 minutes taking down your flags.
"All weather" flag may or may not mean literally "All" weather as in that it will survive 80 to 100 mph winds.
§174. Time and occasions for display
"(c) Inclement weather
The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an
all weather flag is displayed."

My guess is simply that when faced with boarding up your home and preparing to evacuate, or even preparing to hunker down and stay, there are so many things to do with so many things on your mind, that lowering a ten dollar flag doesn't even come to mind.

 

[Wizard]

Just a rough idea of the volume we've seen down here - it is estimated that the water we have received is the same as if Niagara Falls poured on us for 15 days.

David

 

[viciouspeanut]

They are telling us 1 trillion gallons of water, some spots had 52" of water in five days.

 

[MaxQ]

All - this is destruction on a scale that I haven't seen before and I've lived here all my life. Millions of people have lost everything. I don't like asking people to donate but if you have the means please consider donating to some of the organizations that have been set up. This will take years to recover from, and anything we can do to assist is going to mean the world. Also there have been many many pet rescues so the SPCA and humane society need assistance too.

Sorry for the post and if it breaks rules please delete it. It's just heartbreaking to watch my city hurt. But thousands of first responders, private citizens and people out of Houston have been down to help and that gives us hope. God Bless Texas.

I can't imagine anyone objecting to your post - rules or not
This is a crisis, and thanks for your letting us know.

 

[Steve Shannon]

All - this is destruction on a scale that I haven't seen before and I've lived here all my life. Millions of people have lost everything. I don't like asking people to donate but if you have the means please consider donating to some of the organizations that have been set up. This will take years to recover from, and anything we can do to assist is going to mean the world. Also there have been many many pet rescues so the SPCA and humane society need assistance too.

Sorry for the post and if it breaks rules please delete it. It's just heartbreaking to watch my city hurt. But thousands of first responders, private citizens and people out of Houston have been down to help and that gives us hope. God Bless Texas.

I don't think you have anything at all to be sorry about. Frequently in times like these scams appear which take advantage of a disaster. As a result people don't know who to trust and what are some good places to donate.
If you have first hand knowledge of organizations that are helping, please consider posting it so we know where our donations might really help.


Steve Shannon

 

[viciouspeanut]

Hi Steve - thank you. I will post the charity that has been most recommended. I have personally donated and I believe 100% of proceeds go straight to those in need. It is being organized by JJ Watt. As mentioned above the Houston SPCA and Humane Society are also overwhelmed so they could use assistance too. We are being told to preferably not do the cell phone text donation because there is a delay in th funds being released from the providers to the Red Cross. Anyways, thank you from the bottom of my heart (and Texas') to anyone who is able to assist. This is going to be a recovery over years.

https://www.youcaring.com/victimsofhurricaneharvey-915053

 

[Steve Shannon]

Hi Steve - thank you. I will post the charity that has been most recommended. I have personally donated and I believe 100% of proceeds go straight to those in need. It is being organized by JJ Watt. As mentioned above the Houston SPCA and Humane Society are also overwhelmed so they could use assistance too. We are being told to preferably not do the cell phone text donation because there is a delay in th funds being released from the providers to the Red Cross. Anyways, thank you from the bottom of my heart (and Texas') to anyone who is able to assist. This is going to be a recovery over years.

https://www.youcaring.com/victimsofhurricaneharvey-915053

Just used this link. Thank you!

Edit: using it from Tapatalk it seemed to freeze after I entered my name, email, and amount, but before the payment page. I'll try again in the hotel tonight from Safari.


Steve Shannon

 

[modeltrains]

My guess is simply that when faced with boarding up your home and preparing to evacuate, or even preparing to hunker down and stay, there are so many things to do with so many things on your mind, that lowering a ten dollar flag doesn't even come to mind.

I think it goes further than that and is a generalized lackadaisical attitude across the culture. There is a flag outside our apartment office here in Missouri and it currently has seams split at least a foot in between at least four of the stripes and we have no hurricanes here. Management allows flags to fly until they are rags before replacing them. Several years ago I gave up saying anything to them, just a waste of time.