Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day

by Original Quill Sun Aug 27, 2017 7:01 pm

Biggest hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast in some 20-years. A category-4 storm hit Texas at Rockport, on Saturday night, just below where the famous Galveston storm hit, memorialized in the above song. What's more, a huge high on the western edge of the nation is holding Harvey in place, so that it is producing record amounts of rain. One-foot on Friday night, when it hit, more to come...as much as five-times that on Saturday. Harris County Sheriff states its a 500-year flood, meaning of a magnitude that is likely to occur once in 500-years.

The Weather Channel wrote:Thousands of homes are taking on water and hundreds of people are trapped and stranded in rising floodwaters across the Houston metro after Harvey dumped more than two feet of rain. More than 1,000 people have been rescued across the area so far as the death toll from Harvey rose to three.

“There is life-threatening, catastrophic flooding happening now in Southeast Harris County,” Jeff Lindner of the Harris County Flood Control District told The Weather Channel.

Two people have died in the Houston area in flood-related deaths as torrential rain continues to fall, according to the National Weather Service.

Dr. Greg Postel, meteorologist and hurricane specialist for The Weather Channel, said the flooding unfolding in the Houston area "could be the worst flooding disaster in U.S. history;" and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, appearing on Fox News Sunday, said: "We're measuring rain these days not in inches but in feet."

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a Sunday morning press conference that the city has received more than 2000 emergency calls and urged people to "remain calm, remain patient." He noted that most thoroughfares are impassable and said he's ordered neighborhoods to open libraries and multi-service centers to offer "lilypad" safe havens for people who cannot flee the city because of flooded roads.

"I don't care if there is no food or water there, I just need to have a safe place for people to go," he said.

Rescuers say they received too many calls to respond to each one and had to prioritize life-and-death situations, the AP reports.

When reporters asked why no evacuations were ordered despite days of warnings from the National Weather Service, Turner said it would have been "too dangerous" to have millions of residents on the road, noting that "if you think the situation right now is bad and you give an order to evacuate, you are creating a nightmare."

"The best place is for people to remain in their homes," he said.

(MORE: Why Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Didn't Order Evacuations Before Harvey's Flooding Rains Arrived)

The mayor and Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez urged people to only use 911 in dire emergencies, noting that dispatchers were struggling to keep up with the calls.

"Difficult to get to everyone right away," Gonzalez tweeted. "Hang tight."

Residents have been forced to climb into their attics to escape rising water, KTRK-TV reports, and Gonzalez noted that a family of 10 were rescued from an attic early Sunday by the mayor pro tem of South Houston.

The National Weather Service is warning people to seek shelter on their roofs rather than in attics to avoid becoming trapped by rushing water.

U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Houston says it has five MH-65 Dolphin Helicopters conducting rescues in the greater Houston area and is requesting additional HH-60 Jayhawk Helicopters from New Orleans and support from the Air National Guard to support rescue efforts.

Included in the rescues were 50 children from two apartment complexes, according to the Associated Press.

Lindner said water had overtopped Interstate 10, that there had been more than 1,000 water rescues overnight in the Houston area and that hundreds more were stranded in cars across roadways in the area.

The Houston Chronicle notes that some highways are so deluged, water is lapping at overhead signs.

Flash flood emergencies have been issued in areas where the extreme rainfall has inundated homes, vehicles and reportedly killed at least five people.

The Harris County medical examiner's office confirmed a woman was killed in flooding, according to the Associated Press. She appeared to have exited her vehicle in high water and was found 30 yards away by neighbors. The Houston Fire Department said a man died in floodwaters overnight Saturday into Sunday.

The city's Office of Emergency Management issued a shelter in place order at approximately 12:45 a.m. Sunday.

Jersey Village officials suggested residents northwest of Houston along the White Oak Bayou consider whether they need to evacuate. Meanwhile, the city issued a notice saying the bayou could rise out of its banks before long.

"It's quite possible that the streets could get impassable so we wanted to get that recommendation out," Jersey Village City Manager Austin Bleess told the Associated Press.There have been reports of multiple water rescues from cars and homes in Houston. A Cadillac is now completely submerged in water after a man tried to drive down a flooding road near White Oak Bayou. Crews performed a water rescue to bring the driver to safety.

Buffalo and Brays Bayou on the west side of The Loop are climbing out of their banks due to torrential rainfall. In addition, Mary's Creek in Friendswood has surged out its banks, surpassing its 500-year water mark.

Houston's Hobby airport was closed Sunday morning due to the storm and will remain closed until at least Wednesday, officials say. The George Bush Intercontinental Airport is also closed until further notice.

Heavy rainfall and gusty winds will persist in the Houston area for days, according to weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam. Feet of rain is expected with rainfall totals in excess of 50 inches possible in local areas.

Staff at Houston television station KHOU-TV were broadcasting live coverage of the floods when floodwater from nearby Buffalo Bayou began to enter the building. The anchors and news operations at the station moved first to a second floor before finally abandoning the station.

Earlier in the storm, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged more people to flee, however, local authorities told people to remain in their homes and recommended no widespread evacuations, AP reports. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner addressed the decision during a press conference, saying there may be a "greater danger" in having people who don't need to be evacuated on roads that could flood.

In Houston, a group of roughly 40 people living underneath a section of Highway 59 said they planned to ride out the storm in their tents despite available social services, according to Chron.com.

"It's an all-hands-on-deck situation," Special Assistant to the Mayor for Homeless Initiatives Marc Eichenbaum told Chron.com. "Homeless outreach teams have been out for days informing our unsheltered homeless individuals about the weather and offering them immediate placements in shelters."

Friday Harris County officials declared a state of disaster for the Houston area.

In nearby Galveston, the local Independent School District announced that classes at all locations have been canceled on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. All non-essential staff were released at 11:00 am on Friday.

Because of the storm, four cruise ships due this weekend to Galveston with a combined 20,000 people on board will wait until Tuesday to return to port, WFAA reports.

Galveston tourist attractions announced they would be closed throughout the weekend, including "Galveston Historical Foundation attractions; Bishop's Palace, Pier 21 Theater, Harbor Tours, Tall Ship ELISSA, Texas Seaport Museum, Salvage Warehouse and the Eighteen Seventy One store on The Strand will be closed," according to Galveston.com.

Officials say rain from Hurricane Harvey could inundate Houston roads and neighborhoods as early as Saturday night, but Lindner told the AP that two key reservoirs in the flood control system — at the Addicks and Barker dams — are currently near-empty and are in no danger of flooding neighborhoods close by.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, called on the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to "immediately declare Harris County as a federal disaster area," noting that damages in the county have already exceeded the federal threshold of $14 million, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Rockport Shredded

A Rockport man was killed when his house caught fire at the height of the storm, according to media reports.

Aransas County Judge C.H. "Burt" Mills Jr. told the Austin American-Statesman 12 to 14 people were injured by Harvey, the Associated Press reports.

Officials in several coastal Texas towns asked residents to stay away until they could get a better scope of the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey, now a tropical storm, during its Friday night landfall.

A curfew was in place in Port Lavaca because all power, water and sewer services were down, the city's police department said in a Facebook post.

In Port Aransas, an island community with a population of 3,800, Mayor Charles Bujan told The Weather Channel there was widespread damage – including a trailer park that is 100-percent destroyed. Search and rescue operations continued in the town Saturday afternoon, and all residents were asked to stay out of the town because damage was severe and authorities needed more time to survey, KIII-TV reported.

Officials say they were unable to fully survey Port Aransas Saturday because of "massive" damage. Police and heavy equipment were only able to make it into the northernmost street, the AP reports.

"I can tell you I have a very bad feeling and that's about it," Bujan said.

During a Saturday press conference, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that it's too early to speculate how much property damage the storm has incurred, although one estimate has put it at up to $2 billion.

Buildings were ripped to shreds in Rockport and firefighters were unable to respond to pleas for help in the hours following Harvey's Friday night landfall along the Texas coast.

In Rockport, a town of about 10,000 located on Aransas Bay, KTRK-TV reported 10 people sustained injuries when the roof of a senior housing complex collapsed during the storm. The severity of those injuries was unknown.

"We know there is widespread devastation," Rockport Mayor CJ Wax said during a Saturday morning interview with The Weather Channel. "I think it’s safe to say we took a Cat. 4 (hurricane) right on the nose, and we’d appreciate everyone’s prayers."

Officials estimate that 40 percent of residents did not heed voluntary evacuation orders and remained in the city as Harvey roared ashore.

Firefighters in Rockport said they wouldn't be able to respond to emergency calls until conditions improved, KTRK also reported.

"There's nothing we can do at this moment," Rockport volunteer fire department Chief Steve Sims told KTRK. "We are anxious to get out there and make assessments, but we're hunkered down for now."

(MORE: Here's Why Harvey Grew Into a Monster)

Rockport City Manager Kevin Carruth told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times that an unknown number of buildings were destroyed by Harvey's punishing winds. Earlier reports that Rockport High School had been destroyed were inaccurate, the report added, but the structure did sustain heavy damage.

"A part of the roof has caved in, but the reports that buildings have disappeared don’t appear to be accurate," volunteer fire department spokeswoman Gillian Cox told the Caller-Times.

About 128 people were evacuated from a Fairfield Inn in Rockport after the hotel suffered severe damage, according to a National Weather Service report.

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued four people from the vessel Signet Enterprise Saturday near Port Aransas, according to DVIDS. In total, at least 20 people have been rescued from vessels.

Nearby Cities Prepare For Significant Rainfall

City officials in Rosenburg began calling for mandatory evacuations in parts of the city late Saturday morning, Chron.com reports.

Saturday the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents living in low-lying areas near the San Bernard River and a voluntary evacuation order for those in low-lying areas near the Brazos River, according to a release.

Possible Tornadoes Leave Behind Damage in Nearby Cities

Storms that hit parts of Texas during Saturday left behind damages that may take days to be inspected by survey crews to determine if they were indeed tornadoes. Damage from these storms may be very similar to damage seen close to where the eyewall of Harvey pushed through along the coast at peak intensity, according to weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles.

Photos and videos posted to social media showed a possible tornado rolling through a neighborhood in Cypress, Texas, Saturday.

According to reports on the ground, it "touched town near the Berry Center in Cypress and damaged at least one home and a fence next door to the home." No injuries were reported.

More than 50 homes in Missouri City were damaged by a storm when it hit the Sienna Plantation neighborhood, KHOU.com reports. Several homes had the roofs torn off and collapsed walls. A responding deputy was reportedly blown off the road.

Katy Texas: Saturday morning, ABC13.com reports. A manager of RV, Boat & Mini Storage says the storm crossed the Katy Freeway before slamming into their offices, scattering metal debris and auto parts across the parking lot and lawn. NWS
"We were here last night, and we basically had the place sealed up so water couldn't get in," the manager, only identified as BJ, told ABC13. "My partner called me in the morning at 6 o'clock and said everything was destroyed. A tornado had came through around 5:30 and crossed I-10. Totally ruined the office."

by nicko Mon Aug 28, 2017 5:53 am

Ben lives in Texas, his he OK?

by Guest Mon Aug 28, 2017 6:04 am

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Houston-flood1-e1503859054527

Best wishes to our readers in Texas and their families as the remnants of Hurricane Harvey, after devastating part of the Gulf Coast, move inland and flood Houston.

Officials here warned that the deluge in the nation’s fourth-largest city on Sunday will be “beyond anything experienced,” as Harvey pummeled Texas, dropping more than two feet of rain and causing dire flash floods. At least five people have been reported dead as a result of the storm, according to the National Weather Service.

By Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service was predicting that parts of Texas could receive nearly 50 inches of rain, the largest recorded total in the state’s history.

Communities in southeastern Texas, already experiencing water so high that it engulfed vehicles up to their car handles, were continually being beaten down by heavy sideways rain.

Of course no disaster preparation or response can be perfect, but I hope things go better than the 2005 Hurricane Katrina fiasco.
If you’re in the path of the storm, and you’re able to communicate, let us know how you’re doing.

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day DIQCGJlVAAET-Qr

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day DIQCGJlVAAET-Qr

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day KCJJ_Sw7_bigger

KHOU 11 News Houston

✔@KHOU
[ltr].@GalvCoTX Family needs help at 1510 Pinecrest, Dickinson, TX.[/ltr]

5:45 PM - Aug 27, 2017

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day DIP3yvtUwAAvhSX

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day DIP3yvtUwAAvhSX

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day O5miENj6_bigger

Citizen Servant @citizenservant

[ltr]An unbelievable but honest photo of nursing home residents waiting to get rescued in Houston.

[/ltr]

[ltr]http://hurryupharry.org/2017/08/27/harvey-slams-texas/[/ltr]

by Original Quill Mon Aug 28, 2017 6:22 am

nicko wrote:Ben lives in Texas, his he OK?

Ben lives in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, quite a bit north of where the storm hit. Texas is about the size of the British Isles, and Dallas would be at about Edinburgh, if I remember correctly. Where the storm hit would be around, say, Cambridge.

That's the best I can do. Google images suck anymore. There used to be a depiction of it.

by 'Wolfie Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:29 am

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day 3974176704

Watching reports from US TV stations over this past day, many of those clueless and braindead reporters are only going to make things worse... For example :

"Why weren't evacuation orders given two days ago ?"
Yeh, right ! Where the hell are they supposed to move millions of people to ? And, just imagine the road congestion that would have caused..

Then, there are those residents stranded by floodwaters, expecting they alone should be rescued immediately, never mind prioritising the elderly, sick, injured, and especially those in immediate danger.

Some selfish residents are seemingly immune to the basic fact that trained personnel, resources and such are in limited supply -- and take time to mobilise and utilise -- even when they have been on "stand-by" already..

And no doubt tomorrow we will hear those usual suspect know-nothings screeching "bring in the army !" -- oblivious to the fact it takes a couple of days just to mobilise, transport and train-up those troops.

(Just today, they were bringing in 3,000 extra National Guard -- and they're the ones actually trained for this rescue work..).

It would be interesting to know how many of those whining residents who aren't in immediate danger voted for Trump ?!? Suspect

by eddie Mon Aug 28, 2017 10:49 am

nicko wrote:Ben lives in Texas, his he OK?

Nicko, I was in Texas with Ben for just over a week and I left on Friday morning before the hurricane hit. He has been getting a lot of rain since then (yesterday was raining) and I don't think the hurricane will actually hit where he is.

From the minute I arrived actually, days before the storm, the road warning signs were already telling everyone to avoid the Texas coast.

It rained a bit on and off the whole time I was there because obviously I took the English weather with me. Rolling Eyes

by Ben Reilly Mon Aug 28, 2017 2:31 pm

Yeah, and I've never seen anything like that before. Those signs were pretty ominous.

I'm fine but we're getting a lot of rain up here. Texas, though, is actually nearly three times the size of the UK, so I think this would be more like all of England, Wales and N. Ireland being inundated, along with southern Scotland and eastern Ireland and part of France, and I would be in Aberdeen. I think.

Mostly up here we're trying to prepare for a big influx of refugees. But don't worry, Trump's coming by tomorrow and obviously will fix everything because he is always such a great influence on everything he gets involved with :D

by The Devil, You Know Mon Aug 28, 2017 3:16 pm

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Hurric10

might be lost on our american cousins

by The Devil, You Know Mon Aug 28, 2017 3:18 pm

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Watching reports from US TV stations over this past day, many of those clueless and braindead reporters are only going to make things worse... For example :

"Why weren't evacuation orders given two days ago ?"
Yeh, right ! Where the hell are they supposed to move millions of people to ? And, just imagine the road congestion that would have caused..

Then, there are those residents stranded by floodwaters, expecting they alone should be rescued immediately, never mind prioritising the elderly, sick, injured, and especially those in immediate danger.

Some selfish residents are seemingly immune to the basic fact that trained personnel, resources and such are in limited supply -- and take time to mobilise and utilise -- even when they have been on "stand-by" already..

And no doubt tomorrow we will hear those usual suspect know-nothings screeching "bring in the army !" -- oblivious to the fact it takes a couple of days just to mobilise, transport and train-up those troops.

(Just today, they were bringing in 3,000 extra National Guard -- and they're the ones actually trained for this rescue work..).

It would be interesting to know how many of those whining residents who aren't in immediate danger voted for Trump ?!?

people were told to leave days ago, those who were going to stay were told to write their names and social security numbers on their arms. It's not like anyone didn't know it was going to be bad.

by The Devil, You Know Mon Aug 28, 2017 3:23 pm

Ben Reilly wrote:Yeah, and I've never seen anything like that before. Those signs were pretty ominous.

I'm fine but we're getting a lot of rain up here. Texas, though, is actually nearly three times the size of the UK, so I think this would be more like all of England, Wales and N. Ireland being inundated, along with southern Scotland and eastern Ireland and part of France, and I would be in Aberdeen. I think.

Mostly up here we're trying to prepare for a big influx of refugees. But don't worry, Trump's coming by tomorrow and obviously will fix everything because he is always such a great influence on everything he gets involved with :D

I believe trump has ensured that texas is getting all the support it needs according to the governor anyway. FEMA response has been activated.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/texas-governor-praises-harvey-response-trump-meets-tweets/

by Original Quill Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:08 pm

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Watching reports from US TV stations over this past day, many of those clueless and braindead reporters are only going to make things worse... For example :

"Why weren't evacuation orders given two days ago ?"
Yeh, right ! Where the hell are they supposed to move millions of people to ? And, just imagine the road congestion that would have caused..

Then, there are those residents stranded by floodwaters, expecting they alone should be rescued immediately, never mind prioritising the elderly, sick, injured, and especially those in immediate danger.

Some selfish residents are seemingly immune to the basic fact that trained personnel, resources and such are in limited supply -- and take time to mobilise and utilise -- even when they have been on "stand-by" already..

And no doubt tomorrow we will hear those usual suspect know-nothings screeching "bring in the army !" -- oblivious to the fact it takes a couple of days just to mobilise, transport and train-up those troops.

(Just today, they were bringing in 3,000 extra National Guard -- and they're the ones actually trained for this rescue work..).

It would be interesting to know how many of those whining residents who aren't in immediate danger voted for Trump ?!?

People from all over are heading to the Gulf Coast. I mean, fire and rescue teams, search and rescue...most of the Bay Area Departments are vacated...gone to Texas. Took boats and such with them. Over half the US Coast Guard helicopter fleet is in Houston right now...think about it, 4th-largest city in the US.

by 'Wolfie Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:20 pm

It's the ignorant selfishness of certain people who aren't in any actual danger, demanding that they be rescued yesterday, with no thought to those who should be prioritised (injured, elderly, hospitals, those who are in immediate danger..) that often gets to me in these incidents...

Even though the local, state and federal authorities are responding with all those resources available to them -- and the emergency services were ready and did respond properly..

While the dickhead reporters on the US television networks are actually making things worse -- giving eexcess airtime to selfish whingers and whiners -- when they should be helping instead.

by Original Quill Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:21 pm

Ben Reilly wrote:Yeah, and I've never seen anything like that before. Those signs were pretty ominous.

I'm fine but we're getting a lot of rain up here. Texas, though, is actually nearly three times the size of the UK, so I think this would be more like all of England, Wales and N. Ireland being inundated, along with southern Scotland and eastern Ireland and part of France, and I would be in Aberdeen. I think.

Mostly up here we're trying to prepare for a big influx of refugees. But don't worry, Trump's coming by tomorrow and obviously will fix everything because he is always such a great influence on everything he gets involved with :D

Yeah, I didn't mean area-wise that the UK is the size of Texas. But the British Isles are elongated north to south, so the north-south dimension is similar. Texas is as fat as it is tall, and so has much more area. Aberdeen? I think more like Edinburgh...keep in mind, you still have the entire panhandle above you, Ben.

Anyway, there used to be a google image that showed the UK contour imposed on Texas. But Google has gone to shit, and all I get when I type in key words is a bunch of articles. Suffice it to say that southeast Texas is a huge watershed, from Brownsville to Houston, and that means a substantial part of the US drains there. In turn, when a 20-year hurricane decides to sit over eastern San Antonio for a few days, there's going to be a few lakes in a few homes.

by Original Quill Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:24 pm

The Devil, You Know wrote:
Ben Reilly wrote:Yeah, and I've never seen anything like that before. Those signs were pretty ominous.

I'm fine but we're getting a lot of rain up here. Texas, though, is actually nearly three times the size of the UK, so I think this would be more like all of England, Wales and N. Ireland being inundated, along with southern Scotland and eastern Ireland and part of France, and I would be in Aberdeen. I think.

Mostly up here we're trying to prepare for a big influx of refugees. But don't worry, Trump's coming by tomorrow and obviously will fix everything because he is always such a great influence on everything he gets involved with :D
I believe trump has ensured that texas is getting all the support it needs according to the governor anyway. FEMA response has been activated.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/texas-governor-praises-harvey-response-trump-meets-tweets/

Yes...Trump has dispatched the Siberian Coast Guard...with Putin's approval, of course.
Twisted Evil

by 'Wolfie Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:25 pm

The Devil, You Know wrote:
Ben Reilly wrote:Yeah, and I've never seen anything like that before. Those signs were pretty ominous.

I'm fine but we're getting a lot of rain up here. Texas, though, is actually nearly three times the size of the UK, so I think this would be more like all of England, Wales and N. Ireland being inundated, along with southern Scotland and eastern Ireland and part of France, and I would be in Aberdeen. I think.

Mostly up here we're trying to prepare for a big influx of refugees. But don't worry, Trump's coming by tomorrow and obviously will fix everything because he is always such a great influence on everything he gets involved with :D
I believe trump has ensured that texas is getting all the support it needs according to the governor anyway. FEMA response has been activated.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/texas-governor-praises-harvey-response-trump-meets-tweets/

More useless blather from the shit-for-brains moron DYKnose...

Fuck off back to your 'cave, flop...
And take your troll queen with you..

by Original Quill Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:31 pm

The Devil, You Know wrote:
WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Watching reports from US TV stations over this past day, many of those clueless and braindead reporters are only going to make things worse... For example :

"Why weren't evacuation orders given two days ago ?"
Yeh, right ! Where the hell are they supposed to move millions of people to ? And, just imagine the road congestion that would have caused..

Then, there are those residents stranded by floodwaters, expecting they alone should be rescued immediately, never mind prioritising the elderly, sick, injured, and especially those in immediate danger.

Some selfish residents are seemingly immune to the basic fact that trained personnel, resources and such are in limited supply -- and take time to mobilise and utilise -- even when they have been on "stand-by" already..

And no doubt tomorrow we will hear those usual suspect know-nothings screeching "bring in the army !" -- oblivious to the fact it takes a couple of days just to mobilise, transport and train-up those troops.

(Just today, they were bringing in 3,000 extra National Guard -- and they're the ones actually trained for this rescue work..).

It would be interesting to know how many of those whining residents who aren't in immediate danger voted for Trump ?!?
people were told to leave days ago, those who were going to stay were told to write their names and social security numbers on their arms. It's not like anyone didn't know it was going to be bad.

It's a mixed bag. The Governor said evacuate, the Mayor of Houston--much closer and more familiar with the issues and terrain--said stay. The problem is that people remember the disaster of the evacuation around Hurricane Rita, where the state said evacuate and never said where to go. It was a horrible mess.

Houston is the fourth largest city in the US. That means it is the place you would run to in an emergency. They have enough high ground, and the hospitals (22, and those in the suburbs), emergency centers, schools, and warehouses in which to put people.

Remember Katrina, the last big one...they evacuated New Orleans to Houston.

by JulesV Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:33 pm

Thorin wrote:

Have sales of kayaks soared?

by Original Quill Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:34 pm

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:
The Devil, You Know wrote:
I believe trump has ensured that texas is getting all the support it needs according to the governor anyway. FEMA response has been activated.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/texas-governor-praises-harvey-response-trump-meets-tweets/

More useless blather from the shit-for-brains moron DYKnose...

Fuck off back to your 'cave, flop...
And take your troll queen with you..

Be nice. It's to be expected that he is pro-conservative. I like conservatives...they keep me employed. Razz

by Original Quill Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:37 pm

Jules wrote:
Thorin wrote:

Have sales of kayaks soared?

No time to buy...stores are all closed. But it's a water city...boats are all busy.

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Is?IFaPhavODOpP2WdD58PsmDoptCp8AH2vmFeMXjgfWhM&height=298

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Is?IFaPhavODOpP2WdD58PsmDoptCp8AH2vmFeMXjgfWhM&height=298

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Is?Q1Ub6I-B1yfm_buAOERQA-z_g1d3_ELTI1bZcCFDckA&height=227

They have organized a citizens navy, like Dunkirk, ya know?

by eddie Mon Aug 28, 2017 5:11 pm

In all seriousness, I was made to feel so welcome by everyone in Texas and - here I will be shouted down by certain people I guess - the customer service in restaurants and shops was far superior to England in every way. The people who served us were always friendly and everyone says hello even if you don't know them! I thought it was because I was English that I was getting treated so well but Ben was too, and he lives there.

Of course many people got me talking just to hear my accent (I mean some were mesmerised!) but seriously, in general, people are just friendlier all round, that's the first thing I noticed.

I hope they stay safe in this shitty weather.

by The Devil, You Know Mon Aug 28, 2017 5:25 pm

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

It's the ignorant selfishness of certain people who aren't in any actual danger, demanding that they be rescued yesterday, with no thought to those who should be prioritised (injured, elderly, hospitals, those who are in immediate danger..) that often gets to me in these incidents...

Even though the local, state and federal authorities are responding with all those resources available to them -- and the emergency services were ready and did respond properly..

While the dickhead reporters on the US television networks are actually making things worse -- giving eexcess airtime to selfish whingers and whiners -- when they should be helping instead.

red hats seem to be rushing to help, whilst black hats are rushing to loot.

by Original Quill Tue Aug 29, 2017 3:36 am

One thing that might be hard, if not impossible to get for Texas, is relief funds for hurricane relief from the Federal Government.

Remember Hurricane Sandy, which hit New Jersey, New York and Connecticut (the Tri-State region)? Do you remember how the Texas Republican congressional delegation refused to vote hurricane relief for the Tri-State states because the states were all urban and liberal. Well....payback's a bitch, ain't it?

Figure it out. The US Senate Republicans have only a two-member plurality. Do the math...there are two Senators per state, and in the Tri-State region that's six Senators who won't be kindly disposed toward the ungracious State of Texas.

I hate it when emergency relief becomes a political football, but it was our own Vice-President Pence who started it while in the House of Representatives: he took the position that payment for relief had to be off-set by reductions in the present budget. So, if Congress does it at all...I'm thinking that Defense Budget lines would be a good place to start.

Again, payback's a bitch, ain't it? Twisted Evil

by JulesV Tue Aug 29, 2017 11:47 am

Original Quill wrote: ....

Again, payback's a bitch, ain't it?

LOLOL

by Syl Tue Aug 29, 2017 12:00 pm

eddie wrote:In all seriousness, I was made to feel so welcome by everyone in Texas and - here I will be shouted down by certain people I guess - the customer service in restaurants and shops was far superior to England in every way. The people who served us were always friendly and everyone says hello even if you don't know them! I thought it was because I was English that I was getting treated so well but Ben was too, and he lives there.

Of course many people got me talking just to hear my accent (I mean some were mesmerised!) but seriously, in general, people are just friendlier all round, that's the first thing I noticed.

I hope they stay safe in this shitty weather.

Its a horrible situation.
I agree with you about the hospitality of the people in that part of the world. I have never been, but even on a Dallas based forum it was obvious the people who lived in that community were warm and welcoming.

edit to add...this picture broke my heart.

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day DIP3yvtUwAAvhSX

by Miffs2 Tue Aug 29, 2017 1:31 pm

eddie wrote:In all seriousness, I was made to feel so welcome by everyone in Texas and - here I will be shouted down by certain people I guess - the customer service in restaurants and shops was far superior to England in every way. The people who served us were always friendly and everyone says hello even if you don't know them! I thought it was because I was English that I was getting treated so well but Ben was too, and he lives there.

Of course many people got me talking just to hear my accent (I mean some were mesmerised!) but seriously, in general, people are just friendlier all round, that's the first thing I noticed.

I hope they stay safe in this shitty weather.

To be fair, they get paid a pittance, they rely on tips and so have to be nice.

by magica Tue Aug 29, 2017 3:28 pm

eddie wrote:In all seriousness, I was made to feel so welcome by everyone in Texas and - here I will be shouted down by certain people I guess - the customer service in restaurants and shops was far superior to England in every way. The people who served us were always friendly and everyone says hello even if you don't know them! I thought it was because I was English that I was getting treated so well but Ben was too, and he lives there.

Of course many people got me talking just to hear my accent (I mean some were mesmerised!) but seriously, in general, people are just friendlier all round, that's the first thing I noticed.

I hope they stay safe in this shitty weather.

I've been to Texas twice, Houston in fact, and other states. The people are great, they are so polite and like you they loved our London accent lol.

I hope they are all safe there.

by 'Wolfie Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:04 pm

The Devil, You Know wrote:
WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

It's the ignorant selfishness of certain people who aren't in any actual danger, demanding that they be rescued yesterday, with no thought to those who should be prioritised (injured, elderly, hospitals, those who are in immediate danger..) that often gets to me in these incidents...

Even though the local, state and federal authorities are responding with all those resources available to them -- and the emergency services were ready and did respond properly..

While the dickhead reporters on the US television networks are actually making things worse -- giving eexcess airtime to selfish whingers and whiners -- when they should be helping instead.

red hats seem to be rushing to help, whilst black hats are rushing to loot.

It's always the same -- looters always take advantage of disasters -- even stealing equipment from the 'first responders' themselves...

As for your "red hats," take a longer look -- and you will also see yellow bash-hats -- and orange and green and white..

by Original Quill Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:50 pm

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:
The Devil, You Know wrote:

red hats seem to be rushing to help, whilst black hats are rushing to loot.

It's always the same -- looters always take advantage of disasters -- even stealing equipment from the 'first responders' themselves...

As for your "red hats," take a longer look -- and you will also see yellow bash-hats -- and orange and green and white..

Let me add a caveat: In a disaster such as this, those looters are often out and looking for supplies such as batteries, blankets, meds, drinking water, knives and axes (to free those trapped), and other essentials.. They are not looters, but survivors. They have families and sick to look out for. They target hardware and supply stores, where the essentials are to be found.

The only people who should be shot are the private property freaks who would deny them their survival and that of their families and dependents (on the basis of a twisted, 300-year old abstract economic theory).

by Andy Tue Aug 29, 2017 5:23 pm

My thoughts are with everyone hurt by this event.
If there is a God, let him reveal himself now. He/she/they are needed .

by Guest Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:20 pm

Reassuring thought

There are more of these people:

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Houston1-e1503961617923

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Houston2-e1503961664871

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Houston3-e1503961710415

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Houston4-e1503961759117

Than there are of these:
Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Charlottesville1-e1503961848387

Or these:

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Thugs-e1503961889717

You can donate to help the victims of Harvey here.

http://hurryupharry.org/2017/08/29/reassuring-thought/

by Syl Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:23 pm

I agree Thor, and anytime there is a disaster they show themselves in force....all other times they are just going around minding their own business, unnoticed.

by Guest Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:27 pm

Syl wrote:I agree Thor, and anytime there is a disaster they show themselves in force....all other times they are just going around minding their own business, unnoticed.

Indeed Syl, many helped out in this disaster and its where you see American people at their best.
Not hate, no case of what religion, ethnic group etc people are, people just helping people get to safety.

by Syl Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:31 pm

Thorin wrote:
Syl wrote:I agree Thor, and anytime there is a disaster they show themselves in force....all other times they are just going around minding their own business, unnoticed.

Indeed Syl, many helped out in this disaster and its where you see American people at their best.
Not hate, no case of what religion, ethnic group etc people are, people just helping people get to safety.

Not only in America either.. people come out in force to help when disaster strikes, we have seen it here lately in several terrorist attacks and the Grenfell fire....there are far more good people in the world than bad people.

by Original Quill Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:45 pm

Angry Andy wrote:My thoughts are with everyone hurt by this event.
If there is a God, let him reveal himself now. He/she/they are needed .

Yes...oh well, I sometimes think, God is punishing them. It's as good a theory as any. So much of the disasters happen in the south.

by Guest Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:49 pm

Original Quill wrote:
Angry Andy wrote:My thoughts are with everyone hurt by this event.
If there is a God, let him reveal himself now. He/she/they are needed .

Yes...oh well, I sometimes think, God is punishing them. It's as good a theory as any. So much of the disasters happen in the south.

Based on what evidence?

I mean its normally that sort of claptrap we have heard in other disasters, claiming its god punishing homosexuals, or blacks etc, from the neo-conservative evangelical right.

by Original Quill Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:52 pm

It's metaphysics. Metaphysics, by definition, is beyond evidence.

But based upon experience...

by Syl Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:55 pm

Original Quill wrote:
Angry Andy wrote:My thoughts are with everyone hurt by this event.
If there is a God, let him reveal himself now. He/she/they are needed .

Yes...oh well, I sometimes think, God is punishing them. It's as good a theory as any. So much of the disasters happen in the south.

That sounds like something one of those rabid American TV preachers would say...usually spraying spittle as they say it. Razz

by Guest Tue Aug 29, 2017 7:00 pm

Original Quill wrote:It's metaphysics. Metaphysics, by definition, is beyond evidence.

But based upon experience...

Gibberish, that is called faith, as what experience? Hearing some voices in your head?

Hence you have no evidence and is quite hateful what you said to be honest, as you seem to think all Texans deserve this.

by Original Quill Tue Aug 29, 2017 7:04 pm

Syl wrote:
Original Quill wrote:

Yes...oh well, I sometimes think, God is punishing them. It's as good a theory as any. So much of the disasters happen in the south.

That sounds like something one of those rabid American TV preachers would say...usually spraying spittle as they say it.

Exactly! As long as we're into God...and if you believe it, you can't help but go there in order to explain so many disasters happening in the south.

But, fortunately, I don't believe in an old man living in the sky.

by Ben Reilly Wed Aug 30, 2017 3:17 am

This disaster has its own iconic image that reminds me of what America is really about:

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Img_2010

by Original Quill Wed Aug 30, 2017 3:34 am

This is the largest amount of water ever to have fallen on a part of the US mainland in one storm. Enough rain has dumped on Harris County to run Niagara Falls for 15-days. They estimate more than a trillion-gallons.

Both in terms of the warm-water build-up of the storm in the Gulf, and in terms of the course direction, and stall of the storm, it is directly attributable to Climate Change.

by 'Wolfie Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:04 am

"Climate change" ?!?

Perish the thought...

Just look at all of those telling us that it doesn't exist, and it's all a plot by the Chinese/Illuminati/Martians/leprechauns to 'destroy civilisation as we know it' :

Donald Trump and co.,
Christopher Monckton
The Koch bros.
Tommy Monk
Stormee

Who are we "silly" mere mortals, to argue with such self-declared geniuses ? Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day 2190311264

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day 2190311264

by veya_victaous Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:53 am

Thankful they are being better in regard to saving pets than New Orleans where many shelters would not allow them

by Guest Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:36 pm

A Houston surgeon canoed through the Hurricane Harvey floodwaters to make his way to the hospital so he could perform surgery on a teen who needed immediate attention.

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Nlg3z-doctor-canoes-through-flood-to-perform-surgery-1

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Nlg3z-doctor-canoes-through-flood-to-perform-surgery-1

Credit: Clear Lake Regional Medical Center / AP

Dr. Stephen Kimmel got a call early Saturday morning that Jacob Terrazas, 16, was suffering from testicular torsion and needed immediate attention. He jumped in his car and headed toward Clear Lake Regional Medical Center even though his home in Dickinson was beginning to flood.

Dr. Kimmel only got so far when he was forced to turn back home due to rising waters. Fortunately, two volunteer firemen were able to reach him in a personal truck that had a canoe in the truck-bed.
The trio paddled towards the hospital in the dark against heavy currents.

Dr. Kimmel walked the last leg of the journey, almost a mile, through waist-deep water to make it to the hospital.

"Sometimes you have to do whatever it takes," Dr. Kimmel said in a press release. "This young man's life would have been changed for the worse forever if we hadn't been able to perform surgery when we did. In the end, it all turned out very well."

Read more at https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/2362/Houston-Doctor-Canoes-Through-Floodwaters-To-Perform-Surgery#mSDbIT2uE8tyJAdI.99

by eddie Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:27 pm

Powerful images.

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Img_7526

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Img_7527

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Img_7529

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Img_7528

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day Img_7530

by Ben Reilly Fri Sep 01, 2017 3:33 am

This is about the journalists who work for the Houston Chronicle newspaper:

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day DIkka_pXoAYqnVU

by Syl Fri Sep 01, 2017 12:36 pm

/\
That should make everyone who has ever phoned in sick just because they feel like a duvet day feel really guilty.

by eddie Fri Sep 01, 2017 5:02 pm

Syl wrote:/\
That should make everyone who has ever phoned in sick just because they feel like a duvet day feel really guilty.

Took the words right outta my mouth.

by JulesV Sat Sep 02, 2017 12:31 am

Original Quill wrote:

Biggest hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast in some 20-years. .

The biggest downpour of water in the US, EVER, full stop. Death toll 48, and rising.
Most of the homes (80%) not adequately insured - standard insurance does not cover floods.
Puts the usual trivial problems of our daily lives into perspective.
Sad.

by Guest Sat Sep 02, 2017 1:38 am

In Houston, waters have begun to recede, but tens of thousands of people remain sheltered, their homes flooded and without power, their lives turned upside down.
While the full impact from a storm with the power and enormity of Harvey is difficult to fathom and is still being calculated, the numbers below help to put it into perspective.

27 trillion

The estimated number of gallons of rain water dumped over Texas and Louisianaover the last six days. It’s nearly impossible to imagine a volume of water that enormous, but some tried to give it scope. CNN’s Jim Sciutto said that much water could fill the Houston Astrodome 85,000 times, a local ABC affiliate calculated that the water could supply New York City for more than five decades, and Paul Deanno, chief meteorologist for a San Francisco CBS affiliate, said just half of that total rainfall could have ended the state of California’s drought in just three days.

35

The number of storm-related fatalities that have been confirmed to date. The death toll has continued to rise in the days since Harvey made landfall and it’s expected to increase further.

51.88

The number of inches of rainfall measured by a gauge in Cedar Bayou, near Mont Belvieu, Texas, according to researchers at the National Weather Service. That’s now the greatest amount of rainfall over land for a single storm in continental U.S. history. It fell just short of the all-time record. According to NOAA’s data, the wettest tropical cyclone record still belongs to Hurricane Hiki, which developed off the coast of Hawaii in August 1950 and dropped 52 inches of rain.

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day 59a6e8af1700002000287747

HUFFPOST

34,575

The number of people forced out of their homes and currently sheltered in the state of Texas in 239 facilities, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Thursday report.

224,127

The number of customers in Texas currently without power due to the impact of the storm, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. About 11,000 customers in Louisiana are also without power.

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day 59a85d5c1e00002700c6042a

WIN MCNAMEE VIA GETTY IMAGES

58

The number of counties in Texas for which Gov. Greg Abbott issued disaster declarations. Abbott requested and was approved for a Presidential Disaster declaration for another 29 counties.

2882

The number of animals currently being sheltered in Texas. In 69 open shelters, the Texas Animal Health Commission is tracking 513 cattle, 664 horses, 20 sheep, 66 goats, 5 swine, 10 poultry, 5 pet birds, 2 rabbits, 106 dogs, 14 cats and 1,024 unidentified exotic animals. Eighteen other shelters are also housing 453 pets.

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day 59a85de924000032004bab30

MARK RALSTON VIA GETTY IMAGES

506

The number of highways currently closed or flooded, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The agency said it has nearly 2,000 personnel and over 1,500 pieces of equipment responding to the storm event. Texas DOT also reports some roads closed due to flooding in 32 counties.

10

The number of chemical facilities and oil and gas refineries that have reported problems in the wake of Harvey with more than two dozen more threatened, according to the Sierra Club. On Thursday morning, a fire raged at one chemical plant, Arkema, on the outskirts of Houston, due to chemical reactions at the flooded factory. The day before, the company warned that a fire or explosion over the next several days was virtually inevitable as the floodwaters have blocked responders from taking meaningful action at the plant. On Tuesday alone, the Sierra Club reported that the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Response Center received more than 30 calls regarding spilled gasoline, crude oil, petroleum and the release of contaminants from flare stacks as a result of Harvey.

Texas Hurricane Harvey--A Mighty Day 59a85d1b1e00003c00c60428

ADREES LATIF / REUTERS

One-In-1,000

Harvey is a one-in-1,000 year flood event ― meaning it’s extraordinarily rare. 99.9 percent of the time, such an event will never happen in a given year, Shane Hubbard, a Wisconsin researcher who made the calculation told The Washington Post.

30,000-40,000

The estimated number of homes that have been destroyed due to the impact of Harvey, said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett ― who is also the director of Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management ― to ABC News. The full tally of homes destroyed and damaged is still unknown. During a Thursday press briefing, White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert estimated that 100,000 homes were affected by Harvey and the subsequent flooding.

This article has been updated to include the estimate from Bossert.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/11-numbers-harvey_us_59a84d12e4b07e81d35622aa?ir=UK&utm_hp_ref=uk

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