I'm so worried

[tammywammy]

My grandfather missed his flight out of Beaumont this morning. He was so nervous about the change of planes in Houston, he had an anxiety attack.

The rest of my exteneded family is still in Pt Arthur. They haven't decided what to do. They were supposed to leave today.

I'm just so worried about them. That they're not going to leave and something horrible is going to happen.

[Longhorn]

1. Last I heard, it looks like Rita is headed further west

so Beaumont/Port Arthur should not be in the direct path. Also, with two days left, certainly they can work something out?

I wish them the best!

[tammywammy]

5. Yes I think they can still get out

They have cars so they can leave. I'm just so worried that they're not going to leave, and something will happen. I know it appears the eye will be west of Houston, but they're not far from Houston, so wouldn't they still have bad wind and rain.

They all live in brick houses. I know my grandpa would go to someone elses house (his would flood).

It would have just eased my stress and anxiety if they had left today, or if I knew for sure they would be leaving in the morning.

[Liberal In Texas]

2. They still have time. I don't know what else to say.

I hope they'll be OK.

-Lib

[jobycom]

3. More than likely nothing will happen to them.

Hopefully they can get out if they have to. They aren't as trapped as people in New Orleans were. There are roads heading north.

But if they get stuck, if they live near the beach, they need to go to a shelter inland if it hits them, or hits to the west of them. If they are already on high ground, away from flooding rivers and lakes, and if they have a sturdy house, they will more than likely be fine. They may not have much fun, and they should try to find a shelter anyway, to protect against winds.

In other words, try to get them out if you can, but don't panic if you can't.

[tammywammy]

4. My grandfather's house

is about 2 feet above sea level. But he's 83 and cannot drive himself out. He's got his wits with him, but not used to flying and the stress of it.

They all have sturdy brick houses. I'm just worried because while it seems to move a little left, won't they still have the wind and rain?

[jobycom]

8. How close is he to the water?

Try to get him another flight or bus out. If you can't, you should try to get a relative or friend to get him inland a ways. And not east towards Louisiana, the ground is too low.

If you can't get him out that way, he should get to a shelter or a friend's house inland. He'd be alright in a shelter. If the storm hits around Galveston, he just needs to be inland and twenty feet (maybe even fifteen)above sea level, and he'll be fine.

Call the sheriff or police or a tv station in the area, and find out who can give him a ride, if you can't find a relative to do it. Everyone will be in preparation mode, so you should be able to find someone to give him a ride. Do it tomorrow, don't wait until Friday when they will be rushed. Also, by tomorrow you'll know whether the hurricane is turning north yet, or whether it's still heading more westerly.

I'm hoping he wants to get to higher ground. Even if he's a couple miles from the water, at that elevation he could get some water. Maybe not enough to wash away his house, but at 83, you probably don't want him wading through waist deep water during a hurricane.

This all gets more urgent the further east the storm hits. If it hits Corpus Christi, he's probably safe. If it hits Galveston, he's probably too low. If it moves east of Galveston, find someone to help him. In that case, all your relatives need to get a few miles inland, and up at least 30 feet.

Good luck. Don't panic. Probably this will hit far to the west, and you'll feel silly for having worried. But it's good to do what you can as quickly as possible, just in case.

And finally, the storm will knock out all phones in the area, including cell phones, so if he's still there, don't panic if you don't hear from him for a few days.

[DesEtoiles]

6. My dad in law is in Beaumont, not leaving he says

Stubborn old coot. We'll just pray that they are far enough away from the brunt of the storm.

[tammywammy]

7. That's what I'm praying for too

I just so wish that they had left today. Or at least that my grandfather had made it up here.

My cousin's wife went into labor last night. She went to the hospital, they shot her with something to stop the contractions, handed her her medical records and said "you need to find a hospital in Louisiana or further north."

[crispini]

9. Call them again, tell them to take back roads,

and pick up your grandfather, and leave. Tell them about all the people calling 911 in Biloxi and how they couldn't get to them. Breaks my heart.

[tammywammy]

10. Good News!

They left this morning around 5:30am. They're taking 287 all the way up to the Metroplex, so hopefully traffic won't be as bad.

[crispini]

11. Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!

good news indeed.

[jobycom]

12. Excellent! I worried about you all night!

Glad they got out.

[Longhorn]

14. That is good news because now they're saying it's headed to Beaumont!

I'm glad they're well on their way!

[sonias]

13. Sounds like your family is on the road to safety tammywammy

Godspeed to them and keep them safe. Stay positive. We will survive this. Traffic is horrible, but if the aggravation of traffic is the worst we get, we can handle that. At least we did the right thing in ordering these evacuations.

Let's keep hoping Rita hits some cold water near land and calms down.

Take care tammywammy. Love to you and your family!

Sonia

[tammywammy]

15. Yes, I was so thankful today to hear they've left

My one aunt is waiting on my uncle, he works at one of the refineries, and is still at work.

We expect to see them sometime tomorrow. :)

I'm just so glad that they're on their way here.