We're back in Houston

[WestHoustonDem]

Believe it or not, Lisa, punk and I were on the road for 14 hours, including 3 getting gas in Brenham. We decided to come back to Houston since the course of the storm has changed. It took ONE HOUR to make the return trip. If we need to, we'll go to a local shelter, but I feel pretty good about my townhome's chances of withstanding Rita.

Thanks to GOPIsEvil, JohnCoby, WolverineDG, PDiddie and everyone else who's expressed concern and offered to help.

WolverineDG - we may need you after all!

[aquart]

1. Good luck. I hope you're right about Rita's course.

[WestHoustonDem]

8. Thanks aqart. No matter what, it's better than being

stuck in two cars with 6 cats and a teenager when the storm hits.

[caligirl]

2. best of luck, really hope you will be safe. Been through this myself.

[WestHoustonDem]

7. Thanks caligirl!

[The Traveler]

3. It looks like you chose wisely

Right to bug out and right to turn back. Glad to hear you guys aren't stuck on the road. Jeezo man, what a mess!

Prayers for all who fly or stand before the storm.

[WestHoustonDem]

13. Thanks Traveler! n/t

[Pirate Smile]

4. Do you have any personal anecdotes to add to this thread?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1800076

Stay safe and good luck. :)

[WestHoustonDem]

5. Thanks, We'll take the rest of the night to get wasted

and post our anecdotes tomorrow.

[Pirate Smile]

12. I can understand that. Get some rest.

[kestrel91316]

6. I thought I heard there WERE no local shelters because everybody is

supposed to get the hell out of Dodge. There are no refuges of last resort. They don't want a Superdome situation - guess Perry would prefer Texans just drown or be battered to death graciously.

[WestHoustonDem]

10. That story changed when they realized

we couldn't get out of town!

[windbreeze]

9. Good luck to you n/t

[WestHoustonDem]

11. Thanks windbreeze

[applegrove]

14. If that storm is to hit within 2 hours of you - you get to a shelter right

away. I was in a hurricane and the thing switched course and hit an 40 miles closer to where they said it was going. Anyone outside got hurt badly by debris. And that was a small one. They ended up evacuating 45 minutes before the storm hit from the coast. So You get to a shelter or such if the storm gets any closer. Give yourself lots of time. An hour of coast is nothing to a hurricane. Especially one that big.

[WestHoustonDem]

15. You got that right!

We were just discussing the fact that if there's a direct Cat 4+ on Galveston, we're finding a shelter. Since so many folks turned around and/or couldn't get out of town, they will be opening some local shelters.

[applegrove]

16. Well the army will not be standing down. You can bet you'll have food

and security by day two. So you should be fine.

[WolverineDG]

17. no prob!

i hope to be home on sunday, so anytime after that, give me a jingle! :)

dg

[Why Syzygy]

18. I predict

by landfall it will be Lafayette. Won't be the first time.

Goddess bless them all.

[babylonsister]

19. Hey, WHD, we're still here in SE Houston. The

traffic for the past 2 days has been too much to contemplate, especially w/folks running out of gas, water, and the heat! We're going to hit the road soon and possibly head towards Corpus. You all take care and hunker down!

[WestHoustonDem]

22. If you can't get out of town - Come up here!

[PDittie]

20. Me too

I spent six hours on I-45 yesterday and traveled six miles (from Crosstimbers almost to BW-8. Burned half a tank of gas.

Came on back home (that took me less than a half hour).

Today I'll go over to the in-laws -- papi, mami, SIL,BIL, three boys 6 to 11 -- and ride it out.

We won't be sheltering it unless the house gets damaged.

Mrs. Dittie worried sick about all of us; she's flying to D-FW from Chicago tonight with a hotel room in Las Colinas and a flight out to Washington DC Monday morning. She gets to miss all the fun.

Won't be online much after this, I suspect. Don't be alarmed.

[WestHoustonDem]

23. That sucks PDittie. Stay safe!

[intheflow]

27. Take care of yourself, PDittie.

I stand with Mrs. PDittie in worrying about you, and will wait with my prayers until you resurface.

[fudge stripe cookays]

21. Be safe, you guys!

We're all pulling for you! Let us know the minute it passes out of there!

FSC

[WestHoustonDem]

24. Thanks FSC! Will do!

[GOPisEvil]

25. Glad you made it safely.

Take care. :)

[WestHoustonDem]

33. We should be fine

We're far from alone. Turns out lots of my townhome neighbors either couldn't get out or headed east and came back when the storm turned. One has a generator, another has a huge ice chest. We're going to try to find an an open store in a little while.

I have SWB dialup numbers and a laptop. So I'll try to get online even if we lose power.

[intheflow]

26. Well, you're still probably in for a helluva ride.

But I'll bet mama kitty will be happier with you home. And you guys will be together, and you're (mostly) out of the flood zone (I think)...

I'll be praying hard for you all. Take care! :grouphug:

[WestHoustonDem]

34. We are not in a flood or high risk area n/t

[sonias]

28. Glad to hear you're home safe WHD, Lisa & punk

Sounded like a horrible way to spend 14 hours but you did what you needed to do at the time. You're going to be OK. Get some rest over the weekend. Looks like Houston will fare better than expected.:grouphug:

So sorry for your driving nightmare. One thing for sure is that this shows Texas doesn't have a good working evacuation plan. Those major highways should have been made outbound only, by Wed night or early Thursday morning. Gasoline resupply trucks should have been ordered into the area sooner. Perry gets an F. Those long delays contributed to that horrible bus accident in Dallas off IH45. Those poor elderly people. Rest in peace fellow Texans. :cry:

Sonia

[WestHoustonDem]

35. Agreed. The contraflow lanes should have opened

Tuesday on all roads that have feeders. I'm sickened about that bus.

We'll try to get online using dialup if we lose power. Thanks for all your good thoughts!

[Stil]

29. It surprised me

To hear they planned for just the people in the cat. 1-5 flood zone areas to evacuate. I can see the lower number storms not as many people evac'ing. But get up to cat4-5 they should have adjusted the "plan". At the freeport/galveston landfall report is when I decided to go. I live in the "c" area. (Cat 4-5 evac. area) And right now with expected winds in the 75-80 mph, not bad for riding out the storm.

[WestHoustonDem]

36. Where'd you end up Stil? n/t

[Stil]

40. Back at my house.

But have the option of 4 other houses nearby in case something happens.
For the pet folks. Got cats in every room, dogs in one, my dogs in the attached garage, birds in another. Picked up all my kids animals and brought them over here. The got out early. Place looks like noahs ark. ;-)

[2bfree]

30. My stepson is going to ride out the storm as well.

He lives on the north west side, we are worried but would have been if he were stuck on the road as well. I wish all of you the very best................

[ralps]

31. Hi WestHoustonDem, I'mglad you all made it back safely & I hope

you all stay safe. :hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[WestHoustonDem]

37. Hey ralps!

Thanks. I think we're in good shape. My creepy repug neighbor has a generator.

Your photo link didn't work, please repost it.

:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

[ralps]

41. Frell, I forgot to leave a space between the gif & the rest of the smilies

Kool Kitty is also in Houston I believe. :hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[north houston dem]

32. Glad you made it back in one piece Lynn -

My daughter attempted to go to Brenham yesterday - they finally decided to come back home after being on the road for hours and getting nowhere. So the kids will be riding it out with us. Not too worried about the storm itself - it's the flooding afterwards that we are concerned with...they say the storm is going to stall over houston/galveston and that is what allison did....
Need I say more?
I cancelled on going to Washington - couldn;t leave my husband and kids to face this alone.
So alrighty! Can we do a roll call before we all lose power and internets? So we will know Who to look for afterwards?

[WestHoustonDem]

38. Hey North! Sorry your trip got cancelled :(

We were dry here through Allison. If you want to head out here, come on by and join the menagerie!

[north houston dem]

39. thanks sweetie

i honestly don't think i could have made the airport anyway.
And the guilt of leaving my kids.....

We should be ok - allison only flooded our streets - and we are prepared - so same here if ya'll need us.......

we are cat friendly - our dogs might not like but they will get over it:)

[ralps]

42. Was that you that just called in to the Thom Hartmann show?

12:25 central time :hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[WestHoustonDem]

43. Yes it was! How'd I do?

[ralps]

46. I thought you did pretty good. YAY!!!

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[WestHoustonDem]

47. Thanks, now I'm back to work organizing things

Lisa's out procuring anything she can find. They just announced the winds on this side of Houston should be less than 80 with 4-8 inches of rain, both of which we can handle.
:loveya: :hug: :loveya: :hug: :loveya: :hug:

[Stil]

44. channel 2

just had a pretty good map showing expected wind speeds and rain amounts for the projected path. Harris county 65 mph, Chambers 80 mph. With rainfall amounts Harris 4-8 inches, Chambers 8-12 inches. Fits along the same numbers Neil Frank was saying. Nothing but a summer storm at least for Harris county. But they are predicting 6,000 destroyed homes around the Texas/Louisiana border. Which is not good.

[lavenderdiva]

45. Hey, WestHoustonDem!

I live in Southwest Houston, and it seems like we too, will be staying put for the storm. I'm sorry to hear that your attempt to evacuate went horribly awry, but am glad you are home safely.

We also live in a townhome, that, to date, has never flooded. We back up to Buffalo Bayou.

Best regards to you, and your family-- keep in touch, if you want to PM me, ok?:hug:

[WestHoustonDem]

48. lavender - just PM'd you my numbers

Stay safe!

[taps]

49. I'd say you made a wise decision if you have power now! n/t