Some Good News. (perhaps).On Hurricane Ike...

[Stuart G]

From MSNBC........five minutes ago...(10:38 Central Time..}

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26637482/


"Wilson Shaffer, chief of the National Weather Service's evaluation division, said the storm surge was smaller than predicted, but the region wasn't out of the clear as the storm continued on its path. The highest surge Saturday morning was about 13.5 feet at Sabine Pass in Texas, according to tidal gages. The surge at Galveston was 11 feet, about half of what was predicted."

This quote is from the 8th paragraph of the story. There will be devastation and ruin. But maybe not as bad as first expected.

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Thank you, I've been searching and searching trying to get a idea...

of what happened overnight.

It's infuriating: sometimes there's TOO MUCH piecemeal information and you can't get any real sense of what's going on.

Okay, knowing the surge was half of what was expected is indeed good news.

Thanks again!


:)

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. That's good to hear

[RoyGBiv]

3. Ike wobbled ...

It went just a tad to the right of the predicted path, and as the locals were saying all along, that would make the difference. Just a few miles here or there can mean the difference between totally inundation and "just" bad flooding.

Galveston is still pretty screwed. Some people that stayed had at least three feet of water in their houses and had to break out through windows 'cause they couldn't get the doors open, then swim to a safer area. Reports are spotty because crews can't get out. I think the local paper was reporting that 20-30 people stayed at the emergency management station and worked through the night, and most of those believed their homes were gone.

I somehow have power and Internet service. Most of those around me do not. It weakened (the winds) quickly when it hit land, so we didn't have the sustained hurricane strength winds for the duration they were fearing. Still strong enough ... howled and screamed for hours. Lots of debris about this morning, flooding everywhere, and there's PVC pipe that flew in from somewhere piled up behind my truck, which is fine because I have no inclination to get out of this here chair.

From first reports, I think most of the Houston area got off better than expected. The coastal areas NE of here may have gotten it worse than expected.

[Stuart G]

4. We will know the total truth in a few days...

Certainly the above news that it went a little to the right is good news, at least from here. Maybe just maybe, the huge number of deaths that were predicted 18 hours ago did not occur.

[RoyGBiv]

6. We can hope ...

For every good report I hear (Texas City not under water, Galveston still exists at least) I hear a bad one. It's all spotty at this point.

As for the wobble, when I say "a little" I mean *a little*. I had no idea of what exactly happened. Last night, I could tell when the eye was overhead, but it was weird, not what I was told to expect. It'd go calm for a few minutes and then just start screaming again for several more ... then calmer ... and finally nothing but howling wind and rain that sounded like little rocks hitting things.

I finally saw a replay of the storm as it came on shore that explained it. It wobbled just a *wee* bit to the right, and where I am, I was in and out of the eye wall for a couple of hours, mostly in. From the pre-landfall models, it was literally supposed to go right over where I sit, but it went to the right a bit ... and apparently had started that turn just at landfall.

Anyway ... just rambling. Been on an adrenaline high all night and this morning and am so amazed I have Internet service I'm having trouble disconnecting.

[Stuart G]

8. Hang in there ...we are with you...and..

thanks for your posts...we really appreciate them...:grouphug:

[malaise]

7. Stay safe

and stay away from live wires. :grouphug:

[RoyGBiv]

9. Thanks ...

I'm not going out there. Having been on an emergency management team when I lived in Oklahoma, I listened to these people quite closely. They say stay inside. I'm staying inside. :-)

[Igel]

12. Having the eye barrel right up the Bay was a relatively good thing.

It spared us most of the horrendous winds and spared Galveston the storm surge.

Our power came back on at 6:55 pm, just as I was finishing up making dinner on a Coleman stove.

I'm maybe a mile SW of the Reliant Center. Probably a bit less than a mile.

Not much damage here. Carports in the apt. complex didn't fare well and collapsed on the cars sheltered under them. Trees stripped of leaves, and some are down (new apt. complex, the trees are small). No apts flooded.

Mostly a scary night and muggy afternoon for us. For others, much, much worse.

Glad to see you got through ok.

[RoyGBiv]

13. Pretty much the same here ...

All told and after a day to make sure things really are okay around here -- kinda hard to know for sure when you're sequestered in the house -- I'm quite thankful.

Saw that the Reliant took some damage. Seems to be that way all over this area. The Wash 'N Fold around the corner looks like the Jolly Green Giant came wandering along with a club and beat it to death. Across the road is an old house that doesn't appear to have a scratch on it. Reminds me of surveying tornado scenes.

You're right about it coming up the way it did. Probably saved lots of lives.

Found out the area where my aunt and uncle live (near NASA) is not in good shape. They are thankfully in New Mexico, so they didn't have to deal with it in person, but they're worried about their house now.

But, they're alive, and that's what matters.

Glad you're faring well also. Take care.

[alarimer]

5. Good to know.

I was hoping this would be the case.

[bullwinkle428]

10. It took that little turn to the north just before making landfall,

and that's really what saved Galveston from complete devastation. I went to bed last night fearing the worst...

[Stuart G]

11. I just looked at a weather map of Hurricane Ike...

It has moved out of the Houston area completely...Yes, electricity is out..but...perhaps...we will not see hundreds of deaths. We will know by tomorrow....