Ike

[Aggie_Ama]

Txdoc- So glad to hear you were evacuated. The radio updates on the island are just so scary! Waves lready over the seawall, parts of town already flooded and landfall is 12 hours out. I hope your colleagues are safe. Why do hospital staff stay? I mean I know they want to help the people who stayed and are injured but it is so scary that they stay. I don't have the guts to be in emergency personnel that is for sure.

Just heard on the radio this storm occupies 40% (!!) percent of the Gulf.

[sundial]

I really feel for the Texas coast people. According to the experts it's only going to get bigger. My heart goes out to emergency personnel and medical staff who choose to remain behind. Please take a moment and say a prayer for those who live in this region and that they will find shelter from the storm.

PS, If anyone is headed to NE Arkansas, pm me.

[wackyjacky1]

Yeah, Ike is a big sucker. Looks like S.A. is going to get spared, though. Riding home after work this afternoon, the traffic was awful -- a lot of the evacuees have come here.

[Aggie_Ama]

Yeah, Ike is a big sucker. Looks like S.A. is going to get spared, though. Riding home after work this afternoon, the traffic was awful -- a lot of the evacuees have come here.

We have a lot of evacuees in Austin right now, I asked my husband if any of his friends were here but he didn't know. His college roommate lives in the Beaumont area but his sister is here, I assume he is here. He also has some friends in Palacios, haven't heard from any of them but I am guessing they found somewhere safe.

Looks like we will be dry and just crowded here.

[andtckrtoo]

Thoughts and prayers to all in yIkes way.

[sundial]

He also has some friends in Palacios, haven't heard from any of them but I am guessing they found somewhere safe.

Looks like we will be dry and just crowded here.

Palacious--hmmmmm. That's where I went to church camp. The mosquitoes carried us off every night.

Aggie, if you get too crowded, come to Arkansas and we can do some hills together.

[makbike]

I hope all who left took their pets with them and all are out of harms way.

[wackyjacky1]

My best friend and her family live in the Sixth Ward in Houston. They decided not to evacuate for Ike. They evacuated for Rita, and that turned out to be a total PITA (and ultimately unnecessary) so they didn't want to go through that hassle again. Needless to say I am quite worried about them!

[bmccasland]

N.O. - the flood gate was closed on one of the shipping channels, otherwise, it's just VERY gusty around here.

I've was "given the opportunity to excel" - begged into volunteering for damage survey crews by my boss. She wanted experienced staff, and I was one of the suckers who came to work today (we were given the opportunity to stay home because of the tropical storm weather). AND she sweetened the deal by committing to getting me the bonus money to pay the boarding bill for all my pets (and kept the promise when I gave her the cost estimate). I have a good boss

So tuesday after we look at the monday flight video, we'll be heading over to the southwest part of Louisiana to do damage surveys of federal property and other areas. They're expecting the storm surge to be as bad as Rita's. The only good news is that some areas haven't had time to rebuild - so maybe there won't be as much property damage.

But after working on restoration projects in that area, I know some of the locals, and I'm worried about them.

The NWS is predicting the storm surge to be 25 ft, which will overtop the 17ft breakwater on Galveston Island. Going to be a Big Ugly. For those staying behind on the island, I hope they're in storm bunkers.