[LexiAndNikkisMom]

Texans flee from Rita

 

[joe]

wow, i thought it would only get to a 4, it seems there has been advanced warning and hopefully there is no loss of life

 

[pico's parent]

My stepdaughter lives in Houston with her husband and 9 year old son and I have been trying all day to get them a hotel room here in San Antonio but everything is booked! They would stay with us but her mother is with her and that would be awkward for reasons I can't go into here. Plus we only have one spare room (My office, dressing room, entertainment, sewing, get-away-from-the-husband room) They also have two Labs who are very rowdy that we can keep in our back yard for them but if they have to go elsewhere to get a room, that won't work.

I'm beginning to get a better feel for what New Orleansians were up against with Katrina. Traffic is bumper-to-bumper on I10 out of Houston because they have started evacuating the coastal areas earlier and when the Houstonians hit the highways, look out! It's a mess.

My ex son-in-law works as a boat captain in Port Aransas, near Corpus Christi, and he has to get his boss's boat to safety but doesn't know which way to go, either.

Winds up to 100 mph are expected as far north as Dallas, which my daughter was unaware of until I called her so she is battening down the hatches, too. I've stocked up on drinking water, batteries, canned goods and we have a crank radio and crank emergency light so we are as prepared as we can be. I'll fill the tub and sinks with water on Friday and just prepare to hunker down. Flooding can be a problem for us as we are at the bottom of the hill and the water makes a river of the road in front of our house as it flows down the hill and turns the corner at our house to empty into the storm ditch across the street. We lost our hardwood floors several years ago this way. We have since installed a drain that should prevent that happening again. We'll see.......if it doesn't "train" and just moves on we should be ok. The ground is pretty dry,too so it will absorb a lot before flooding becomes an issue.

Texas learned from Katrina and the coastal areas commandeered school busses, shuttle busses, every kind of conveyance they could find to evacuate those without transportation. The retirement centers and nursing homes were evacuated this morning. I don't know what the hospitals are doing. It's going to be a bad 'un.

 

[Scoobydoo]

OMG please be safe all who are there and if you can get to safer ground do so. My hubby's uncle is down in Houston and we spoke to him this morning and he said that the women and children have gone to their house in New Mexico but the men are going to stay. They are 40 miles in from the coastal areas but as I said this it going to be a big one, I just pray that everyone is safe and there are no fatalities from this dreadful storm.

 

[Mystify79]

My parents live in the Houston area and took off last night to come up here to stay with us. They just made it in and said that the traffic was crazy trying to get out of Houston even late last night. Several of their neighbors chose not to leave so we are hoping for the best for them. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone down there.

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

I posted in the other Rita thread about my sister..

I am praying that since it is already so strong and that far away....that it will weaken before it hits....

 

[littlepeanut]

Be safe everyone

 

[MalteseJane]

I told my husband we could go on a vacation to Kerrville, but he said if that thing comes in in Corpus Christi it's going to be bad in San Antonio and Kerrville too. So we are staying put. We are not in a flooding zone. But took out flood insurance anyway just in case. I will give Alex a bath tomorrow and cut his hair so he will be more comfortable in case we don't have a/c for a few days. We went through Alicia 22 years ago and were fine, so hopefully we will survive this one too.

Now Alex is afraid of bad weather, can anyone explain to me again how that body wrap works ? I also have Rescue Remedy on hand. Maybe I will go over to the vet and ask him for something.

I am scared of storms too. Is there a body wrap for me too ? Lol. I think I will spend the time in the closet with Alex.

 

[Scoobydoo]

Well they have just dropped it back to a CAT 4 but let's hope it weakens even more before it hits land

 

[pico's parent]

MalteseJane, you need to haul your buns OUT OF HOUSTON! Now the path is closer than previously estimated and it is a BAD, BAD GIRL, this Rita..... It is not too late to leave but you may not find shelter even in Kerrville. San Antonio hotels are full, and I mean full. I tried to get a B&B for my stepdaughter and the owner told me B&B's were full in Fredricksburg even.

Call Kerrville now and then LEAVE HOUSTON. Ask MsMagnolia!

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

Breaking News on CNN: "Hurricane Rita's top sustained winds drop to 150 mph, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane, according to National Hurricane Center."

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

Just read this in a CNN article. The mayor of Galveston, TX said:

She's taken note of New Orleans victims who found themselves in jeopardy because they refused to evacuate without their pets.

"Our buses took around 2,400 people -- and probably more --out of here yesterday [and evacuees] were allowed to take their pets," Thomas said. "That was one lesson learned: that people will not leave their pets."[/B]

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

Originally posted by Lexi's Mom@Sep 22 2005, 01:42 PM
Just read this in a CNN article.  The mayor of Galveston, TX said:
QUOTE

She's taken note of New Orleans victims who found themselves in jeopardy because they refused to evacuate without their pets.

"Our buses took around 2,400 people -- and probably more --out of here yesterday [and evacuees] were allowed to take their pets," Thomas said. "That was one lesson learned: that people will not leave their pets."

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GREAT! I am glad they took notice of that!

 

[Scoobydoo]

That is good to hear, now maybe there might be more people who will take heed and evacuate with their pets.

 

[MalteseJane]

Yes and the shelters where they went to accept the pets.

 

[MalteseJane]

Pamela we are on the west side of Houston far from the storm surge areas. The area where we live in is in the 500 years flood plan. Only the areas that flood have been asked to evacuate. And anyway, the freeways are a huge mess. Trafic is backed up to 100 miles. Gas stations are running out or are already out of gasoline. For now we are safer at home then on the road. And we have prepared as much as we can. We took in all the patio furniture and the plants. We have food for a few days. We have over 10 gallons of water. We will fill the bath tub and every bucket we have with tap water tomorrow. We have flashlights and batteries. I have a bunch of Yankee candles in jars. Lol the house will smell good. My car has a full tank of gasoline. We have gas for the BBQ. We have cash in case we need some after the hurricane when the stores don't have electricity. We should be alright especially if Rita stays on the latest path.

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

Originally posted by MalteseJane@Sep 22 2005, 05:33 PM
Pamela we are on the west side of Houston far from the storm surge areas. The area where we live in is in the 500 years flood plan. Only the areas that flood have been asked to evacuate. And anyway, the freeways are a huge mess. Trafic is backed up to 100 miles. Gas stations are running out or are already out of gasoline. For now we are safer at home then on the road. And we have prepared as much as we can. We took in all the patio furniture and the plants. We have food for a few days. We have over 10 gallons of water. We will fill the bath tub and every bucket we have with tap water tomorrow. We have flashlights and batteries. I have a bunch of Yankee candles in jars. Lol the house will smell good. My car has a full tank of gasoline. We have gas for the BBQ. We have cash in case we need some after the hurricane when the stores don't have electricity. We should be alright especially if Rita stays on the latest path.
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Good!
You have prepared....be smart!

Stay safe!!!!

 

[msmagnolia]

Yay Texas, for allowing the pets to go too. Smart and they learned from the mistakes made in Katrina. My daughter in Jackson has another group of refugees...these are the family of Megan's boyfriend from Lake Charles. So we have another 7 people at our condo. I think that a higher power knew that we needed to buy that condo and work so hard on the renovation. It was our refuge during Katrina and someone else's during Rita. I'm not all that religious, but even I can't help but be awed by the timing.

I'm so worried for all of the people in the Gulf Coast Region. How much more can we take?

 

[Brinkley & Neyland's Mom]

Originally posted by msmagnolia@Sep 22 2005, 07:54 PM
Yay Texas, for allowing the pets to go too.  Smart and they learned from the mistakes made in Katrina.  My daughter in Jackson has another group of refugees...these are the family of Megan's boyfriend from Lake Charles.  So we have another 7 people at our condo.  I think that a higher power knew that we needed to buy that condo and work so hard on the renovation.  It was our refuge during Katrina and someone else's during Rita.  I'm not all that religious, but even I can't help but be awed by the timing.

I'm so worried for all of the people in the Gulf Coast Region.  How much more can we take?
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My heart just sticks in my stomach when I think about it...like when I heard we were going to war the last two times. I just can't stand it. -_-

 

[dr.jaimie]

i hope i dont loose elec. again from this one...now it looks like MY parents will get hit hard....first Katrina with my inlaws..now Rita goes for my parents