Hurricane Season - 2008

[dtel]

We have been gone for 4 days, glad to hear everyone is OK, as far as we know. Thank God it didn't turn into a cat 4 or cat 5. While we were gone we met an older couple who were from Baytown and left, they said they had a message their home was OK except for a few trees in the yard but everyone was not that lucky.

[jbsl]

Dave I am glad you and everyone else who stayed behind are alright!!

It is a big mess to clean up and FEMA just does not have the manpower to be everywhere the storm hit. Part of the problem is there are hundreds of thousands of people spread from south of Galveston over to Louisana not just on the coast but also inland where the storm also did a lot of damage.

The hard part for FEMA and state, even local authorities is trying to figure out where was hit hardest and trying to get help to those people first.

I understand some people cannot leave.

If anyone stays of their own free will then they have to understand that that if they need help after the storm they may not get it for awhile. That is a risk taken by anyone who stays behind.

I read about a man in Orange who stayed but could have left but stayed and had to be rescued. He was lucky that he got out.

A lot of people got lucky that Ike did not hit as hard as expected!

Katrina and Rita did hit with all their fury and people ignored the warnings and a lot of people died! Was the aftermath of Katrina mishandled yes but it was at the local, state, and Fedral level not just FEMA.

Glad you and anyone else from the forum in the affected areas are okay.

[picky]

Dave: We're all glad you are okay! I'd heard on the news that Seabrook was one of the worst-hit areas, especially regarding flooding. Be sure you go to church this week and thank The Boss! ...that is, if the church is still there, I guess. Thanks for all of your updates. God Bless you and your family. -Glenn

[colterphoto1]

Maybe they could find a good use for all those trailers in Hope! We're paying for some to guard them as they deteriorate in a field near the Klipsch factory. What a shame.

[Groomlakearea51]

when I noticed the debris in the pool had assumed an odd and organized shape.... I'll stay put through tomorrow at least and get the pool cleaned out. Glad I waited to dump all the shock and chorine tablets in there (note to self: Next emminent hurricane DRAIN THE POOL COMPLETELY.

Glad to see that the weather demons spared you!!!!

That's a scary thing when the eye wall passes over.... You should have stayed up and put on Savoy Brown's "Hellbound Train"... The southern part of the eyewall has always caused more damage here for some reason.

If it's an in-ground pool don't drain it. It can "pop" out of the ground. There is a neat device that the pool guys use to clean up debris and charge the pool owners about a $100... It uses a garden hose and a venturi effect and will pick up about 10-15 pounds in a net bag at a time. The "pool guys" don't tell the pool woners about it because it takes away their business.... There is also an inline net bag device you can put on the Polaris hose which will capture about 90% of all the crap it picks up before it gets to the pump basket, main filter, etc. Two best investments I ever made. Took me about an hour to clean up the pool after TS Fay which dumped crap in the pool for 12 hours... I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but I'll send you an email/PM when I get home today.

Question.... In the photos that came out from Houston area. It seemed that alot of folks did not have hurricane shutters on their windows. There seemed to be couple of office buildings where every window popped, but others seemed just fine? Construction issues using substandard (for wind) windows? This was the same case in south Dade County after Andrew. I'm just curious.

Other thing that happened here with Frances & Jeanne was that everyone had roof damage, but 90% of the roofs were at least 10+ years old. Meanwhile within the 12 months between Frances and Jeanne, almost everyone had a new roof.... Wilma comes over as a very strong Cat-2, borderline on Cat-3 (I had gusts at the building of 117 mph), but we had very little roof damage. I spoke at length with the roof companies, and they explained that while a roof tile is guaranteed for 25 years or 40 years, etc., if the roof tile goop (bull tar) dries out, and it will over 10-15 years..., sustained high winds is what causes the failures. They also said that "architectural grade" roof tile works better in high winds because of the irregular patterns that disrupts the laminar flow over the actual surface of roof (the golfball dimples effect).

Many folks here opted to pay the additional 40% out of their pockets for a steel roof (old style "tin" roof). Nothing for the wind to get under to lift. The insurance companies were pri*ks about the replacement of the roofs and only wanted to replace individual tiles!! But after a few calls from attorneys, most decided that when replacing tiles, it was best to just replace them all and inspect the sheathing as well. Many homes built before the late 1990's still used straight nails instead of ridged nails or screws to secure the sheathing. So when the tiles lifted, so did the sheathing, especially at the leading edges.

For portable generators, the best type is a "wheeled" type in the 12-15k region. We got one from Guardian for about $2400 in December of last year (we had just used a portable 7k during the last few years). It came with the switchbox and the "pigtail". We paid an electrician (code!!!) to install the breaker box and the external "plug". For "fixed", the LNG/propanes are supposed to be very good. They are more expensive, but easy to maintain, test, etc. We opted for the "wheeled" version because we may eventually sell the house and move to where hurricanes are a distant, fuzzy and unpleasant memory....

In any event, good luck on the cleanup and stay safe!!!

[Mallette]

>If anyone stays of their own free will then they
have to understand that that if they need help after the storm they may
not get it for awhile. That is a risk taken by anyone who stays
behind.

You misunderstand. I fully understood what you say before I made my decision and was fully stocked with all necessities for a week or more, right down to beer. [] I mentioned I would not expect the cavalry to be carrying beer and steak dinners. Just rifles would be fine. The point is to re-establish order immediately. The Fire Department doesn not sit around looking at a fire going, "We need to study the situation and plan an organized response." They start putting retardant on it and figure out the rest as the go along. Whether there are hardheads like me who dified orders (and always have) and insisted on staying or there is no one at all places like this need soldiers immediately to protect property and provide intel back to relief authorities. JMHO.

Thanks again for all the kind words. This is really "alt.family" as it were.

Dave

[BLSamuel]

Glad Dave and others made it through OK.

Our local Sunday paper showed the debris piled up on the highway at Seabrook. Praying and hoping for a safe and quick clean up for all affected.

[eq_shadimar]

Dave -

I am glad to hear that you made it ok! I hope the other forum members in the affect areas are safe as well.

It sounds like things are coming back online quickly for you. Here are some "borrowed" images from the New York Times of Seabrook.

Let me know if there is anything I can do to assist.

Laters,

Jeff

[Mallette]

The eye movement may certainly coincides with my observations. If you look right at the point where the "Path of Eye" label is that's about when I was praying it would take a right. Thank God it did. That is the only thing that kept water out of my house. Also, the eye centerpoint labled "4am" is dead on. I went to sleep during the eye passage and awoke at 0430 with a terrific hammering going on. It was worse than the north eyewall by a significant margin, which surprised me (also others I've spoken to). However, I was so beat I just said to hell with Ike and went back to sleep.

Thanks for the pix, Jeff. Seabrook is a marvelous little place and we've lost some great institutions, including Merlion, my favorite restaurant, but we'll clean it up and return to the good life on the Texas Gulf.

Next time I'll be better prepared. For one thing, I want a really strong flag with a finger on it to run up just before the SOB moves in...

Dave

[Groomlakearea51]

I want a really strong flag with a finger on it to run up just before the SOB moves in... Dave

The "last great act of defiance" flag..... Hooyah!!![Y]

[Groomlakearea51]

For Dave & others with pools filled with leaves:

http://www.h2opoolproducts.com/product_info.php?products_id=54 Only $34!!

Also if you have a "creepy crawly" vacuum device (also known locally as Mr. Suckee...) the below device inserted between the first & second tube going into the skimmer inlet also pretty much will get everything during "non-hurricane cleanings.

[InnerTuber]

For Dave & others with pools filled with leaves:

http://www.h2opoolproducts.com/product_info.php?products_id=54 Only $34!!

Also if you have a "creepy crawly" vacuum device (also known locally as Mr. Suckee...)

Hah - we named ours Blue Ray - http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11240580&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|111|53682|58255&N=4019917&Mo=8&pos=4&No=6&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=58255&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1〈=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC11008-Cat53682&topnav=

That thing is exactly what a pal needs tho - theirs is uncovered, we have screen. GL51 you got anything for all those little frogs? I fish those out non stop.

[Mallette]

I have Polly (Polaris) but also a larger hose that plugs into the skimmer. However, the bottom was covered with leaves, so I just got in and broomed them to the shallow in and scooped them out the old fashioned way. I'll follow with the big hose vac, then let Polly mop up. Yesterday I tossed about a quadruple dose of shock in followed by chlorine tabs. It is considerably clarifed already. I suspect it will be fine.

I may have mentioned that it was Polly floundering around that tipped me to the power. At first I thought it was an alligator. Poor thing was trying its best to plow through all that junk.

Dave

[jt1stcav]

I'm happy to hear Dave and family are doing well after Ike tore TX wide open! Sorry about your pool full of gunk, but at least your Fraziers made it unscathed!

I also received an e-mail last night from Erik Mandaville of Houston, and this is what he had to say:

"Our power came on this evening (hopefully for good this time), but we don't have running water. We have some roof damage...several of our neighbors had severe flooding, with entire upstair floors collapsing. We had large branches blown off trees, and many mature trees completely uprooted or snapped in half right behind our house. Roof shingles were blown all over the neighborhood, and none of the street lights have been working. All nearby gas stations are closed for business. Just lots and lots of cleanup to do, but you're right, it could have been worse."

I think everyone involved from this forum have been saying a word of thanks to the ol' Man upstairs that Ike wasn't a killer here in the US like past storms have been. As much damage that was caused from Ike, it claimed very few lives...thanks be to God for that!

[Groomlakearea51]

Bunch of waves continue to cross off Africa, but they are not forming up and are staying near the ITCZ (convergence zone) which is a "good thing".

[Groomlakearea51]

Streamlines right now show steering pretty much in a straight line from Africa across the Carribean.

[Groomlakearea51]

As everyone has noticed, these things occur in "pulses" or as waves at 4-7 day intervals. We are currently "OK" for at least the next 10-14 days in terms of something hitting us, even if it forms up. Here's the streamlines/ steering currents for the 96 hour mark (4 days) Of interest, the streamlines would steer it south, and at best into the Carribean, dependent upon what the currents look like after 96 hours.

[Groomlakearea51]

The massive amount of downed trees phenomenon is typical of a hurricane passing through when there has not been one for 20 years or more. We noticed this after Frances. Massive amounts of downed trees, busted branches, etc all over the place. Winds were about 85-90 max but the storm took 36 hours to go past. Reason is that "old growth" trees that are too big (or bigger than what they ought to be) get cleaned out by the storms as part of the natural process. 2 weeks later comes Jeanne, stronger than Frances, but very few trees downed. Following year, 2005, Wilma comes through as a very strong Cat-2/borderline Cat-3, but very, very few trees get wacked. Meanwhile the rest of the trees actually look better, etc. Most folks with oak trees here now are very ruthless in trimming back, cutting branches, etc.

[Mallette]

You know, there is a LOT of misunderstanding about he Saffir/Simpson scale. Even my brother said "It was only a cat 2." That is just wind speed. I clocked 109 steady at my house on the back side of the eye wall. Further, this thing was 700 miles across had had been piling up water for over a week. Last year Humberto formed right off Galveston and came ashore just a hair further NE (Bolivar) as a weak Cat 3. We had a good rain and windstorm here, but that is all.

Judging a storm by it's SS number is like saying that "Hey, an M-16 is just about a .22 (SLIGHTLY larger in fact)" without mentioning it's muzzle velocity and 800 rounds per minute ability.

Dave

[Groomlakearea51]

Dave is right. The Safir Simpson scale is only a guideline..... Here's the problem.... Take an plastic 5 gallon bucket and drop it on your head from 10 feet.... Ouch!!! Now... fill it up halfway with water, call 911 in advance, and drop it on your head.....

Pure wind without water is detsructive, no doubt... But when a storm is heavy in the rain department, and add slow mover time time to it, even a Cat-1 can get very destructive over time. Ground saturation, the weight of the massive amount of water in the leaves, etc. in large trees and voila....

Hurricanes are like Godzilla.... Size does count. A small CAT-4 "Raptor" will surely tear things up in its path, but if it's moving fast, not carrying alot of rain, and is not the size of the Lone Star State..., damage can be confined to the NE area and the eyewall.

There are really 4 things we look at down here when something is approaching: Speed of movement (time on target...), windfield diameter size, amount of rainfall embedded, and then throw all of that into the Safir-Simpson scale. Too often, newscasters (talking heads...) look only at the intensity. It's not the "better way" to look at what the potential for damage will be.

Recent case in point - Fay. High end TS, but what a "pee bringer".... The massive amounts of rainfall coupled with it's somewhat high winds wreaked havoc in Florida. Damage was more flooding, but there was also wind damage.