I wish we could get some of that water in Colorado and California. Half of my state is ablaze and I have friends in Cali being evacuated from their homes.
Best of luck to all of you idiots staring down the double barrels of twin hurricanes. Here’s hoping you all come through unscathed.
I’m hoping the flooding isn’t too horrible down south, and maybe for some kind of wind/rain up the inthe dfw area. But infrastructure isn’t ready for all of that. If it hits hard, it’ll be a giant mess.
also they both seem to be targeting New Orleans specifically, which is built for anything but a hurricane. Katrina was 15 years ago, and I still can’t believe it: who builds a coastal city BELOW sea level?
Laura keeps tracking farther west placing Houston within the cone. I'm actually a little concerned about that one because of the potential for strengthening.
Hope you guys are going to be OK... but meanwhile, I had an enjoyable day of doing nothing. Except sit outside in the high humidity heat, drinking g&t’s, gardening, and watching the remote temp gauge of my new smoker. Have to say it was one of the most refreshingly relaxing weekends I’ve had in a LONG time.
anytime a hurricane gets near houston I'm concerned. Y'all don't handle water, at all. Case in point: Harvey. Today my son turned 3, which means it's Harvey's anniversary tomorrow. Day after my son was born, every tv in that hospital was tuned to the news.
Harvey was unique as that storm parked itself on us for 3 days. This storm seems to be on the move. But again, the track continues to adjust. I love nothing more than a good rain. But jesus, sometimes it just doesn't stop.
My sister's house was flooded during Harvey but it was because that storm dumped so much water on the area, and they had to release some of those dams. She got her house completely fixed up after all the flood damage about a year ago. They escaped in a goddamn kayak with their special needs daughter during that storm. This time they are watching and will evacuate to some family property in hill country if it looks bad. I think that's the real question with some of these storms... How long will they hover and how much water will they release?
we are anticipating exactly 0 rain here in the hill country. It'd be nice if we got some, but it's also nice that we don't get much extreme weather beyond hail and the occasional small tornado. This area is a little slice of heaven.
We can typically handle 1-2 inches per hour for a few hours before we start to see flooding where the bayous blow their banks and the streets are covered. Allison dumped 4-6 inches per hour. I wasn't here for that one. Harvey dumped as much as 60 inches over 3 days. Some spots had almost 7 inches per hour with those rain bands rotating in place for many hours. We get about 50 inches per year, for some perspective. It was the costliest rain even in US history.
Been doing it all day, but with the guys in my team going (cunt voice): "Law-ruahhh!" "Karen!" and the girls in a their deepest voice: "Marco! Polo!" Someone may have even been doing it on a call with the PR governor this morning. The culprit has yet to be apprehended. It is indescribably weird being out while the pandemic is going on. I genuinely feel for PR, because its a social fucking place. I was last here in 2018, and now the vibe is completely different. These folks have taken beating after beating, and they are amazing. The pandemic has made us feel a bit leery of human contact, and this is the one place where I have felt that absence cause melancholy and pain. It's just kind of stunted and disappointed here, like they are just waiting for a change. For the storms heading to LA and Texas, I think Marco is only 70 miles across and Laura isn't terribly bigger right now. Not to be a size queen, but the 400-mile wide Hurricane Michael was a nightmare for 3 states. So, the hope is they aren't going to have time to suck up tons of water in the gulf and then dump it on TX & LA. Marco scares me less than Laura, as she has the potential to pick up speed, energy, and water. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ is literally what we use to monitor storm movement, so while we might get a fancier interpretation than what goes on CNN (I don't watch it, but typically they advertise it like it's the end of the fucking world every single time), there shouldn't be much of a gap between what we're seeing and what you're seeing. For what it's worth, the main impacts we saw in Puerto Rico were power outages, water outages, and debris on the roads. Extremely common. Usually we see some fires, but none were reported. My hurricane list: Get all important paperwork in waterproof bags. Do a hard drive backup. Check your basement drains and make sure everything is off the floor in the basement (those big ass plastic tubs are great because they can float). Charge everything portable. Check go-bag, if evac is likely, pre-load car/truck. Put all prescription meds in a waterproof bag and seal it. Check numbers for credit cards, banks, neighbors, insurance, etc. The biggest challenge I have is getting deployed somewhere and having my card blocked. When the rain starts, fill up bathtubs, sinks, etc. with water. If evac is likely, stop up all the drains. Monitor basement. Move pump and wet/dry vac upstairs, with extension cords and box fans. Disconnect motorcycle battery and cover it. Pull extra sheets/towels/linens upstairs and put old towels in front of the doors. When the wind starts (or about an hour before), pull cars close to the house, put something in front of glass door, and pull shades over windows. Stow anything outside in the shed (grill, plants, beach chairs, etc.), or opposite side of the house from the cars. Put a chock under outside doors (fences, gates, etc.). Take the trash out, and if necessary, put a cinder block in the trash cans to weigh them down. When the power goes out, close the breakers (seriously, fires start this way when the power comes back on and shit's still wet), and unplug surge protectors. Stuff I've learned/heard: Flashlights are better than candles, because flashlights can't burn your house down if you fall asleep and knock one over. If you have a wood fireplace, it's not a terrible idea to start a fire, however: easy way to warm food/water, it forces you to monitor things, and it's pretty damned comfy at night. Responders can recognize a house with smoke in the chimney is occupied as well. If you're going to the supermarket, most people forget bleach for water purification and vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner. Canned soup is your friend, and if you have animals, some canned meat will suffice for pet food if your normal stuff is sold out/gets wet. Gas up the car (amazing how many people put tons of effort into a go bag/evac kit and leave with less than a quarter of a tank). Try and buy bigger sizes of stuff (jugs of water, instead of bottles), because trash will accumulate quickly and you might have interruptions to pickup. Keep the booze to a minimum. Drunk people are stupid and every year we see a DUI because they were evacuating without sobering up, or some injury because they were drunk and the power went out. If you evacuate, cut off gas (!), breakers, and if possible, water. Your pipes will thank you. I know it's summer, but pack warmer than you may need. People will be wet, and shelters are kept cold (because they fill up and get roasting hot). The biggest mistake people make is thinking they have to survive the winter, most of the time it's 72 hours and the roads are clear enough to leave. At the extreme end, no more than 5 days without power, and by day 3-4 you should be able to get out. They also tend to buy food that no one wants to eat, or they can't actually cook without power ("oh we'll be fine, we have 100 lbs of mac and cheese from Costco!"). Your worst problem will be boredom. If you're told to evacuate, it's not a challenge, or some form of endurance test. It's me saying "I'm not risking the lives of my staff to save yours, because you didn't listen."