[MPiKM-72]

Hurricane season is upon us. This is just a friendly reminder to check your preps. I stumbled upon these long lost photos preceding Hurricane Rita in 2005. People were freaking out after the events of Hurricane Katrina just one month before.

Wednesday 09/21/05 07:21 AM – People are backed up trying to evacuate the City of Houston. They are only inching along…








Note that crews have begun to take down the large sign ads (Yes, I did change the oil at the next interval):


Lots heading North, few heading South:






09/22/05 08:05AM - I’ve never seen the city this empty in daylight hours. I get to play Omega Man – driving a 1968 Cougar to work in an empty city.:




My sister helps tape up my former residence:


Cougar backed against the gate to keep it closed in case of wind:


My brother taped my truck windows as a means of mocking my efforts:


For my area, Rita was just a whimper.



In 2008, Hurricane Ike gave us our money's worth for the price of admission:

teh Food Town craziness. Do you want to stand in this line?:





The wind is ablowin':


"Congratulations - You've won a broken tree!" :byefu: It narrowly missed my truck. In some opinions, it would have been a good thing if it hadn't.:


My buddy also won a broken tree and lost two vehicles, which trapped his remaining undamaged vehicle in his backyard. Even though I had a tree down, I tasked myself cutting away his trees first.






There is normally freeway where the water is (I-10):


Flood waters are "equal opportunity":





The Sunday morning after Ike, 09/14/2008 at 05:00 AM, we had a wave of extremely heavy rain. The water in the street is above the trucks hubcaps. Water came up to the doorsills of the house, but didn't quite make it inside.




Fortunately, most people grin and bear it:




Izzat Trueno's car?

eep:

 

[AK shooter]

I don't think anyone is ready for a hurricane. I am as ready as I can be, fresh oil in the generator, and plenty of MRE's and bottled water. I hate to see what one would do to all that oil in the gulf.

 

[the50calkiller]

Business as usual here in South Florida......... always prepared.

 

[kaiservontexas]

Shoring up even more preps as I go, but yeah I am ready as always.

 

[Caligula]

let see,

check list:

popcorn ---- check

beer -----check

weather channel working ----- check

now all I need to wait for a hurricane to hit, then watch the crying and sobbing that comes afterwards.

 

[Trueno]

Izzat Trueno's car?

eep:

bite me 4-eyes! :goof:



Parked my car in the street to keep it safe from falling branches and trees, worked out well but by the time the sun came up the wind was out've the south. Good elevation so no flooding on my corner, the problem was I parked facing north. Rain at 80-100mph for however long was goin' straight up my tailpipes but no way was I gonna go out and move her, not in that sh**. I cranked her late that afternoon, seemed like a gallon gushed out each pipe.

On another note, stopped into HEB the other day, went up to 1.09 per gallon on jugs of water :evil:


t

 

[JoeMomma]

I"m glad I don"t live anywhere near areas affected by those things!

What are insurance rates for that type of drama in those areas anyway??

 

[donkismash]

water
food
ammo
and hand crank radio and I'm set

 

[Blackhawk2001]

People say living in the Midwest with the threat of tornadoes is bad. I went through Hurricane Alicia in 83 in Houston, huddled in a 1st floor apartment, waiting for the water to come through the front door and watching the carport come down on our cars. Then sat on the beach in Fourchon, LA (elev 4 ft) while Hurricane Carlos bore down on us in '85. My car was stranded for two weeks. Sat through a hurricane in Savannah, GA just prior to the Olympics in '96. On top of that, a tornado came through after one of the hurricanes and took out my storage shed; never saw my dress blues again...

Ya'll can have the Gulf Coast; if I move back to Texas again (Yea! Texas!) or elsewhere in the Southwest, I'll damn sure stay away from the coast. I'll come by and help ya'll pick up the pieces again, though.

 

[Remy1492]

Any guys live by freindswood or pearland?
I am wondering what flooding might be like in a Hurricane or even a torrential downpour.

I am wondering if Houston will ever become like Tennessee flooding, or are there enough countours to take lots of water?

And its inland a bit, I can see how Galveston might take a Hurricane right on, but Houston seems so far in that no tidal surge can get it, so only winds would be a problem.........right?

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Any guys live by freindswood or pearland?
I am wondering what flooding might be like in a Hurricane or even a torrential downpour.

I am wondering if Houston will ever become like Tennessee flooding, or are there enough countours to take lots of water?

And its inland a bit, I can see how Galveston might take a Hurricane right on, but Houston seems so far in that no tidal surge can get it, so only winds would be a problem.........right?

It's been over 20 years since I lived near Friendswood. I worked in Pearland for several years; it didn't flood. Friendswood is right on Galveston Bay; plenty of drainage, but also pretty low elevation.

Houston itself used to get 3 feet of water in the streets during afternoon thunderstorms in the early 80s. They instituted a huge street drainage project, IIRC, which helped deal with that problem. I still remember pictures a friend sent me of I-10 (which runs right through Houston) flooded almost to the top of a big crane (couldn't see the flatbed trailer it was on. There are a series of tunnels connecting buildings in downtown Houston. As I recall, the water came up so fast that some people were trapped below ground in elevators and drowned.

 

[MPiKM-72]

Any guys live by freindswood or pearland?
I am wondering what flooding might be like in a Hurricane or even a torrential downpour.

I am wondering if Houston will ever become like Tennessee flooding, or are there enough countours to take lots of water?

And its inland a bit, I can see how Galveston might take a Hurricane right on, but Houston seems so far in that no tidal surge can get it, so only winds would be a problem.........right?

There was a little issue with one particular storm where flooding occurred in neighborhoods that had never flooded. Two families related to me lost their homes to flooding. My place in NW Houston was high and dry. I'd prefer a hurricane over Tropical Storm Allison.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Allison

As for members south of Houston, kayenne and hank57 come to mind. You might shoot them a pm.

 

[Remy1492]

Thanks for that link.

Its hard to search for a house that is

1. in a safe area
2. Decent price
3. high elevation
4. not on a street with speeding cars to run kids over.


I suppose sandbags would be in order. And while putting a gunsafe in a garage is good for housefire defense, its bad for flooding too, argh, no win-win situation.

I also heard that newer houses are built cheaper, or have cheaper roofs, this true for SE houston?

 

[Caligula]

I also heard that newer houses are built cheaper, or have cheaper roofs, this true for SE houston?

all newer houses are built cheap, doesn't matter what part of the country you're in.

 

[Trueno]

I'd prefer a hurricane over Tropical Storm Allison.

Haven't clicked the link yet, but felt like it rained for 30 days.

Also, what was that one a few years back that caught everyone by surprise...popped up just off Galveston and headed northeast?

t

 

[donkismash]

I'd prefer a hurricane over Tropical Storm Allison.

Haven't clicked the link yet, but felt like it rained for 30 days.

Also, what was that one a few years back that caught everyone by surprise...popped up just off Galveston and headed northeast?

t

I spent most of my life in South Houston(I-45/edgebrook) and Allison sucked Balls...fucking rain just would not stop...but I now reside near 290/beltway8(outside the belt) so I can beat the other 4.5mil of yall to the punch :byefu:

 

[MPiKM-72]

FWIW - Harris County has spent a lot of dough and effort improving drainage in the area since the Allison experience.

1. in a safe area

Some areas are closer to DMZ lines than others. The environmental indicator for me is "How close are the low rent apartments?" I have also seen HPD issue reports of crime on a per neighborhood basis. Perhaps departments that far south would be able to tell you the places they hate to go.

2. Decent price

I'm told it's a buyer market.


3. high elevation

many of the newer developments have much improved drainage and most new houses have dirt packed very high, then foundations are laid. The driveway elevation is a good indicator. I often think if those homeowners have a manual trans vehicle it better have a good parking brake.

In my neighborhood most houses were built in the late 1940's/early 1950's - "knock-downs" in realtor terms. :bsflag: A lot of McMansions are being built on these lots and they really build up/elevate the foundations when they do.

4. not on a street with speeding cars to run kids over.

(Alex Trebek) Cul-de-sac is the word you were looking for. Cul-de-sac. (Alex Trebek)


I suppose sandbags would be in order. And while putting a gunsafe in a garage is good for housefire defense, its bad for flooding too, argh, no win-win situation.

I obsess a bit over water and how it can harm my stuff. I had the roof ripped off of some of my storage units during Ike. It was like someone stuck a firehose in the unit with the door closed. :sad:

The firearms that can be broken down to fit will go into these 120mm cans. They are available locally.



Not a perfect solution, but water and humidity resistent. What fits? AKM with buttstock removed or underfolder or Romy/EG/Egypt sidefolder, AR15 20" with the receiver halves separated, HK91 field stripped. PSL and M1A are SOL unless you get a welder to fab some extensions to lengthen the can. 2 AKs or HKs fit in one can, have been able to fit 3 ARs into one can. I believe the cans are less than 36" tall, thus they may fit in your safe.

I also heard that newer houses are built cheaper, or have cheaper roofs, this true for SE houston?

Not sure. My impression is some builders are better than others, but I don't know the tier grade of the local builders. I've been looking to move further North (farther from the coast, higher elevation) to where there are less people. There are 5 million people in the "Greater Houston Area".

Keep in mind though, just about ANYPLACE can flood. Look at the recent events in Tennessee.



ETA: Kayenne's placed looked very nice - high and dry - when I saw it. :allright:

 

[MPiKM-72]

Harris County Flood Control District:

http://www.hcfcd.org/


Pearland occupies space in three counties: Harris, Ft. Bend and Brazoria.

League City occupies space in Harris and Galveston Counties.

 

[MPiKM-72]

I'd prefer a hurricane over Tropical Storm Allison.

Haven't clicked the link yet, but felt like it rained for 30 days.

Also, what was that one a few years back that caught everyone by surprise...popped up just off Galveston and headed northeast?

t

Perhaps the one in August 2002?

Neat link that documents local flooding back to he 1800's. I remember a PBS Houston special that mentioned and showed film of the December 1913 flooding.

http://www.wxresearch.com/almanac/houflood.html


One thing regarding preps in Houston. If you have a water filter, your golden.

 

[joedog]

I also heard that newer houses are built cheaper, or have cheaper roofs, this true for SE houston?

all newer houses are built cheap, doesn't matter what part of the country you're in.

Not so, depends on who your builder is. Some are better than others.

joedog