Tropical Storm Edouard

[wernicke]

It is barely raining at my apartment in Midtown, and we are in the orange/red bands on the satelite.

Either way, UT-Houston is closed so I am taking the day off. I wonder how many dollars in lost productivity this "disaster" has caused today... granted that later today it could get worse and flood a little around town.

[CoolBuddy06]

Just an update for those not local. I know looking at the radar it looks like we are getting pounded, however here on the west side of town we are getting a light drizzle since 7:00 AM this morning with 4 mph gusts. (I am at Westheimer and Wilcrest in the Westchase district)

Anyone else care to update the action where they are at?

Very light rain in Pearland. 288 is free. I am off today.

[PuroAztlan]

Is the medical center flooding yet?

I noticed the train is still running.

[memebag]

It's sprinkling from The Westbury to Sugar Land. No significant wind. This finally proves that a hurricane will never hit me and all weather forcasts are useless and always will be.

[Zippy]

as of NOW.. Downtown.. Medium rain.. probably 1/2 mi visibility.. trees are blowing a bit.. but i've seen them blow more in winter time..

non event.. *yawn*

[JJVilla]

Very light rain in Pearland. 288 is free. I am off today.

People got mad at me for making fun of the media overplay and chickens running around with their head cut-off.

Our company in the Galleria told us to pretty much to use common sense and most people did becuase many people came to work. Looks like Christmas time here with regard to the amount of cars in the garage. It's barely raining here and my place down the street.

[Daniepwils]

Downtown has just been raining, no wind. I went in around 7 this morning and not a soul in sight, not even in the tunnels. My firm didn't officially close, however I would say that 60% of our employees are not here.

[PuroAztlan]

I love workin on days like this.

Easy money.

[sarahiki]

Been raining in the Museum District since I got up at 8:00 am. It is raining quite hard right now (10:00 a.m.). Wind is just starting to pick up. Overall it's been quite a pleasant & cozy day.

[houstonmacbro]

Finally, it is raining hard in N. Houston. Has been doing so for the past hour or so. But I have experienced harder rain and wind.

[cottonmather0]

Here in Timbergrove it started raining lightly around 6:30, then has steadily gotten heavier. It's been raining buckets now for about an hour - since 9:00 or so - and the wind is starting to pick up now. Kinda cool to see but certainly not scary.

Looking at the radar and listening to the TV, the center appears to be over Chambers County right now and is moving almost due west. We probably have another 60-90 minutes of heavy rain, then it will be dry for a while as the center passes north of here. If the circulation holds together we'll probably get even heavier rain later this afternoon and evening as we start getting the south winds and bands off of the Gulf, a la Frances and Allison. But that's dependent on it holding together, which might not happen given the dry air that's over the rest of the state. We'll see.

Edited August 5, 2008 by cottonmather0

[westguy]

It's raining a lot here, but you know the winds went to the area between High Island and Sabine Pass. Houston ended up in the much-cleaner side of the storm.

Edited August 5, 2008 by westguy

[jayshoota]

I am over in the Memorial area this morning, started raining pretty heavily about an hour ago and continues. No wind.

[sevfiv]

No work today and only light rain in montrose...time to catch up on errands i guess

[westguy76]

Rain has picked up a little bit and we are getting a light steady rain right now in the Westchase district.

[flipper]

Coincidentally ( I think ) we had a transformer blow and lost power for an hour or so. Three cheers for centerpoint getting us back up quickly!

flipper

[Chamo]

Light rain when I left my house in West Pearland around 9:00 a.m. and it has been like that for the last two hours here in Sugar Land. No much wind either.

[MetroMogul]

I'm in the Westchase area, Richmond and Woodchase to be exact. Light to moderate rain, a nice breeze and no thunder or lightning. The isolated seabreeze storms that popped up everyday for two weeks about a month ago were MUCH more dangerous than anything this storm has had to offer. In fact, those seabreeze storms, though puny looking and pocket sized, can be more dangerous than a Cat 1 Hurricane.

[MetroMogul]

I bet there are ALOT of angry managers right now. It's funny when a cold front blows through bringing storms with 95pmh winds and tornados, you're still expected to come to work and most times school as well. However, a weak tropical storm will shut down the city. Also, go to KTRK.com and watch and listen as the reporters try to contain their dissapointment.

[houstonmacbro]

And on the heels of Edouard we get this dire prediction about 9 storms (instead of 8) this season:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/5925288.html

[Fringe]

It's amazing watching the non-stop media circus coverage. The reporters get all excited when they see a 6 inch puddle of water or a tree limb on the ground that undoubtedly fell because it was probably dying, not from the storm.

Oh well. If this keeps up I may have to go seek shelter at the Ginger Man.

[Disastro]

It's amazing watching the non-stop media circus coverage. The reporters get all excited when they see a 6 inch puddle of water or a tree limb on the ground that undoubtedly fell because it was probably dying, not from the storm.

Oh well. If this keeps up I may have to go seek shelter at the Ginger Man.

Yeah, they are really milking this for all its worth!

Still, I didn't go to work today...

[20thStDad]

One of the 75,000 reasons I will never watch local news or really any non-sports televised news...the overreaction and complete lack of delivering any useful information. My wife was just watching in the other room, and some local news crack was standing in the rain, outside of a Denny's, commenting how the people inside are keeping safe while they get a bite to eat. Do these people have no pride? Do they realize how worthless they really are? Aren't there scientific experiments we could use them for to put them to better use?

[Disastro]

One of the 75,000 reasons I will never watch local news or really any non-sports televised news...the overreaction and complete lack of delivering any useful information. My wife was just watching in the other room, and some local news crack was standing in the rain, outside of a Denny's, commenting how the people inside are keeping safe while they get a bite to eat. Do these people have no pride? Do they realize how worthless they really are? Aren't there scientific experiments we could use them for to put them to better use?

LOL!!!! Yeah...I saw that too! Some truly "award-winning" reporting there!

[houstonmacbro]

One of the 75,000 reasons I will never watch local news or really any non-sports televised news...the overreaction and complete lack of delivering any useful information. My wife was just watching in the other room, and some local news crack was standing in the rain, outside of a Denny's, commenting how the people inside are keeping safe while they get a bite to eat. Do these people have no pride? Do they realize how worthless they really are? Aren't there scientific experiments we could use them for to put them to better use?

It is really laughable ... and sad.

[marmer]

I am at Rice, which is officially closed, but I came in to catch up on work and deal with any facility problems if we got high wind and water. Right now, light rain. An hour ago it was barely sprinkling. No traffic to speak of. A wasted work day.

[TheNiche]

I agree, Editor, but at the same time, ever since Katrina, everyone has been "running scared" at every rain drop. And, we have the media to thank for it. It has shut down commerce here in Houston today, with really no reason for it. Traffic was at 25% at best. Our parking lot at our office building is empty, and it's not even raining.

I don't understand it, myself, but it seems like a lot of people are afraid to get wet with rain, generally speaking...whether in the context of a hurricane or a summer shower. It's skin, people! It will dry off.

[houstonmacbro]

I don't understand it, myself, but it seems like a lot of people are afraid to get wet with rain, generally speaking...whether in the context of a hurricane or a summer shower. It's skin, people! It will dry off.

My niece sums it up nicely commenting with me on how hot and dry it's been lately:

"It's sad that a tropical storm has to bring GOOD weather!"

Amen.

[lockmat]

we got sent home, woohoo

[TheNiche]

One of the 75,000 reasons I will never watch local news or really any non-sports televised news...the overreaction and complete lack of delivering any useful information. My wife was just watching in the other room, and some local news crack was standing in the rain, outside of a Denny's, commenting how the people inside are keeping safe while they get a bite to eat. Do these people have no pride? Do they realize how worthless they really are? Aren't there scientific experiments we could use them for to put them to better use?

This is TheNiche reporting live from Galveston, where--just hours ago--Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall, drenching this island city, temporarily flooding some streets with a devastating three inches of water, and knocking over an estimated two thirds of its garbage bins.

The horror is truely incomprehensible, with some amount of garbage having become exposed to open pavement. I strongly urge people to stay at home rather than subject themselves to the risk of being overwhelmed by a faint smell of garbage, which surely must be getting carried by the light winds for miles.

My photojournalists, live in the alleyway outside my emergency headquarters, bravely subjecting themselves to minimal peril, captured this horrifying evidence of the damage that Edouard hath wrought.

For the benefit of those at home that might have just started reading this post at its mid-point and not heard what I'd said just lines ago, I will waste everybody else's time by repeating myself. It is not advisable to visit Galveston at this time. Its potentially somewhat but not very stinky. You should shelter in place and wait for updates on HAIF until such time as somebody far less intelligent than you tells you what is best for you.

Bolivar Ferry has remained open throughout the storm and is running on schedule, however the ten to twelve vehicles that use it on each departure are driven by thrill-seeking idiots with idiots for passengers, among them little idiot children. But the general public doesn't want to be here, and with good reason. It's wet. You should all stay indoors.

In order to report to you LIVE on a delayed typecast from a quasi-dangerous location, some of our personnel and myself made the trip to Bolivar this morning. The images that we have for you connote danger. And indeed, if you are elderly, feeble, a small child, have heart problems, all at the same time, and also have a family history of bedwetting, sights of seagulls and pelicans flying into the wind and also in reverse may be fatal. In light of this, the general population should certainly stay indoors.

If you've just started reading this thread, I'm showing you images of Galveston during Tropical Storm Edouard and am advising the general public to shelter in place, to be very fearful, and not to do anything in particular except read and re-read posts on HAIF brought to you by TheNiche until I say that it is OK to stop paying attention to me.

At the height of the storm, palm tree frawns had been menacingly blowing a little, mostly in an easterly direction. Indeed, it was very frightening for small retarded children, although luckily, few were to be found. Surely this can be attributed to the heroic actions of our public officials, including Mayor Lydia Ann Thomas of Galveston and also Mayor Bill White of Houston. Although Mayor White has nothing to do with Galveston, he was still seen by millions of people on television and therefore was immensely helpful during this terrible non-event.

If you're just tuning in, I have nothing much left with which to waste your time. We'll return you to your regularly scheduled HAIFing momentarily. A panic advisory remains in place for Harris, Galveston, and Chambers Counties, for which we will regularly update you as nothing happens.

[wareagle1994]

Great reporting from Galveston. I appreciate you braving such horrible weather to deliver the news.

Since I can now access radar online I don't ever pay attention to the weather reports on TV. My wife has had to put with me calling them weather terrorists. All they ever do is spread fear and panic. I flipped on the weather channel to take a quick look at the weather and they were showing Chicago which had a storm worse than what we have had so far. They actually had a PDS watch. I was stumped for a while, then he actually said it was a Potentially Dangerous Situation Watch. At that point I went ahead and changed the channel so I would not be sitting there ranting at the TV.

[20thStDad]

Ooh, I'm going to *17 and VOICE, too! I'll be restaurant stalking you.

Thanks, Niche, that was great! At least I needed it. You're earning every penny that HAIF pays you to brave to horrible conditions!

[toadfroggy]

Here's the main thing I don't get: What was with the run on bottled water yesterday?

Unless you're on well water and you're worried you'll lose power to your pump, or possibly the same issue in a high-rise, how can you see a possible Category 1 hurricane as a threat to your water supply? I realize a stockpile of water will be good to have if the big one comes during my lifetime, but why do the news folks still drum on that even when we're facing a minimal storm? It's idiotic.

[RedScare]

I agree, Editor, but at the same time, ever since Katrina, everyone has been "running scared" at every rain drop. And, we have the media to thank for it. It has shut down commerce here in Houston today, with really no reason for it. Traffic was at 25% at best. Our parking lot at our office building is empty, and it's not even raining.

I seem to recall a lot of talk after Katrina about New Orleans residents who did NOT heed the warnings. They were called stupid, at best. I also recall many Houstonians AFTER Rita complaining about the hype. They did not complain BEFORE Rita, when winds were clocked at 165 mph in the Gulf, just afterward, when it did not hit their house, as if smoeone had promised that it would. I also notice that no one in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area complains that Rita coverage was overblown.

Given the propensity of today's Americans to demand perfection from everyone but themselves, I can only imagine the howling that would occur if a storm suddenly turned INTO the Houston area instead of away. I can hear the questioning why the media and the government did not warn us of the potential for harm. The only thing for sure is that it won't be our fault that we sustained damage.

As the editor alluded to, exactly WHOSE fault is it that you watched Wayne Dolcefino clinging to a lamp post in a mild breeze? Have you not been warned that Wayne does this every time there is a storm? Are you surprised that KHOU drug Dr. Neil in to hype a tropical storm? Are you surprised at ANYTHING Channel 2 does? There are two constants during a tropical storm. One, the media will overplay the danger, and two, the portion of the viewing area that is not hit will complain that the coverage was overhyped. I am not sure which annoys me more, but lately it is beginning to be the latter.

FWIW, I didn't see or meet anyone that I thought was 'running scared' of this storm. I even thought the TV coverage was adequate, until landfall. I stopped watching at that point, since, as a 31 year veteran of tropical storms and Houston, I actually knew what came next, and did not subject myself to Wayne and the lamp post.

[GovernorAggie]

And if they underplayed a storm where people got hurt, griefers like yourself would be all over them for shirking their responsibility to inform the public. Get a grip. If you don't like the coverage -- don't listen. No one us using toothpicks to hold your eyelids open and forcing you to watch channel two.

I'm with you on this, editor.

While I agree that people shouldn't get so excited about things (notice I said "things" as in property), they do. I don't think it's the weathercasters' faults that people can't shut their emotions off. I think that they all do good jobs.

Also--someone mentioned the Katrina-effect on Houstonians, and it's true. But I would think that in the meteorologists' minds, watching Edouard so closely and adamantly was brought about by Humberto and it's development from nothing to 95-mph hurricane in the fastest time ever (as it sat right on the coastline!) last year. Which makes me wonder, had Humberto hit Houston head on, would we be so critical of these peoples' performances today?

People like to mention "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" as part of their irritation with the way the weather is handled here. But I have to ask--why do people use that as a parallel? If I remember correctly, the boy cried "wolf" as a joke. These people are scientists and are not joking. They're following multiple computer models and trying to best interpret them. We mainly are shown lines on a map, but they also have to read formulas, algorithms, etc. in order to read these storms. Also, why does it have to be that they're showing the weather to sensationalize and further their careers? Could it be that they don't want it to come back on them that they didn't report the news as much as possible?

Sadly, I think that Houston is going to have several more near-misses with little storms, which will feed even more skepticism. The weather folks will keep doing their jobs, but fewer will listen. That will be right about the time that a serious storm comes to play. I wonder how many of the skeptics will play the blame game if/when that happens?

No as far as the news reporters go--that's another story. THey were not very good. But the meteorologists are just doing their jobs, IMO.

[GovernorAggie]

I seem to recall a lot of talk after Katrina about New Orleans residents who did NOT heed the warnings. They were called stupid, at best. I also recall many Houstonians AFTER Rita complaining about the hype. They did not complain BEFORE Rita, when winds were clocked at 165 mph in the Gulf, just afterward, when it did not hit their house, as if smoeone had promised that it would. I also notice that no one in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area complains that Rita coverage was overblown.

Given the propensity of today's Americans to demand perfection from everyone but themselves, I can only imagine the howling that would occur if a storm suddenly turned INTO the Houston area instead of away. I can hear the questioning why the media and the government did not warn us of the potential for harm. The only thing for sure is that it won't be our fault that we sustained damage.

As the editor alluded to, exactly WHOSE fault is it that you watched Wayne Dolcefino clinging to a lamp post in a mild breeze? Have you not been warned that Wayne does this every time there is a storm? Are you surprised that KHOU drug Dr. Neil in to hype a tropical storm? Are you surprised at ANYTHING Channel 2 does? There are two constants during a tropical storm. One, the media will overplay the danger, and two, the portion of the viewing area that is not hit will complain that the coverage was overhyped. I am not sure which annoys me more, but lately it is beginning to be the latter.

FWIW, I didn't see or meet anyone that I thought was 'running scared' of this storm. I even thought the TV coverage was adequate, until landfall. I stopped watching at that point, since, as a 31 year veteran of tropical storms and Houston, I actually knew what came next, and did not subject myself to Wayne and the lamp post.

GREAT POST! Where's the Thumbs Up emoticon when you need it?

By the way, I spent a few days in Port Arthur after Rita. I saw a brick building that lost its stability due to the storm. I also saw a barge that was in someone's backyard--and it was so far from a body of water that you couldn't tell where it may have come from.

Not to mention the bite-you-through-your-shirt moqsuitoes that were blown in by Rita and were so bad that the Air Force was called in to spray. And I won't forget the smell of rotting food in the Super Wal Mart that was running on generators and only let a few people in at one time.

[sheeats]

Thanks, Niche, that was great! At least I needed it. You're earning every penny that HAIF pays you to brave to horrible conditions!

[20thStDad]

No as far as the news reporters go--that's another story. THey were not very good. But the meteorologists are just doing their jobs, IMO.

I'm with you here - I have no problem listening to a meteorologist point out things on a map and explain the models they are running. It's that a-hole standing in the rain outside the Denny's while everyone else is doing their normal daily thing that I turn off the tube for.

EDIT: grammar freakout

Edited August 5, 2008 by 20thStDad

[RedScare]

Please note that none of my post was meant to impugn the integrity of our intrepid reporter Niche, who risked life and limb to bring photo documentation of the horrible conditions endured by our garbage cans to the south of us.

And, yes, the Dennys incident was when I knew we were safe and turned off the TV and went to bed. I haven't turned it back on yet. Is it safe to assume they are still showing various breakfast eateries around Harris County?

[ricco67]

Is the storm over? I just woke up.

Reading over this entire post, I'm quiet disappointed with some people's attitude (as well as the reporting). As it has been stated originally, it is always best to play it safe, but not the sensationalism that seems to pervade the local media when it comes to the weather. Personally, I knew it wasn't going to be a big deal for those living in the greater Houston area (except for those idiots that like driving in high water), I knew the biggest impact was going to be in the north and those towards our east when I saw the latest headings before I went to sleep.

The precautions that I took for today? Making sure I had enough stuff on my TIVO in case the cable went out, a book and some ice for water.

so there!

[HoustonianInColorado]

Some of these tropical storms are much more compact than their cloud bands. I recall one back in the '80s that came through downtown Houston during the day. We got a bit of rain and winds, but by 5 PM, the worst was just some minor street flooding and heavy traffic going home. I lived in Pecan Grove, and by the time I got their, it was a beautiful sunny day, and not a drop of rain had fallen.

[TheNiche]

Please note that none of my post was meant to impugn the integrity of our intrepid reporter Niche, who risked life and limb to bring photo documentation of the horrible conditions endured by our garbage cans to the south of us.

I've apparently joined the traditional media.

http://www.chron.com/news/photogallery/The...TS_Edouard.html

*poof* Damn, there went my integrity...

[RedScare]

I've apparently joined the traditional media.

http://www.chron.com/news/photogallery/The...TS_Edouard.html

*poof* Damn, there went my integrity...

Saw that after I read your post.

Sellout.

[Fringe]

I am at Rice, which is officially closed, but I came in to catch up on work and deal with any facility problems if we got high wind and water. Right now, light rain. An hour ago it was barely sprinkling. No traffic to speak of. A wasted work day.

LOL. That's where I would have been today. I meant to go in but never made it. Ay least Valhalla didn't flood.

Edited August 5, 2008 by LunaticFringe

[cottonmather0]

It's amazing watching the non-stop media circus coverage. The reporters get all excited when they see a 6 inch puddle of water or a tree limb on the ground that undoubtedly fell because it was probably dying, not from the storm.

Oh well. If this keeps up I may have to go seek shelter at the Ginger Man.

Marisa Reyes on Channel 2 was in a parking lot this morning and commented that, "if there was more rain, this whole area would be flooded!"

She is also the one who commented during the great "ice storm" of 07 that if the temperature were colder, the bucket she was standing next to would have frozen over.

She is so consistent in her professionalism!

I think we're going to need to drag out this joke all over again.

Edited August 5, 2008 by cottonmather0

[Disastro]

Marisa Reyes on Channel 2 was in a parking lot this morning and commented that, "if there was more rain, this whole area would be flooded!"

She is also the one who commented during the great "ice storm" of 07 that if the temperature were colder, the bucket she was standing next to would have frozen over.

She is so consistent in her professionalism!

I think we're going to need to drag out this joke all over again.

Did any of you see the story on Ch 13 today about the clown who went to the shelter in Humble (he was the ONLY one!)?

Edited August 5, 2008 by Disastro

[Pumapayam]

Here's the main thing I don't get: What was with the run on bottled water yesterday?

Snobs, just get your pots and tupperware out and fill them up. Stupid people fall prey to the media hype.

[TheNiche]

Stupid people fall prey to the media hype.

Ah, that reminds me...

Attention! May I have your attention please! This is a reminder to HAIFers to continue paying attention to me, TheNiche, continuing to report to you LIVE from a breeze-ravaged Galveston island. If you don't, you might somehow be inconvenienced.

Coming up in the evening typecast, a recap of the day's events and further discussion on how you and your loved ones may have died but managed not to.

[RedScare]

Snobs, just get your pots and tupperware out and fill them up. Stupid people fall prey to the media hype.

Not quite that complicated or sociological. During widespread power outages, water pumps do not operate. Additionally, severe flooding can cause untreated water to infiltrate the potable water supply. Bottled water is safe, and stores easily. True, filling water jugs is cheaper and greener, but for those who did not prepare for hurricane season back on June 1, that pallet of water next to the batteries looks very tempting. Myself, I am still drinking last summer's water stock. Once it is gone, I plan to invest in 3 or 4 2.5 gallon water jugs and a portable water filter, which store better, don't waste landfill space, cost far less than an equivalent case of water, and has many more uses. But, that still won't stop the thousands of others from swarming WalMart for a case of water next time a storm forms in the Gulf....just that I won't be among them.

[ricco67]

Seems like even the Mainstream media is making fun of the storm. They mentioned the "catastrophic" tossing of trashcans (in a picture).