travelguy_73 Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Power back on for me in Eastwood and it looks like I have definitely lost both side fences and some shingles (lovely asbestos ones). Watching video of Chase Tower being hit really hard. I work in Williams Tower and wonder what she looks like right now. Man this is going to be expensive.I am truly amazed at the power of this storm. Quite an experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 My power went off at 1 am and I went to sleep for a bit, but now I am tethered to my iPhone and getting spotty 3G service so I am back online. It's really blowing out there. I wish I could get an accurate estimate of teh wind speed. Wundergorund only says 40 MPH but it has to be a lot more than that. Does anybody in Houston have power? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggie92 Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Still have a lone street light going at about 7 1/2th and Studewood and appears that west of Studewood on 7 1/2th may have power. Lights went out on Woodland Heights side about 1:30 am. Tree limbs everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrisCross Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 I'm in Richmond, TX (on the Katy side at 1093 & Grand Parkway) and amazingly still have cable (AT&T U-verse is the way to go) and power! The winds are off the chain!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelguy_73 Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 We are still on, but given the steep decline in site traffic right now, I would guess that we are the exception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Centerpoint says that this is the most widespread power outage they have ever experienced. They are estimating 4+ million people, or most of the metro area are dark. Initial focus for re-powering is infrastructure, police, fire, hospitals, etc., along with getting the lines off the ground. Next priority is fixing the lines that serve a lot of customers. They are bringing in 7000 utility engineers to aid in reconstruction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desirous Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Downtown is still powered, so is the Med Center. Not much else.ABC didn't interview me; it must've been my neighbor Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Downtown is still powered, so is the Med Center. Not much else.ABC didn't interview me; it must've been my neighbor Steve.The guy is saying though that downtown is in bad shape, lots of broken glass and building insulation around. He thinks some building must have lost its roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desirous Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 The guy is saying though that downtown is in bad shape, lots of broken glass and building insulation around. He thinks some building must have lost its roof.I can't attest to the rest of downtown -- can't hike around, and I haven't been atop the Rice garage since the wind kicked up; but Chase Tower and the adjacent Chase Center are totally trashed. Even now, dozens of objects are blown out each second. I can't sleep with how many heavy objects slam into the pavement every minute. Wonder if Ike is any worse than Alicia in the glass department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 FEMA is reporting 100,000 homes have been submerged by the storm. Utterly astounding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Anything new, desirous, or are you getting some rest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 FEMA is reporting 100,000 homes have been submerged by the storm. Utterly astounding.I wonder if they meant "submerged" or "flooded." To a homeowner there's probably little difference, but "submerged" would really be something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Weather Channel says three million without power. CNN says four.-------------------Due to excessive winds from Hurricane Ike, Harris County Toll Road Authority had shut down the Ship Channel Toll Bridge for safety reasons. Once the wind subsides and the public can safely travel on the bridge, it will be reopened.For the next four hours, 90 mile per hours, hurricane force winds are still expected, and tropical storm winds could continue until 4 p.m. today. Residents are strongly urged to shelter in place and wait for conditions to improve.On the west side of the hurricane, the surge peaked at 11-12 feet and is expected to recede. However, the surge is now pushing to the east. Harris County Flood Control District is issuing warnings for Greens, Clear Creek and Chigger Creek bayous. They are monitoring White Oak, Halls and Armand bayous.CenterPoint Energy reports that virtually the entire Houston area with service provided through above-ground lines is without electricity. The Medical Center and much of downtown Houston are not experiencing blackouts because their transmission lines are underground.Houston 911 reports 1,250 calls for Fire and EMS service in last 24 hours. That call volume is about 60 percent higher than normal. The Houston Fire Department suspended response activities as of about 4:45 a.m. They will resume as soon as conditions allow.The City of Houston Health Department, the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army report preparations are underway for shelter operations if needed after the storm.According to the Harris County Toll Road Authority, the Ship Channel toll bridge operations remain suspended; however, once conditions are safe, the bridge will reopen.The Washburn Tunnel in Harris County Pct. 2 remains open. The buildings at the tunnel are operating on generator power. Although Houston TranStar sustained minor roof damage, the facility remains fully operational. The Harris County Phone Bank (713-881-3100) remains active and responders report an average of 21 - 22 calls an hour. About one-third of callers speak Spanish only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Not a whole lot of damage here at my place in 77018. Fence blew over, but that was not unexpected. Power is still off, but thanks to a rather Rube Goldberg contraption I've got power for my network infrastructure, and miraculously my DSL is still up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 I was waiting for the winds to die down before I logged back in. The power flickered a bit when it got hairy outside. I'm surprised the eye actually went east of I45, so there was never really a break from the winds here. I don't see any real damage here, unless you want to see pictures of some leaves on the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Still watching coverage online, and I can't help but be struck by the number of reporters they have outside, walking and driving around, who keep telling the public to stay inside, and not to walk or drive around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark F. Barnes Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Okay boys and girls, we are set up in the motorcoach, complete blackout in Montgomery County, Directway and Direct TV are going, as well as the Coffee Pot, lost a few trees nothing major, a lot of rain, lookinig at the White Oak Bayou pictures on the local feed, wow, Hope you're okay in the Heights there Red, Hope Everyone is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 59 is flooding in the below-grade portion, and a part of the retaining wall has collapsed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark F. Barnes Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 And on the seventh day God created the Bunn Coffee Machine............Praise the Lord! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Just walked around the museum district. Lots of limbs covering Hermann Drive. Some big pine trees are down in Hermann Park but surprisingly all of the oaks that I saw survived. Those live oaks are tough! The paths are flooded and the storm knocked over an outhouse. My apartment building has some roof damage - shingles all over the place and some minor flooding on the ground floor. Good thing it's not a condo or I'd have to help pay for that. I'm still using my iPhone to connect (tethered to my laptop). Unfortunately the battery is going to die at som epoint though. No electricity here, and water is out too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Just walked around the museum district. Lots of limbs covering Hermann Drive. Some big pine trees are down in Hermann Park but surprisingly all of the oaks that I saw survived. Those live oaks are tough! The paths are flooded and the storm knocked over an outhouse.My apartment building has some roof damage - shingles all over the place and some minor flooding on the ground floor. Good thing it's not a condo or I'd have to help pay for that. I'm still using my iPhone to connect (tethered to my laptop). Unfortunately the battery is going to die at som epoint though. No electricity here, and water is out too. Be sure to turn the brightness down on your iPhone's display, that will help conserve battery power. Also turn off Push services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 I pray that everyone on Haif has come out ok through this. I also pray that everyone in the path of Ike will also be ok. I am a little concerned that apparently the Westside HPD station on Dairy Ashford, is surrounded by water and nobody can get in or out. What a crock, that should be THE next road project in Houston to be fixed. Dairy Ashford is horrible around that area, and I don't understand why access to the station would not be a priority. Mayor White needs to look into this. You folks in that area are in serious danger right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Thanks for the tip, Editor.I've got a solar backup charger that has a full charge now. Once I use that I have to wait or either the electricity to come back on, or the sun to come out, both seem kind of unlikely right now. My laptop will be dead soon so there won't be any reason to tether anymore and that means my iPhone should last longer on the next charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Report from parents in downtown Galveston: Water only got up a little above the first story door, and not even close to the second floor landing. No broken windows. Cars that were (stupidly) parked on the street are no longer parked in the same places. Trees down. Utility lines and poles down. Lots of debris. Garbage cans have floated away. Intermittent cell phone service to some phones, not others.Report from friend who talked to police in Tiki Island: There are lots of boats strewn all over the roads. Water is still up, but it is receeding. Many if not most of people's homes are on high stilts and surprisingly are not flooded.Report from Eastwood: Tropical Storm force winds and rain persist. No broken windows, no perceptible damage, although the storm did vibrate the house for several hours. Many fewer tree limbs. Police and some other people are driving around on the roads now.So far, so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 FROM THE CITY OF LA PORTE:Citizens are not allowed to return the city due to power outages, debris, flooding and utility issues. We will notify citizens when it is clear to return via the city's web site, the media and this notification system. Repeat; it is not clear for citizens to return to the city at this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 Chase Bank building's east side is completely void of windows now, as is the parking garage facade of the building across the street from Chase. I am betting Tornado ran between the two of them on the street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 There are a bunch of before and just-before pictures posted in the HAIF Flickr Group.I've put a selection of them in the Hurricane Ike photo thread.TJI:------The City of Webster Emergency Management Team is working around the clock for the welfare of the citizens of Webster. Residents of Webster are not advised to return to the City at this time. Damage Assessment will take place as soon as possible to determine when citizens may safely return to the area. The City of Webster is without power. City crews are attempting to restore utilities. Do not attempt to travel around the City as roads may be barricaded or impassable. Some roads have debris and crews need to clear the rights-of-way. The entire Police Department Patrol Units are patrolling and safeguarding the community. Winds are expected to reduce late this afternoon. Please call 281-332-2426 prior to attempting to return to the City to ensure it is safe to return. Keep yourselves up to date on the most current information by visiting the websites of the National Weather Service Houston-Galveston, the National Hurricane Center, radio station 1610 AM, and the City's website at www.cityofwebster.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted September 13, 2008 Author Share Posted September 13, 2008 YouTube video from the Eyewall in Galveston: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldlyman Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 I am here working in the Med Center. Even I don't know what the flood situation is like here apart from one blog entry in the Chron site.Yesterday I was a high energy employee doing my thing...now I feel like a refugee trying to see what's going on. Slept like crap...and I was lucky enough to find a dark empty exam room with a comfy-enough stretcher (others had to sleep on cots, arm chair seats, desks and I noticed last night some bed sheets laid out in one of the staff restrooms...I bet they couldn't lie down in there for more than 2 seconds).Anyone know how the Westchase area around Richmond/Briarpark did as far as power/flooding/water?How about the Sugarland area around Highway 6 and W. Airport? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted September 13, 2008 Share Posted September 13, 2008 I think the water outage is citywide. I'm near Westchase and I have power. I think it's related to Red's weird Alicia phenomenon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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