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Hurricane Ike

Trae

By Trae
in Hurricane Ike 2008

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lockmat

lockmat

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Posted
Any idea when power will by back on. We are moving to Houston and my husbanc is in an apartment near 762 and 59 near Richmond. He has Reliant Energy. I am trying to find out and I am in Illinois.

My guess is tomorrow or Monday at the earliest, but I think that's being very optimistic. Nobody really knows b/c so many people don't have power.

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marmer

marmer

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A curfew question:

OK, I rode out the storm working at Rice. I've been at work since yesterday morning. I live in Pearland and according to my wife, who I haven't seen since yesterday, my house is intact and the streets are clear. But there seems to be some kind of curfew in Pearland, which is garbled on the Pearland city web site, and some kind of curfew in Houston. Does this really mean that after almost 36 hours at work I can't go home to my family? I can stay another night, not so very comfortably and to the dismay of my wife, but I don't want to waste scarce gas driving home only to be turned away/threatened with arrest.

Can anyone shed any light?

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Mark F. Barnes

Mark F. Barnes

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Well hopefully being the member of a small coop (Mid-South Synergy), we can get power back pretty quick, they only have about 14,000 people w/o power, and we get it from the Tenaska plant in Roans Praire, not far away. Took 30 hrs after Rita, hopefully it will be somewhere near that. I have enough diesel to idle for a month if need be. Have the deep freeze and house fridge plugged into the coach by extension cord. Have the water well on a seperate generator by itself. just got to do what we got to do. Soon as power is restored I have got to head back to West VIrginia.

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HtownWxBoy

HtownWxBoy

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http://blogs.chron.com/hurricanes/2008/09/..._lucky_few.html

Lights for a lucky few on west side of Houston

As of 8 p.m. CenterPoint Energy had restored power to 112,000 customers, primarily in the western portions of its service territory, spokeswoman Alicia Dixon said.

Based on phone calls and Internet messages from Chronicle readers, lights were on for a lucky few in neighborhoods including Sugar Land, Meyerland, Montrose, the Heights, Rice Village and near West Oaks Mall. But 2 million CenterPoint customers are still in the dark.

The Texas New Mexico Power Co. is working overnight to restore transmission lines and substations in Galveston and Brazoria Countries.

So far power has been restored to 2,000 people in Texas City, 1,450 in Angleton and another 900 in West Columbia, according to company spokesman Kevin Fuller.

LYNN COOK

-----------------------

Spoke w/ my boyfriend and our lights are still out in the Heights... wow we may not have to wait as long as I thought! B)

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OkieEric

OkieEric

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I had power until 3 or 4, when one of the bright green flashes was suddenly a helluva lot closer - today, I discovered a neighbor's tree had brought down some lines to the street and that the next telephone poll had snapped. The storm made me realize I don't know jack about the power grid, as I and some of my neighbors had power and lost it at different times. I first lost comcast (from the damage I can tell why), then lost power for an hour but got it back. It was pretty disappointing when it went away for good half an hour later

In my area of Montrose the main damage is down trees and branches, though there is also a lot of minimal roof damage - looks like I might need a new roof after this one. That Shell station on Richmond just east of Shepherd sustained a lot of damage...the canopy over the pumps was basically crushed (may upload some photos later). Another station at the corner of Shepherd and Richmond actually still had power today and obviously had some very long lines

Out of all of the damage today came an interesting time, though...even though the West Alabama Ice House was out of power today, there was a bit of a spontaneous party. People just started buying beer at one of those hollywood convenience stores across the street (that happened to still have power) and bringing it over to the ice house. Even though it's montrose, I never realized just how diverse my neighborhood is...either way, we had a great time that helped us forget that long night

I should point out that even though we have that power line down for a few hundred feet, I did not see a single person from the power company today - it could definitely be a while before power is restored to all

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editor

editor

Posted
Posted

TxDOT Crews Begin Hurricane Ike Recovery and Cleanup

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is actively engaged in recovery and clean up operations along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Ike, as conditions allow. Crews from across the state are entering the affected areas to assess damage and clear the way for the multi-agency recovery effort led by the State of Texas.

. Approximately 75 pieces of heavy equipment and 85 TxDOT employees from San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi, Yoakum and Pharr departed in a convoy from Yoakum at 8 a.m. CDT on Saturday for the Houston and Beaumont areas. This crew will meet up with crews in Houston and Beaumont this morning to assist with clearing roads for emergency response teams. Crews of a similar size and makeup are positioned in Bryan and south Dallas and will respond from those locales as soon as winds subside to safe levels.

. This 250 employee deployment from 10 inland TxDOT districts will join the nearly 1200 employees in Houston and Beaumont to open roads after Ike passes. District Engineers in Yoakum, Bryan and Dallas are providing safety briefings to crews before they deploy to impacted areas.

. Safety is our first priority. All of our crews will have extensive safety briefings before they enter the danger area. They will confront dangers including high water, snakes, down powerlines and other dangerous debris.

. The first priority for TxDOT crews will be to assess damage and clear the way for the multi-agency recovery effort led by the State of Texas.

. TxDOT crews make assessments about which roads and bridges can be quickly repaired and reopened and which roads and bridges need to remain closed for the time being.

. Local officials will decide when it is safe for residents to reenter a neighborhood affected by the hurricane. TxDOT will do our part to get recovery efforts under and get folks home as soon as possible.

. TxDOT crews are looking for damage from wind, water and debris. That includesdamage to pavement, guardrails, signal lights and bridge supports.

. TxDOT bridge experts from across the state will be in the area to check for the scouring of supports, damage to guardrails and the driving surfaces. If a bridge or road is not safe for travel, it will be closed until it is fixed.

. Drivers should wait for confirmation from local officials that it is safe to travel.

. Drivers should obey all traffic signs, warnings and barricades. Moving a barricade can result in jail time and a thousand dollar fine. As little as six inches of rain can float a car, so motorists should stay on roads that are open and safe.

. Repairing signal lights will be a priority for TxDOT crews. Replacement kits are arriving from across the state, but the lights, traffic cameras and dynamic message signs will not come back on until power is restored. The recovery is a team effort.

HOUSTON AREA RED CROSS SET TO OPEN SHELTERS FOR RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY HURRICANE IKE

Six of our Chapter's 16 counties including Harris, Galveston, Brazoria, Walker, Chambers and Fort Bend suffered storm damage from Hurricane Ike, some of it severe. The Chapter continues to support three shelters in Huntsville for people who evacuated before the storm hit.

A fourth Huntsville Shelter was opened today, because many Walker County residents' homes were damaged by Ike. Today, there were nearly 1,700 residents in those four shelters. Since Red Cross began sheltering for Hurricane Ike, more than 20,000 residents have stayed in 150 shelters in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Now that that the storm has passed, the Chapter is working to set up shelters for people whose homes were damaged or destroyed. This has proved more challenging than usual. While the Chapter has about 150 shelter agreements in place, many of those facilities don't currently have electricity or water. In addition, other facilities are inaccessible at this time due to debris or road conditions.

However, the Chapter has located some appropriate facilities and will make those locations available to the public when they are opened tomorrow. People can find these shelters by: Staying informed --though area Media, 211, www.houstonredcross.org and 1800 RED CROSS. Those coming to Red Cross Shelters should remember to bring any personal comfort items such as bedding, pillows, and any items for infants or the elderly, as well as any prescription medications.

In the meantime, Red Cross damage assessment teams will be driving through affected communities to determine the extent of the storm damage. Knowing how many homes are extensively damaged or destroyed helps the Red Cross estimate how much shelter space and food is needed.

Those who have evacuated should let family members and loved ones know your plans and register with the American Red Cross Safe and Well Website at www.redcross.org. This site provides a way for you to register yourself as "safe and well." Concerned family and friends can search the list of those who have registered themselves as "safe and well."

The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org

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editor

editor

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I know there is a fair number of HAIFers who don't have TV but still have internet, so I hope these videos are helpful to them.Also, since the national coverage of Ike has been pretty lacking it's good for those of us who are outside the range of Houston broadcast signals.Mayor White from last night on the power situation and the curfew. Here's an APTN package summarizing the storm: Mayor White on the disaster response:

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editor

editor

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Coast Guard rescue Michael Chertoff's statement just after the storm. Saturday morning in Galveston Downtown Houston during the storm San Luis Hotel in Galveston during the storm Coast Guard rescue Michael Chertoff's statement just after the storm. Saturday morning in Galveston Downtown Houston during the storm San Luis Hotel in Galveston during the storm Brennan's Burns

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RedScare

RedScare

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Posted

Hello fellow HAIFers!

Good to read a couple of posts from familiar names. I still don't see a lot of you. 2 million without power will do that I guess. After near crisis battery levels on my blackberry (I nearly drove to Katy for a car charger) I found out my next door neighbor had a spare. So I drove around for an hour while the phone charged

The rains today are nearly worse than Ike. Buffalo and White Oak bayous way out of banks. Katy freeway gave me Allison flashbacks. This rain put acrimp in my cleanup schedule but it is utterly comfortable in my house even if you can cut the humidity with a knife. Looks like the rain has stopped. I'll go look at the water damage in my garage in a bit

After 3 years of complaining about the media hyping storms, it only takes ONE to understand why. Because I had 2 cases of water and plenty of canned goods I am eating well. Got a jerry can of water to flush toilets though water pressure is tolerable. Batteries for lights and radios are strong and had plenty of candles. Even brewed a huge pot of coffee Friday night that I am still drinking thanks to a HAIFer's suggestion

A little more ice would have helped but the chemical ice bags have been great. I have 3 and my cooler is still cold. I'm going to buy 3 more for next time

Having a full tank of gas was CRITICAL! I feel for those who are out. I did not need to evacuate but a couple of times I have driven around the nabe just for the AC

Couple of things for the future:

1. A genset would be fantastic. I have a room AC unit in the garage that would work great if I had electric. The best ones are clearly the natural gas gensets

2. A laptop to go with this blackberry would be nice but having internet service on your PDA is certainly better than nothing

3. Not having TV makes you feel isolated. I found a bar open on Washington Ave last night and having a cold rum and coke was nice but TV was better. The new digital thing sucks because there are few inexpensive portables out there

That's about it. It gets a little boring at times but since this was a September storm it isn't unbearable like Alicia was. Sorry for long post. I've had all night and day to think about it. :)

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lockmat

lockmat

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The generator has been somewhat of a lifesaver for us so far. We're not running a/c but pretty much everything else. However, we need the gas stations to open up soon or the generator will be worthless, unless we get the gas out of our cars.

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westguy

westguy

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Entergy customers in Montgomery County will be out of power for at least two weeks. I still haven't gotten the tap water back yet, though it seems that the rest of the city has.

After 3 years of complaining about the media hyping storms, it only takes ONE to understand why. Because I had 2 cases of water and plenty of canned goods I am eating well. Got a jerry can of water to flush toilets though water pressure is tolerable. Batteries for lights and radios are strong and had plenty of candles. Even brewed a huge pot of coffee Friday night that I am still drinking thanks to a HAIFer's suggestion

I can't imagine anyone wanting a hurricane to come toward them, but there are some who sound excited like it will help them win Yard of the Month. Things look horrible in Beaumont and the Bolivar Peninsula.

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