. . . . . Yikes! It's Ike! . . . . .

[DKLA]

Ike Explodes Into 'Extremely Dangerous' Category 4 Hurricane
Thursday, September 04, 2008

Hurricane Ike was upgraded to an 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 storm by the National Hurricane Center late Wednesday as the system roared west across the central Atlantic.

Ike went from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in a matter of hours, Reuters reported.

The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center, issued Thursday, increased Ike's maximum sustained winds to 145 mph, with higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds extended 35 miles from the storm's center of circulation.

The storm is sweeping across the open waters of the west-central Atlantic 550 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands, and is moving west-northwest near 17 mph, Reuters reported.

The hurricane center's official forecast puts Ike on a path toward the south Florida coast sometime early next week, though the storm's path and strength can change without warning.


It is too soon to say whether Ike will threaten U.S. oil and natural gas producers in the Gulf of Mexico, Reuters reported.

Other storms in the Atlantic have become less of a major threat. Hanna, once a hurricane, weakened to a tropical storm near the Bahamas, and is foercast to strike the southeastern U.S. as a Category 1 hurricane by the end of the week.


Ike is the fifth hurricane in the Atlantic this season.

[Jules]

That's terrible!


Gustav, Ike, Hanna, Josephine.......those poor people!

[Scoops]

Scary stuff DK...I'm hoping it will at least go down to a category 2 before landfall..like Gustav......it will still be rough, but not as devastating as a 4..... it looks huge right now.

[SavhLaney]

Stay safe DK. I hope that it doesn't come your way.

[PK...]

From the latest forecast, Ike MAY miss Florida and hit New Orleans.... Lots of time between now and landfall, though... Those folk must be getting pretty antsy already, though....

Ick...

[OLD SMOKEY]

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PK...;1779984:
From the latest forecast, Ike MAY miss Florida and hit New Orleans.... Lots of time between now and landfall, though... Those folk must be getting pretty antsy already, though....

Ick...
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MAJOR hurricanes are nothing unusual along the Carolinas' coastlines, as historical records would indicate!
In the early 20th century, centuries of growing so-called Golden Rice in Charleston, SC came to an end because so-called 'monster hurricanes' destroyed the traditional rice fields and made the crop prohibitive to raise.....Other crops suffered the same fate!
Historical records indicate that the Carolinas have suffered so-called 'major hurricanes' since the beginning of record keeping in the 17th-18th centuries!

[Monicauf]

Stay safe Dk...................................:)

[Skeeter]

Stay safe, everyone. This is a scary year for hurricanes. And we are only on "J".......

Skeeter

[PK...]

Here I am with the morning tropical weather report....

If things hold with Ike, FL will be spared again, but something has to happen pretty soon, or New Orleans is going to take another hit with a category 4 storm - though I selfishly hope what happens doesn't send him to Texas....

All you east coasters, get out the hip boots.... I hope your power holds so you can check in with us as Hanna passes by....

LMR, are you in her path, too?

Josephine is blowing herself out at sea, and unless she changes course and rebuilds, she's a non-entity... And wonder of wonders, there's no new activity... Yet....

;0))

PK

[Mia]

Everybody stay safe with IKE.

We should be feeling the effects of Hanna after 4 PM today.

[itzg...]

<<<We should be feeling the effects of Hanna after 4 PM today.>>>>

That's what I'm seeing too, Mia.

After battening down the hatches last night, we woke up to sunshine and puddles this morning and lots of humidity, lol. Air is 'on' now, (hate it) and I'm still intending my bike work-out, lol.

[Scoops]

raining here...light....very muggy too g...yuck. wind is supposed to come tonight.

[Mia]

G, is it bad where you are?

[lmroland]

Hello everyone!

Our nasty weather is suppose to hit tonight and really hard tomorrow.....I just heard a news bulliten on the radio and it said 75 to 100 mm or rain and high winds....yuck.

Hope our power holds out as I have a large turkey thawing out as we speak.

It's really nice out there now although very muggy and warm.....heading out to dinner; hope you all stay safe!!

(Hey PK!)

[itzg...]

<<<G, is it bad where you are?>>>>

Hi Mia, it's raining pretty hard here, winds maybe 25 mph--my poor sunflowers --then we'll have a service-break then hard rain again.

How about by you?

[Mia]

G, same here, but no wind. Trees facing front of building not moving. Those on the back street are swaying, lightly. They're predicting winds at 22 mph for tonight.

[DKLA]

Me?

LOL....

Gorgeous here but promises of crap by late Monday.

:/

[Mia]

DK, they were saying on CNN that Ike seems to be steering south of the Keys which means the Gulf. Good news for you.....not others.

[DKLA]

DK is still tearing down the terrace with its furn and fern

:/

[PK...]

Hey, back LMR...

Wow, Hanna has already cleared the country - just a few showers in northernmost Maine right now... I trust all our East Coasters have dried out and are in fine fettle this morning...

I see that stupid Ike is predicted to swing even more westward, and now has Houston in his sights, if he continues straight on that path... Grrr...

I guess it's Houston's turn, but there are many drilling platforms in the gulf that may be in danger...

Perhaps it will change paths again and head even more southward, hopefully sparing Houston and Galveston....

Crossing fingers!

;0))

PK

[Mandy]

Hi PK -

We fared pretty well here in NJ. We had some downpours and wind gusts, but it really wasn't nearly as bad as it might have been. There was a threat of a tornado nearby, but that didn't happen, thank heavens.

It's positively gorgeous this morning. Sunshine, low humidity and upper 70's.

Ike sounds like a real monster. Sincerely hope that you guys stay safe down there.

This dang hurricane season is giving everyone a nervous breakdown!

[Scoops]

Nothing much here after...some sprinkles yesterday during the day...a couple of downpours over night...not even that windy. The sun is out now and it's breezy.
Looks like a great day. : )

[PK...]

It was funny this morning... I went to my tropical weather page and checked on Hanna... The 5 AM update had her sitting about on top of Boston, so I checked radar, and all there seemed to be in that area was some ground clutter...

I was certainly scratching my head and refreshed the page a bit, still nothing... Finally when I looked at area radar, there was the last of her in northern Maine...

I wish they all could come through so nicely!

;0))

PK

[Scoops]

Yes PK...it was uneventful...and we needed some rain after a dry week.

supposed to take the boys to go kart track today....hope it's dry enough!!

[PK...]

The latest (now dreaded) computer models have only solidified a Houston hit.... Rats!

The only minimal good news is that Ike is not supposed to increase past category 3.... Houston has withstood many of those over the years... I guess if push comes to shove, Daughter can bunk in the school where she teaches... Though her townhome should be pretty safe.... Spring is hopefully far enough inland, and on higher ground than other places in the area...

[Scoops]

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PK...;1780557:
The latest (now dreaded) computer models have only solidified a Houston hit.... Rats!

The only minimal good news is that Ike is not supposed to increase past category 3.... Houston has withstood many of those over the years... I guess if push comes to shove, Daughter can bunk in the school where she teaches... Though her townhome should be pretty safe.... Spring is hopefully far enough inland, and on higher ground than other places in the area...
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That's not good PK....hopefully it will ramp down...how is Cuba faring?

[SavhLaney]

PK, I hope that your daughter and her family stay safe.

[DKLA]

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PK...;1780557:
The latest (now dreaded) computer models have only solidified a Houston hit.... Rats!

The only minimal good news is that Ike is not supposed to increase past category 3.... Houston has withstood many of those over the years... I guess if push comes to shove, Daughter can bunk in the school where she teaches... Though her townhome should be pretty safe.... Spring is hopefully far enough inland, and on higher ground than other places in the area...
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Hope it misses her (and everyone and everything), PK!

The Keys are a bit worried and I know Cuba is taking a hit for sure.

:(

[PK...]

I just read a bit ago that he may score a direct hit on Havanna... Not looking good for Cuba... Since he's already there, it's too bad Cuba's land mass is too small to really shut him down...

I am hoping Ike will be as fickle as our last two, and change his mind (well south) before the predicted landfall on Saturday...

[Jules]

Continued prayers are going your way

[Monicauf]

Let us know how your daughter is after the storm PK, hope that she stays safe! My area is expecting alot of rain in the next couple of days, but that is ok, we can use the rain, as long as it is done by Saturday, my plan is to paint my back porch and I want sunny skies......

[Jules]

We're getting alot of rain here, too....from Lowell???? Anyone heard of Lowell? Our local news was talking about it last night....I may have to google that one.

[PK...]

I don't know where you live, but Tropical Storm "Lowell" is still off shore in the East Pacific and will cross Baja California into Mexico later in the week...

You holding out on us and have a Margaritaville Haven down there??? LOL...

(Lowell...)

SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMwww.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/ep200813_5day.html#a_topad

On the OTHER front... Ike has decided to play nice and is now forecast to hit South Texas.... With a little more luck, he will decide to go for margaritas, himself, and leave us the heck alone.... I'm breathing a little easier, but there's still a lot of time for him to get snotty again.... Hope we don't have any posters living in that area...

Ike... SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMwww.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200809_5day.html#a_topad

;0))

PK

[Jules]

Ok, I found it......our weather station last night went like this...


Tuesday 20% chance of showers....Lowell
Wednesday 50% chance of showers...Lowell
Thursday 70% chance of showers....Lowell
Friday 60% chance of showers....Ike
Saturday 50% chance of showers...Ike
Sunday 20% chance of showers....Ike

[PK...]

Good news blurb, IkeWise...

<<<U.S. crude futures were down more than $2 a barrel at $104.02 on dollar strength and fading concerns about Hurricane Ike's threat to facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.>>>

;0))

PK

[PK...]

Confound that rascal....

He's aiming much closer to Houston again... And, hitting south of Houston means the storm surge there is predicted to be enormous.... That may well impact on the Oil supply and refineries, sending prices higher, as well as all the other nasty stuff associated with a storm that size....

Boo Hiss..... At least it's been downgraded to a category 3 at landfall again.... Still too much time left, though.....

OK, rant over.... For now!

Hah, one funny thing.... Arkansas may play Texas (at Texas) in a tropical storm.... The way Arkansas has started the season, they should be praying for a rain out....

;0))

PK

[Jules]

I know I have NO right to gripe, because I am not anywhere near a coast, but I am SO SICK of all this rain...


Ok people, now you can throw things at me.


Edited first sentence

[Jinh]

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Jules;1781300:
I know I have to right to gripe, because I am not anywhere near a coast, but I am SO SICK of all this rain...


Ok people, now you can throw things at me.
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I'm very confused...aren't you in Oklahoma, Jules?

[Jules]

Yes, I'm in Oklahoma. Why are you confused? It's been raining here ALL week and the forecasts say it isnt going to stop til at least next Tuesday.

[Jinh]

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Jules;1781372:
Yes, I'm in Oklahoma. Why are you confused? It's been raining here ALL week and the forecasts say it isnt going to stop til at least next Tuesday.
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Hi Jules : )

I'm confused because I can't understand how Lowell is affecting OK right now...

[Jules]

Me neither......thats what the meteorologist said on the news the other day....I remember watching it and saying "WTF?"

[Jinh]

Weird...sounds gloomy, sorry : (

On a different note, I wish I would have gotten gas Tuesday...no doubt the price will go up, whether Ike hits the refineries or not...

[Jules]

Gas at two stations by my house is at $3.24 per gallon

[Jinh]

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Jules;1781434:
Gas at two stations by my house is at $3.24 per gallon
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Send some up here, wouldya? It's $3.79 here...yuck : (

[Jules]

We've also got the stations that are only providing Ethanol-Free gasoline...and they are all about $0.25 higher per gallon.

[Jinh]

Man, they are making very dire predictions for Ike, aren't they...doesn't sound good at all...

[Jules]

Where are you located, Jinh?

[Jinh]

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Jules;1781458:
Where are you located, Jinh?
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In Montana, Jules (yes, we have moose, but I don't hunt them) LOL

[PK...]

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Jinh;1781455:
Man, they are making very dire predictions for Ike, aren't they...doesn't sound good at all...
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Yeah, and now Houston is almost in the direct line. He's been moving more and more north since yesterday morning.... Now I have to hope he moves well north....

Maybe he won't be able to reach a full category three before landfall... The prediction has been lowered since yesterday, too... He's supposed to hit at 2AM to compound matters.... Somehow, it just seems so much worse at night...

[SavhLaney]

I have one friend in that area who has already evacuated.

ITA PK, to have one hit at night is worse.

[Monicauf]

Gas here is $3.91. Hope your family stays safe Pk. Agreed about it seeming worse at night, not sure why since when it comes it is dark even during the day, but it does feel/seem worse during the night, all storms seem worse to me at night.

[Cindyloo]

It sure doesn't sound good. I hope everyone will be okay. Please be safe!

Gas has gone down here to around $3.45. I don't see it lasting though.

[Jules]

I saw on the news yesterday....gridlock on the interstate in Houston....


just terrible.

[PK...]

Looks like he's making a beeline for Houston, now, and will arrive on daughter's doorstep tomorrow morning some time... And will hit my friend even earlier. I hope she has evacuated. She lives right on the bay. I hope she was "able" to evacuate. I've not heard from her in quite a while, that can mean she's feeling really good or really bad... Sadly, I'm thinking the latter...

They are still saying if you are not in a low lying area, don't leave - hunker down... That's what caused all the problems with the last one. There were more fatalities on the highways than there were with the hurricane Rita. People in Houston left needlessly at the same time as those who were really in danger, thereby tying up traffic and in actuality blocking their exit...

I just reread the news article about Alicia (Last Cat. 3 direct hit on Houston in 1983.). I had forgotten how horrible that one was, and we were there! Of all places, I read that on the Amazon.com message board, LOL....

The way he's moving, there's still time for landfall to be further east along the coast - at least putting Houston on the "cleaner" side of the mess...

Small favors....

PK

[Scoops]

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PK...;1781568:
Looks like he's making a beeline for Houston, now, and will arrive on daughter's doorstep tomorrow morning some time... And will hit my friend even earlier. I hope she has evacuated. She lives right on the bay. I hope she was "able" to evacuate. I've not heard from her in quite a while, that can mean she's feeling really good or really bad... Sadly, I'm thinking the latter...

They are still saying if you are not in a low lying area, don't leave - hunker down... That's what caused all the problems with the last one. There were more fatalities on the highways than there were with the hurricane Rita. People in Houston left needlessly at the same time as those who were really in danger, thereby tying up traffic and in actuality blocking their exit...

I just reread the news article about Alicia (Last Cat. 3 direct hit on Houston in 1983.). I had forgotten how horrible that one was, and we were there! Of all places, I read that on the Amazon.com message board, LOL....

The way he's moving, there's still time for landfall to be further east along the coast - at least putting Houston on the "cleaner" side of the mess...

Small favors....

PK
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Sorry to hear that PK...I hope your family and friends stay safe!!! Keep us posted.

Let's just pray it downgrades.

[Jinh]

Yuk...he's huge....

Have your daughter and her family evacuated, PK?

[Jules]

Does anyone have a quick link to look at radar?

[PK...]

I doubt it, Jinh... Though I haven't gotten the final word from her, yet... The schools are closed today, and I'm betting she's sleeping in...

They stayed through Rita, luckily..... I doubt they would go against the local mandate of staying put, in any case...

;0))

PK

[PK...]

Everything you need to know can be found here, Jules...

SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMwww.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200809.html Maps, radar, satellite, tracking, computer models, discussion, etc... One stop shopping...

;0))

PK

[Jinh]

Wunderground is one of my favorite things in the world...LOL (seriously, I love it)...

[PK...]

Likewise...

It's the ONLY weather source I use.... The local weather radar is exceptional...

;0))

PK

[Jules]

Cool, thanks.....

[PK...]

Yay...

The latest update shows Ike not making a category 3, and when it hits Spring (where the 8AM location is centered), he will be a category 1...

Daughter just confirmed they are all staying put... She has books and will fill the bathtubs tonight. She has propane for the grill, and her stove is gas, so unless things get really hairy, all will be fine... She is getting a bit weary of hurricane coverage on TV, but doesn't dare stop watching...

Funny note... Oldest son at A&M wanted to come home.... They put the kibosh on THAT idea very quickly.... Kids....

;0))

PK

[Cindyloo]

I swear, one TV station says one thing and another TV station says something different.

I hope it doesn't go to cat 3 or even 2. I sure hope your daughter and family will be okay PK.

This has been a TERRIBLE hurricane season...sheesh!

[PK...]

I just heard from Daughter again... According to her local media, the eye will be traveling up I-45.... Her house is less than 3 miles from I-45....

I wonder what the diameter of the eye is?

Oldest son will really be pissed, now....

;0))

PK

[Jules]

It's looking bad according to the pics on Yahoo!news.

[DKLA]

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PK...;1781679:
I just heard from Daughter again... According to her local media, the eye will be traveling up I-45.... Her house is less than 3 miles from I-45....

I wonder what the diameter of the eye is?

Oldest son will really be pissed, now....

;0))

PK
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Gosh, good luck to them, PK!!!

[Jules]

For people that live there...if you lived in a multiple story building, not close to the bottom, would you stay (that high up) and ride out the storm and just pray that your windows dont burst open? Or would you evacuate?

[Jinh]

I think it looks pretty bad : ( I've never heard such dire warnings before...

They're saying staying in Houston is a little risky, but they should be able to ride it out fairly well...

It's Galveston that could be annihilated : (

[Skeeter]

Oh, PK -- I hope your daughter is safe......

Please keep us posted (and anyone else that knows anyone near there....)

These things are so frightening......

:)

Skeeter

[Mia]

PK, I hope and pray that all will be well with your family and loved ones.

[PK...]

Good morning...

Ike landed and is tracking a little west of yesterday's predicted route... That put the eye through Baytown and Crosby on Lake Houston.... That is where we lived up until '84...

Power is out almost everywhere. The only pockets are places with underground service. I have no idea of daughter's situation, but since the eye passed a little to their east, it will be a little better than anticipated yesterday. Current wind at nearby Houston Intercontinental Airport are 45mph with 66mph gusts.... I don't know what it was earlier, or what it will be when the eye moves a little further away, but you can be sure I'm going to be checking.....

SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMwww.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?ID=HGX&region=d3&lat=30.05582047&lon=-95.38291168&label=Spring%2c%20TX

Shows the current radar image. Spring is the x in the circle just above the name Houston... You can see the eye just brushed them...

I have no idea when I will hear from her, but I figure all is well, other than loss of power... She's in a two unit, two story town home with a LARGE closet under the stairs... LOL, she may have slept in there last night....

Updates as they happen....

Thanks for all your concern! It's appreciated.....

;0))

PK

[Cindyloo]

PK, I hope you hear soon about your daughter. I can only imagine how worried you must be.

Let us know as soon as you hear something.

[PK...]

Heard from daughter a while ago... Everything is fine. Power is out, of course, took a little water under both the front and back door, and a gust blew the wooden fence gate inside out.... Didn't seem to break it, she will just have to take the hardware off and reset the gate... Hopefully the shingles are OK. She hasn't noticed any leaks anywhere.

;0))

PK

[Mandy]

So glad to hear that you guys are safe, PK. Your family must be so relieved. :)

I've been watching all the dang Hurricane news and scaring myself silly. I've also been watching the news about that horrendous train crash in L.A. yesterday afternoon. What a tragedy!

Makes me realize how lucky we are when the most upsetting thing in our lives are political disagreements.

[Mia]

PK, I am so happy to hear that all is well with your daughter. Though not so great for others.

[Skeeter]

Oh, PK -- that is great news. I'm glad she's safe.

I heard today in the mall (from someone working there, so this may be hearsay) -- that during the height of the storm, 911 calls were pouring in faster than any other place any other time in history. As they couldn't get to them all, they finally started telling people to take a permanent marker and write their social security numbers on their arms in case something happened, so they could identify them......

Why people don't listen, I'll never understand......

Skeeter

[PK...]

Yes, I read that... There were estimated 140,000 who disobeyed the mandatory evacuation orders...

I just hope no first responders lose their lives because of these jackasses....

It has finally stopped raining in Spring... According to the radar, they got 8 - 10 inches...

Ike will make it up here in the wee hours of the morning... He is pushing a cold front back to the north as he moves on up. It won't come through until he clears this area... OH can expect what's left of him tomorrow night....

Share the wealth...

;0))

PK

[Mia]

PK, anything further from your daughter? I hope she has sufficient supplies until they restore power and things are back to some sort of normalcy.

[Skeeter]

Yeah, we're ready. Actually, WE can use some rain. The ground is very hard and bricky.

Too bad people don't listen. I read about one guy who said he never had to leave before, so he wasn't going to now. They found him in a tree wearing nothing but a sheet, because when the floor broke out from under him, it tore his pants off. (Story on USAToday if you don't believe me).......

I agree -- I hope no first-responders lose their lives over these people....

Skeeter

[PK...]

Hi Mia...

No, I doubt we'll hear from her again until power is restored... She had plenty of supplies, and things will get back to normal pretty soon... They didn't have a problem with the water supply, and the natural gas lines are fine....

She's in an urban area, so power probably will be restored pretty quickly (she says hopefully). She's plenty laid back, and this stuff doesn't ruffle her feathers at all... I was more worried than she was, I'm sure, LOL... She planned to sleep through it all last night, and some yahoo called and woke her up....

The weather is supposed to break on Monday, so if power hasn't been restored, it will be more pleasant... I guess that's when that cold front will make it down there...

;0))

PK

[Cindyloo]

So glad to hear your daughter is okay, PK. It's good she is the laid back type. I'd be frantic..lol

There was a bar somewhere, not sure whether it was in Galveston or in Houston, but there were about 25 or so people in there partying and wouldn't evacuate. I have thought of them and wonder if they are okay. Hope so.

And Mandy, that terrible train wreck in LA..OMG! I just wonder what caused that? Someone sure did goof up at the controls.

[Monicauf]

Glad your daughter is safe Pk- one of the members in a yahoo group that I am in lives in Texas, I think Houston, but I am not sure. We were all worried about her, she finally contacted one of the members in the group, said she was fine, but has no power and water. I am glad she is safe, but it is horrible to be without power, years ago I was without power for two weeks- I had water because I remember having to take quick cold showers- I know not having power is not the worst thing, but you do take it for granted.

I don't understand the people that refuse to evacuate, the people in the bar is just crazy- for those that are familiar to Fl, I used to have a condo right off the Courtney Campbell Causeway- wonderful place to live-but I knew being that close to the water- it was right across the street from my place- that I had to evacuate- only had to do it once but it is something you have to deal with. Refusing to leave you take your own life and the life of the rescue crews in your hands.

I just heard on the local news that Progress Energy from Fl is sending 380 workers and bucket trucks to Texas, they are leaving this morning- not sure if that is alot or not, but every little bit helps.

[Jinh]

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Cindyloo;1782051:

And Mandy, that terrible train wreck in LA..OMG! I just wonder what caused that? Someone sure did goof up at the controls.
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They say it appears the Metrolink conductor did not yield to a red light...

My husband works with people down in Chatsworth, and many of them take the Metrolink to work. The train which had the accident was going into Chatsworth near the end of the day so, so far no one he works with seems to have been effected...

[PK...]

Well, Ike wasn't done, LOL....

We are sitting here with no power, but Cox finally got cable back... The little travel generator is currently running the TV, my laptop, modem and router, so I am finally back in business, somewhat... Don't have email on this machine, but all is well til dark, anyway... Sandwiches for dinner!

Power is out all over our town, and probably Fayetteville as well... Ike roared through about 1:30AM, and took out our power... I woke up and spent several hours watching the treetops whip back and forth... It was not a lot of fun. He was much more vicious than Gustav....

Skeeter and CindyLoo... I hope he has calmed down by the time he gets to your area! Hmm... Never mind, he is tracking further north than he was yesterday... And, go figure, he will be back up to Tropical Storm category, after passing two of the Great Lakes... Canada will get an even bigger taste of him... How strange! I wonder if there has been a tropical storm take that particular route before?

;0))

PK

[Skeeter]

We had the oddest afternoon. Terrible wind storm (up to 75 mph in my area). Tree limbs are strewn about -- my neighbor's walnut tree is now bare (probably 50 5-gallon buckets full) -- scary scary scary. We lost power in glitches, but it would be back on pretty quickly. The people that live out of town were out for several hours. I believe everyone has power restored by now. Not sure what happened further south (toward Cindy) for sure, but many schools are already cancelling or delaying for tomorrow.

This was horrible. I can't imagine what it was like when it was full-force (or even with you, PK)....

Skeeter

[PK...]

Sounds like you DID get it, Skeeter.... Wunderground is no longer covering Ike, drat... But radar looked like he was over Buffalo this morning...

Our power just "FLICKERED", so hopefully we will be back before too long. We are all plugged in to the generator, so we are good to go...

LOL, I went around and stuck up a bunch of my little battery powered LED lights all around the house by the light switches... We left one on all night in the bathroom to see how long they would last... It was still working this morning... I will put more up....

I hope that's the end of "our" hurricane activities for the year!

;0))

PK

[Jules]

I've been watching on the news...that is terrifying. I have the utmost respect for Mother Nature...

[Scoops]

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PK...;1781910:
Heard from daughter a while ago... Everything is fine. Power is out, of course, took a little water under both the front and back door, and a gust blew the wooden fence gate inside out.... Didn't seem to break it, she will just have to take the hardware off and reset the gate... Hopefully the shingles are OK. She hasn't noticed any leaks anywhere.

;0))

PK
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Hi PK...glad everyone is safe and sound....is her power still out? I have been reading that power may be out for weeks!!

[DKLA]

Skeeter and CindyLoo... I hope he has calmed down by the time he gets to your area!

PK: it tore up Dayton and there are mucho outages.

:/

[Monicauf]

Years ago during one of the hurricanes I lost power for two weeks, it does not sound like a long time, but it can get frustrating, had to throw out food- which I hated doing, but ice only lasts so long....no ac in Fl is horrendous. It makes you really appreciate being able to have ac, to have a hot shower....I feel bad for these people having to deal with this, one of the ladies in another group I am in, she lost power and water due to Ike, and it just came back on last night, to not be able to flush your toilet or to have a shower- well I cannot imagine losing water and power, these things make you really appreciate what you take for granted.

[Jules]

Even more so if you have children.....

[sam king cat]

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PK...;1782103:
Well, Ike wasn't done, LOL....

We are sitting here with no power, but Cox finally got cable back... The little travel generator is currently running the TV, my laptop, modem and router, so I am finally back in business, somewhat... Don't have email on this machine, but all is well til dark, anyway... Sandwiches for dinner!

Power is out all over our town, and probably Fayetteville as well... Ike roared through about 1:30AM, and took out our power... I woke up and spent several hours watching the treetops whip back and forth... It was not a lot of fun. He was much more vicious than Gustav....

Skeeter and CindyLoo... I hope he has calmed down by the time he gets to your area! Hmm... Never mind, he is tracking further north than he was yesterday... And, go figure, he will be back up to Tropical Storm category, after passing two of the Great Lakes... Canada will get an even bigger taste of him... How strange! I wonder if there has been a tropical storm take that particular route before?

;0))

PK
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I felt the strong winds around 5am Monday. Brought some rain. Some power out but nothing substansial in my north neck of the woods.

[Skeeter]

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DKLA;1782405:
Skeeter and CindyLoo... I hope he has calmed down by the time he gets to your area!

PK: it tore up Dayton and there are mucho outages.

:/
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Many schools in and around Dayton have been closed all week. A lot of people are still without power around here. Word is that it may not be restored until the weekend at best.

Lots of wind damage around here. Mostly shingles off, and trees felled -- I haven't seen much major destruction, which is lucky. I know someone who had their trampoline blow across the road and into the neighbor's field.....

A lot of crops are laying on the ground. Hopefully they will still be able to get their yield, or that could cause other problems down the road.

Keep praying for everyone involved with this storm. It was definitely far-reaching.

Skeeter

[Jules]

That's crazy how it seemed to just "skip" over Oklahoma and move farther up north for more destruction....

[Scoops]

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DKLA;1782405:
Skeeter and CindyLoo... I hope he has calmed down by the time he gets to your area!

PK: it tore up Dayton and there are mucho outages.

:/
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Many schools in and around Dayton have been closed all week. A lot of people are still without power around here. Word is that it may not be restored until the weekend at best.

Lots of wind damage around here. Mostly shingles off, and trees felled -- I haven't seen much major destruction, which is lucky. I know someone who had their trampoline blow across the road and into the neighbor's field.....

A lot of crops are laying on the ground. Hopefully they will still be able to get their yield, or that could cause other problems down the road.

Keep praying for everyone involved with this storm. It was definitely far-reaching.

Skeeter
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I always wondered what we would do with our trampoline if a big storm headed this way...it's huge, and has poles and a net. We take it all apart in November and put it back up in April, but it takes a lot of work.

I had thought about maybe taking the net off and turning it upside down, but your post makes me think we would just have to take it all apart.

[PK...]

Yeah, Ike headed up East Texas and then turned just north east enough to slide into Arkansas, missing all but the southeasternmost corner of OK... Then slid up NW Arkansas into MO heading for St. Louis, and on to IL, IN, and OH... Finally visiting Sam in Quebec and sliding back out to sea.... Hah, the way he's going, he may circle back for another run at us!

Daughter is still without power and no idea of when it will come back... Numbers have been tossed around for others in her area like late Sept., early Oct.... ACK... They had a thunderstorm come through associated with the cold front that was danged near as bad as Ike... It took out her land line, luckily there is cell service - sorta....

Her spirits are good, as they always are.... She discovered a library was open - no power, but open, so she returned the 4 books she had already gone through, took her little flashlight and picked out a bunch more.... They wrote her number down on a legal pad along with the titles to be entered into the system when power returned, and the returned books were just stacked up on the floor...

Gotta love the libraries!

She mowed her front lawn yesterday, but felt guilty because of the gasoline situation in the area.... I guess people with generators are a little hard pressed because of the local shortage... They can't pump gas with no power...

She has been marking the power progress by the working street lights...

I read on the Amazon message board that someone in Dayton just had power restored, so progress IS being made...

My sister in northern IN only had a glancing blow from Ike - he tracked further south, so luckily this time she didn't have to get the generator cranked up... She has to do it because my BIL is now too frail... They are in their mid 80s....

I have no idea where my friend in San Leon might be... I am HOPING her son in north Texas came and picked her and the dogs up....

At least there is nothing stirring in the north Atlantic at the moment...

;0))

PK

[Jules]

I was thinking the same thing about nothing being in the Atlantic....I saw that this morning on our local news.....looks calm....just hope it's not the "calm before the storm".....the poor people could use a break.

[Scoops]

Power out till early October??? wow. wouldn't know what to do with that.
Tell her to watch out for loose wild animals!!!

Lion (and tiger!) on the run hampers Hurricane Ike rescue efforts
An 11-year-old lioness presented survivors of Hurricane Ike with an unforseen hazard when she appeared at a church where they were sheltering.

Shackle, who was saved from a local zoo as the storm struck, is holed up in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church in Crystal Beach, lounging across the altar and being fed roast pork by local residents.

The lion and her owner, Michael Ray Kujawa, waded into the church after roads out of the area were blocked by flooding. People who were sheltering inside the building helped lock the lion in the sanctuary - and then stayed well away.

"They worked pretty well together, actually. When you have to swim, the lion doesn't care about eating nobody," said Mr Kujawa.

Jim Yarbrough, a Galveston County judge, said the authorities were working out a way of evacuating the big cat. "When you think you've seen everything, you find something else," he said.

Locals did - when they discovered that a tiger is also on the loose.

Officials in Galveston County, the coastal area worst hit by the storm at the weekend, have called in animal experts to find and catch the freed tiger, which is thought to have escaped from an exotic pets centre.

"The tiger was understood to be hungry so we're staying away from him", Mr Yarbrough added.

Residents of the coastal towns shattered by the hurricane, which has killed 50 people, have almost no services and have been given little idea of when they may return.

Despite the US government's apparent determination not to repeat the debacle of Hurricane Katrina, it faces growing complaints that the official response to Ike has been slow and ineffective.

In Houston, residents have been spending hours on end queuing for food, water and ice at the 22 supply distribution centres.

Bill White, the city's mayor, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was not bringing in supplies sufficiently quickly.

More than 30,000 people have been stranded in shelters and around two million Texans remain without power.

Despite the primitive conditions, thousands of people tried to get back on to Galveston Island - the worst hit area - after officials opened a temporary "look and leave" facility so residents could check on the state of their homes and businesses.

The authorities want to evacuate the nearby Bolivar peninsula so rescue crews can begin the recovery effort.

However, around 250 hard-core holdouts - including the lion and tiger - weathered the storm and have so far ignored evacuation orders despite a lack of power, gas or running water.

Officials are now considering legal action to force them out.

[Novalee]

PK, I am so very happy that your family is safe. I cannot imagine what you must have been feeling when hearing the news leading up to Ike making landfall. The pics I saw from Galveston this morning are heart wrenching.

[Jules]

I saw pics yesterday. They are horrible. The ones that just killed me were pics of the cemeteries...coffins just laying askew everywhere...not even close to the headstones....omg tragic.

[Scoops]

I read this earlier Jules....tragic.
Some of Ike's Missing May Have Been Swept Out to Sea

Thursday, September 18, 2008 (AP)
GALVESTON, Texas — The death toll from Hurricane Ike is remarkably low so far, considering that legions of people stayed behind as the storm obliterated row after row of homes along the Texas coast. But officials suspect there are more victims out there and say some might simply have been swept out to sea.

Exactly how many is anybody's guess, because authorities had no sure way to track those who defied evacuation orders. And the number of people reported missing after the storm, whose death toll stands at 16 in Texas, is fluctuating.

Search-and-rescue crews cleared out Wednesday after plucking survivors from Galveston and the devastated Bolivar Peninsula, and authorities are relying on Red Cross workers and beach patrols to run welfare checks on people named by anxious relatives.

"We don't know what's out there in the wilds," said Galveston County medical examiner Stephen Pustilniks. "Searchers weren't looking for bodies; they were looking for survivors."

As the hurricane closed in, authorities estimated that 90,000 people ignored evacuation orders along the Gulf Coast. Post-storm rescuers in Galveston and the peninsula removed about 3,500 people, but another 6,000 refused to leave.

Nobody is suggesting that tens of thousands died, but determining what happened to those unaccounted for is a painstaking task that could leave survivors wondering for months or years to come.

Authorities concede that at least some of those who haven't turned up could have been washed out to sea, as at least one woman on the peninsula apparently was, and that other bodies might still be found.

"I'm not Pollyana. I think we will find some," said Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough, the county's highest-ranking elected official.

Pustilniks' office brought in two refrigerated tractor-trailers to store bodies until autopsies are performed. One sat in front of the medical examiner's office Wednesday morning with a sign on the side: "Jesus Christ is Lord not a cuss word."

By the afternoon, five deaths had been reported in Galveston County: one man who drowned in his pickup, another found inside a motel, two dialysis patients who could not get to their treatment, and a woman with cancer whose oxygen machine shut down.

The stench of rotting animals and livestock polluted the once-picturesque community of Crystal Beach, where about two dozen people stayed behind. One survivor told of seeing a friend wrenched from the rafters by the storm's fury and swept out to sea.

In evacuation shelters hundreds of miles from the coast, displaced residents — like the loved ones of victims of 2005's Hurricane Katrina — scrolled through address books and blog postings and anxiously dialed relatives, friends and neighbors not heard from.

On an Internet forum where survivors listed notes giving their whereabouts and asking for news of the missing, the messages revealed the growing anxiety and frustration of those desperate for some word about their loved ones.

"Anyone know Rosa who lived on the end towards the bay in gilchrist on Dolphin rd? She didnt have a vehicle and last we heard she was staying?"

And this message: "If ANYONE KNOWS WHERE MY FATHER IS OR KNOWS IF HE IS ALIVE AND WELL, PLEASE PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I AM HEARTBROKEN!!"

In Galveston County, where about 15,000 residents stayed behind, officials did not have an exact number of missing residents. The Red Cross is helping track down the missing by setting up registries at shelters and sending workers on welfare checks, Yarbrough said.

At Galveston's emergency management center, 12 phone lines rang constantly with calls from people trying to find relatives. As the calls came in, the city's beach patrol would go to the homes and check.

Sometimes, the searches end in relief. The Red Cross quickly found an elderly Galveston couple reported missing Wednesday morning by relatives in Wyoming, Yarbrough said.

The search echoes the chaos following Katrina in 2005, when bodies were turning up more than a year after the storm as ruined homes were dismantled and families returned after months away. Katrina killed more than 1,600 people.

In that storm, there was no way to track people who left the city. The situation worsened when more than 100,000 New Orleanians who took refuge in Houston had to scatter again a few weeks later for Hurricane Rita.

Authorities opened a center in Baton Rouge, La., to take reports of people who were missing. And just as Ike survivors are doing now, volunteers there turned into amateur detectives — digging through Web sites that sprouted for missing families and calling nursing homes and hospitals.

The center for the missing closed nearly a year after Katrina, when authorities said they had finally exhausted leads.

Brownsville resident Amy Woodside has posted several messages online trying to track down friends who may have succumbed to Ike.

"I'm worried about everybody who is still unaccounted for," she said. "We may never find some of them."

[SavhLaney]

I just do not understand people who refuse to leave.

I have a friend who returned to the Galveston area and she said that it looks like a war zone. They are without water or power and have no idea how long it will take to get that repaired.

[Jules]

Oh it all just makes me cry.

There is sadness everywhere. People are dying, people are killing other people, poor little Caylee, homes destroyed, etc.


....

[Skeeter]

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SavhLaney;1783023:
I just do not understand people who refuse to leave.

I have a friend who returned to the Galveston area and she said that it looks like a war zone. They are without water or power and have no idea how long it will take to get that repaired.
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....and the sad part is that there were many people sent down from local electric companies, etc. that had to be called back to their local areas to help. I know there were droves of people from around here who just arrived in TX when they were called back here.

I am happy to report that slowly but surely power is coming back on. Many people around here had their power restored today.

Skeeter

[Jinh]

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SavhLaney;1783023:
I just do not understand people who refuse to leave.

I have a friend who returned to the Galveston area and she said that it looks like a war zone. They are without water or power and have no idea how long it will take to get that repaired.
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I say fine them if they choose to stay and have to be rescued...it costs thousands of dollars to rescue one person, not to mention putting lives at risk...$15,000 wouldn't be out of line...

[Cindyloo]

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Skeeter and CindyLoo... I hope he has calmed down by the time he gets to your area!

PK: it tore up Dayton and there are mucho outages.

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Awe thanks DK, we are okay here. Our power went back on yesterday. We roughed it for 5 days and wasn't too bad. Had plenty of water and we grilled out a lot. We have huge branches and limbs down and will go back out afterwhile and do some more cleaning up. Some roofing came off the barn. Our crops are okay.
I feel very lucky though, because my heart sure does go out to everyone in Galveston and Houston, and also in New Orleans, well...several states that got this awful storm.

Dayton is STILL having a hard time. I never seen such a storm like that EVER.

[PK...]

Daughter got power back last night.... Just in time, cause the temps are climbing... She feels guilty, she can see people from her house who still don't have it...

I told her not to feel guilty about that, but she should still feel guilty about bailing on us during Alecia in 83 to stay at a friend's house who did have power, LOL...

Eight days.... And she did it without a generator... She did say she never thought she would see the day she would discover a person can actually read too much....

There are still pockets of no power here, and in OH, as well... Bad Ike!

I can't even imagine returning to Galveston...... I guess we all should be preparing for another increase in home owners SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAM...

;0))

PK

[Skeeter]

Glad to hear that, PK....

Did she have a lot of food spoilage, etc.? That's what is coming now -- people are realizing all of that stuff.

I'm just glad she's ok. Even around here (although I realize it wasn't close to what they had) with all of the damage, there were not many personal injuries. We can replace things, but not people.....

:)

Skeeter

[PK...]

No, luckily, she found a generator powered home to store her frozen food, and she cleaned out the perishables quickly....

I understand truckloads of generators rolled into the area soon after Ike hit. They were in better supply than gas to run them. I didn't hear if they were priced fairly, or were at "gouge" prices...

I will have to remember to ask....

LOL, Skeeter, I clicked on my name next to this thread to access my personal page to make an update, and thought Trevor had removed my posts back to June.... Seems I clicked on the name before refreshing, and was taken to your page.... Thought I had lost my mind, there for a minute.....

;0))

PK