oh dear... Hurricane Gustav headed for the Gulf - good vibes please!!

Sunshinegirl

Prayers for everyone, I don't wish it on anyone, but I really hope it doesn't hit New Orleans. :(

Me too.  It sounded like a lot of people don't think those new levees are going to hold back much of anything.  Last I heard on the news, they said it looked like it might veer off toward the Houston area. Guesss we'll just have to wait and see and keep our fingers crossed.

Joyce

There's a really good hurricane tracker that I found at:   www.hcfcd.org .  This is the link to the Harris County Flood Control District.  When you go to that site...you will see the 2008 Hurricane Tracker...which is downloadable.  I've been using this one.

We are getting prepared once again.  We don't expect to have to evacuate as we are 70 miles inland.  But, we will get ready.  The one thing that makes me extremely nervous aside from the winds is if this thing stalls.  That could bring over 20" of rain and we are in a flood prone area (not a flood zone). 

Yikes!

I was thinking of you Marlania, as I knew you weren't too far from where my brother and his family are. They are in Houma and getting ready to evacuate. My sister in law just finished things up at the Hospital, where she is in charge of the lab. They've evacuated all from the hospital. My nephew who lives in New Orleans is safe and sound somewhere else. I'm hoping that you too are evacuating as well as all others.

Stay safe everyone. 

Marlania, hope that you & your family are busy evacuating.  Stay safe.

BT Momma, & Stardancnminpin, Hope that you are both doing well.  I have friends in Beaumont, Groves, Port Arthur, & Jasper areas who are already being told to evacuate.  Hope that you are both doing ok.  I know how big of a hassle having to evacuate is.

So often the weather folks out here overestimate any severe weather and I so hope that this is the case with Gustav. Not that I think they're being overly dramatic at all. I think Gustav looks very daunting, I just hope that it doesn't turn out to be as bad as they predict.

hey everyone! well im posting from my company phone because I already have the laptop packed up. just wanted to thank everyone for good vibes.... keep them coming. they are issuing a mandatory evacuation for our counties at 6 am tomorrow morning so we will be headed out tomorrow morning. me and the girls will be packed up in the car. the hubby will be staying back mandatory for work so im nervous and sad at the same time. its pure madness over here. im a dispatcher for a fuel company and I cannot get gas into the ground fast enough for these stations. its crazzzzzyyyy. at the hotel we will be at, we will have internet so ill check in with you guys tomorrow. gotta finish up some things at the house. keep tx and la in your prayers. this hurricane is gonna do some damage. its already a category 4. when hurricane rita hit us a few years ago it was only a 3. they are expecting gustav to gain strenth still!! so good luck everyone that is in the same boat as us. stay safe! and keep my hubby in ur thoughts. I don't like being away from him in this situation. if yall are wondering... we live 5 minutes from the texas louisiana border and 5-8 minutes from the gulf of mexico....

I hope everyone stays safe!!  I am keeping everyone in my thoughts!!!!!!

PRAYERS, GOOD THOUGHTS, GOOD VIBES FOR VERYONE IN ANY POTENTIAL PATH OF THIS POWERFUL STORM.  OUR WEATHER FORCASTERS ON TV AND RADIO SAY WE ARE SAFE---BUT KEEP AN EYE OPEN JUST IN CASE   

 I WAS IN WALMART A LITTLE WHILE AGO AND FOLKS WERE TALKING ABOUT IF THEY SHOULD BE UYING BOTTLED WATER OR NOT.  CAUSE WE STILL HAVE 3 MORE MONTHS OF CANE SEASON.--AND YEAR BEFORE LAST I THINK IT WAS, THERE WAS EVEN ONE IN DEC.  WE ARE AT THE PEAK OF IT RIGHT NOW.

WHAT IS SO IRONIC IS LAST WEEK ON WEATHER THE WEATHER GUY WAS SAYING WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE DISTURBANCE OUT THERE, IT WAS GOING TO BE TORN APART.  AND TODAY IT IS A CAT 4 AND SUPPOSE TO BE A CAT 5 BY MORNNIG.

GILBERT WENT INTO MEXICO AS A CAT 5 BACK IN '88.  IT WENT IN ALMOST 300 MILES SOUTH OF US. YET THE CAUSEWAY BETWEEN US AND CORPUS WAS FLOODED BUILDINGS ON NORTH BEACH IN CORPUS  HAD A FOOTO F WATER IN THEM.  THAT  WAS HTE FIRST TIME  I REALIZD THAT HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY FROM THE ACTUAL EYE COULD BE EFFECTED.

 

EVERYONE I ANY POTENTAIL PATH, PLEAE TAKE CARE AND BE SAFE.

 Everyone in the path of this monster is in my thoughts and prayers.  Take care...and stay safe. 

Sending more prayers and hopeful thoughts for everyone potentially effected by this monster of a storm. Evacuating is not an easy thing to do and my heart aches, already, for all of the potential victims. Be safe! And for those who ultimately are effected by this storm, please let us know how you are afterward.

Prayers, prayers and more prayers!!!!!!!!!!!

 http://icons-pe.wunderground.com/data/images/at200807_5day.gif

No feeder bands yet. We're expecting bad weather soon, though.

we're getting some rain and lots of wind over here. It's been pretty icky all day..... I would assume it's from the storm. nothing else out there. I'll have to check the maps again soon......Hannah is still out there, heading towards FL. ugh.

We have feeder bands coming in, sounds deceptively gentle as they roll through in little waves with a peak then easing off.  The wind is picking up.   If you are looking at a map I am on the farthest into the Gulf tip of Alabama.  It takes less than 5 minutes to drive to the waterfront. To the west we have Bon Secour Harbor and river lesss than 2 minutes.  So water is everywhere. We are on what 45 years ago was a Blueberry farm so the land thankfully has decent drainage.  So we can get 15 or more inches of rain and it will drain with in a day or two. The trick for us is to be ready every thing that can be blown must be stored... Bikes, planters my little yard dragon... all toys kids and dogs must be put away  , Trash cans and we have the 90 gal rolling dumpster types must be secured. The item may seem light enough to be a simple trash or loss issue but when blown at 50 plus miles an hour they can go through car doors and windows as if launched from a cannon. I have seen 2x4s go through the walls of houses !!  dog leashes are by every door, Crates are preped , supplies for every one at hand. You make sure simple things like laundry or meals you can precook are done, power is often out after the pass of a major storm so the more you can have done ahead is important.  I fill jugs for dog water but after the kids go to bed I will fill my tubs too. This is essential for simple things like flushing toilettes or rinsing really wet and dirty dogs and kids off.

With wind you have to have plans in place to handle the loss of fencing. My back yard is fenced with 6 foot privacy wooden fence...great for the dogs and kids but heck on deefeating the big winds.  The 4x4s that hold the fence are snapped by the  winds it is amazing and frightening all at once. The biggest danger is rarely the weather it is the morons who get drunk or high and want ot drive down to watch the storm surge or they want to ge to som eone else's home at the last minute and pay no attention to the flooded out roads , Nothing irks me more than these jerks who put not just their life at risk but any one els eon the road and the rescue workers who have to race to the sceanes to help with folks too dumb to stay out of the rain !!  Despite contacting all of our neighbors re dogs etc  there are already a few turned loose.   Apparently animals can fend for themsleves much better than I understand.   The zoo is on standby in case evacuation is needed, it should not be for this storm.  But you should see the circus and balancing act that we all embrace when the zoo must be evacuated.  Nothing quite like a car full of crates with monkeys and parrots , or exoctic reptiles... The bigger animals go first to a ranch inland,, Chuckie is on his own...so far no one wants to be reponsible for moving a 16 foot gator...

IF you need any help and you live in La or Ms Hooler I will be checking my email frequently..  Keep your heads down and feet dry folks It is really important to take care of yourselves...

Bonita of Bwana