View Full Version : Hurricane Ike...Once more into the breach
After returning to Denver, late Sunday night, from 8 fun filled days in Texas, to help out with Hurricane Gustav, I just got orders to deploy BACK down to Texas to prepare for the arrival of Ike.
What gay adventures await us? Brother, Ike is going to make Gustav feel like aspirin.
I'll check in when possible. But if it's anything like my last deployment........:rolleyes:
Slantwire
09-09-2008, 11:32
What gay adventures await us?
I'd rephrase that as "what happy adventures." The Republic of Texas isn't noted for tolerance on that subject. :D
We were getting ready to head to NOLA. But its heading west so they told us to stand down. Of course they want everyone they can get in DC for the 9-11 anniversary.
The latest reports show it coming over San Antonio; one of the local stations is suggesting that we could face gusts of wind over 100 mph.
It appears to be good for generator sales.
Somehow, I suspect the media are engaging in considerable hyperbole; especially since Accuweather predicts gusts only getting up to 37 mph.
If I'm wrong, perhaps Sdiver will save me. :cool:
2018commo
09-10-2008, 03:50
Our JOC has been 24/7 since the 28th, lots of AC headed to TX, looks like a big EVAC mission starting now. Between TDY, Vacation and the Hurricanes I have not seen my normal desk or much of my bedroom lately.:( Ah for the days after epic mission planning you got to go to the field and rest. I found a good hurricane tracking site ( http://www.stormpulse.com/fullscreen/current) However the 55. network does not like it.
Look out Corpus Christi..
We are still getting 40-50 knt winds, still getting rain,, that makes about 30 hours of blow,, lost power for a couple hours, just returned at 6AM..
Ike is about 200 miles West of us as a cat 1 storm.
The coastal areas of Texas from Galveston to Brownsville are going to get hit. The responders are going to have to cover a lot of ground.
Good Luck,,,
Back in Feb, I booked a family vacation to Maui. I leave tomorrow morning. At least I won't have to run the water sprinklers while I'm gone. Now if I could just guess the right numbers on all those big lottery jackpots.
I came across a link that discusses Ike's path as it relates to refineries and offshore platforms. It appears that a strong Ike might have an impact on refining capacity.
LINK (http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4510)
My husband has been running around with his head cut off for the past few days trying to get teams (TALCE/CRG) deployed before the storm hits. Too bad the people making the decisions about who and what needs to go have no clue as to what they are talking about, and most probably the stuff that moves won't be the stuff that is needed once the storm passes.
Why does it seem, at least in the air force anyway, that if you aren't an O-6 or a GO you obviously don't know what you are talking about. Never mind that you have about 15 years experience on doing this stuff.
Everyone is so anxious to ensure that another Katrina doesn't happen they are falling all over themselves making poor decisions, so at least they are seen as making a decision.
Defender968
09-11-2008, 07:27
My husband has been running around with his head cut off for the past few days trying to get teams (TALCE/CRG) deployed before the storm hits. Too bad the people making the decisions about who and what needs to go have no clue as to what they are talking about, and most probably the stuff that moves won't be the stuff that is needed once the storm passes.
Why does it seem, at least in the air force anyway, that if you aren't an O-6 or a GO you obviously don't know what you are talking about. Never mind that you have about 15 years experience on doing this stuff.
Everyone is so anxious to ensure that another Katrina doesn't happen they are falling all over themselves making poor decisions, so at least they are seen as making a decision.
Unfortunately it's because 95% of the O-6/GO's in the AF wear pajamas with a full length zipper, their sole qualifications for their position is they wear wings on their chests and are good politicians, in reality most have very little experience doing anything not related directly to flying, especially leading people or understanding complex operations that do not directly revolve around flying, but of course they are much smarter than the rest of us because after all they fly, so obviously they can do all of our jobs better than we can with all of our.... scoff....experience! :rolleyes:
You can tell this post is dripping with sarcasm and disdain. I’ve seen this to be the case in all levels of the AF, just look around and see how many MSG commanders wear wings, yet have never even been in any of the MSG squadrons, but somehow they know better how to run the MSG than someone who actually has 15-20 years of experience in that world, now look at wing commanders, it’s nearly unheard of for a non rated officer to become a wing commander, I can think of 2 wings off the top of my head it happens with any frequency and that’s only because those wings don’t have a flying mission, yet what wing commanders do on a daily basis has very little to do with flying. The AF is a flyboys club, if you don’t wear wings, you are not part of the club and are just there to get them promoted (in their eyes), and maybe get the job done on occasion, but most of them I’ve met are much less concerned with the prior than they are with the latter. It’s not pretty, it’s not right, but that’s the AF you and I live in, and I don’t think it’s going to change any time soon.
I would say 95% of the wing wearers I know could be classified as having a "universal managment badge". Then I look at guys like my husband and realize all is not lost. Granted he is only a "nav" who was a 141 guy who did SOLE. But about 12 years ago he got into the TALCE business. As soon as his troops stopped being the ones in the zipper suits he stopped wearing one.
As soon as he stopped wearing it is when he started getting shit from all the other flyers. They believed they "earned" the right to wear the bag, and will continue to do so until they leave the service. My husbands response to that was that as long as his troops had to pay for their uniforms, he would pay for his!!!
He is the foremost expert in the Air Force on air base opening, and TALCE operations. But there is a new breed that believe that TALCE is bad and CRG is good, therefore anyone with any TALCE experience should shit up and get out of the way. Oh well, when they wind up on a ramp somewhere and can't talk to anyone because they brought the wrong radios and comm gear because they "knew better" we know who will pull their ass out of the fire. When they deploy into theater without the standard 2 weeks of rations and water, thinking there would be a contractor there to meet the plane, and realized NO ONE was there to meet them, we know who pulled their ass out of the fire.
I could go on and on, but it is a bore. I know what you mean about the MSG. As a loggie it effects me on a daily basis, but I have learned that slowly but surely, being competent in my job, and going above and beyond is slowly getting the zipper suited sun gods to realize I will be the one that keeps their ass out of the fire and makes them look good. They are beginning to appreciate their loggies much more than they ever did.
My husband has been running around with his head cut off for the past few days trying to get teams (TALCE/CRG) deployed before the storm hits. Too bad the people making the decisions about who and what needs to go have no clue as to what they are talking about, and most probably the stuff that moves won't be the stuff that is needed once the storm passes.
Why does it seem, at least in the air force anyway, that if you aren't an O-6 or a GO you obviously don't know what you are talking about. Never mind that you have about 15 years experience on doing this stuff.
Everyone is so anxious to ensure that another Katrina doesn't happen they are falling all over themselves making poor decisions, so at least they are seen as making a decision.
Afchic,
Ya'll be safe down there!
We in Oklahoma will "get wet,"once it hits, but cannot imagine what the prep for landing must be like.:eek:
Take care of yourselves!
Holly
Afchic,
Ya'll be safe down there!
We in Oklahoma will "get wet,"once it hits, but cannot imagine what the prep for landing must be like.:eek:
Take care of yourselves!
Holly
echoes, no worries here. He is up in IL trying to figure out what the correct teams need to be to make this work, he isn't in TX, thank the lord. He's pretty pissed he doesn't get to go though.
echoes, no worries here. He is up in IL trying to figure out what the correct teams need to be to make this work, he isn't in TX, thank the lord. He's pretty pissed he doesn't get to go though.
Afchic,
LOL! Well, Good Men are Good...in Disaster Preperation! :lifter
In any case, Hurricanes are a lot like tornadoes, except hurricanes have a more predictable pattern. Both, though, are extremely dangerous. So all ya'll take care!
Holly
Ret10Echo
09-11-2008, 22:03
Getting ready to head in...hope everyone heeds the evacuation warnings...
R10
brianksain
09-11-2008, 23:40
This one is gonna suck.
The Reaper
09-12-2008, 04:10
This one is gonna suck.
Hang in there, amigo!
Be praying for you.
TR
Red Flag 1
09-12-2008, 06:47
This one is gonna suck.
Prayers out amigo!
Stay safe!
RF 1
brianksain
09-12-2008, 11:01
Just finished a SASR class in Guernsey, WY.
Great fun shooting SASRs mountain top to mountain top. Good class. Awesome ranges.
Currently stranded in Denver.
Host's suburban crapped out on the way home.
Caught a ride with one of the students into Denver. Staying with people I have never met, who are friends of the host.
If this storm does what they say it is going to do ... my house will be/will have been under water when I get back. No sea wall on my end of town. Right side eye of the storm.
Wife fine in Dallas area.
Watching the news. Washing a load of clothes.
Currently on hold with the airlines as I type this. Trying to sweet talk my way onto a flight out of here, into DFW. Been on hold for over an hour ...
No flights into Houston where my truck is.
They pulled our guys back so I will be coming in asap. Trying to get into the fight on the backside ...
Thanks for the well wishes and prayers.
What fun amigos.
bk
Team Sergeant
09-12-2008, 14:46
Brian,
PM Sent.
Team Sergeant
For those of you that want to watch live news (http://www.maroonspoon.com/wx/ike.html) and track (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:%2F%2Fmw1.google.com%2Fmw-weather%2Ftropical%2Fkml%2Fall_hurricanes.kmz&ie=UTF8&ll=31.634676,-95.537109&spn=8.394259,19.138184&t=h&z=6) or view rainfall/wind/tracking/etc (http://www.stormpulse.com/hurricane-ike-2008)
Here is a couple more:
Houston/Galveston, TX Radar:
http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?product=NCR&rid=HGX&loop=yes
Galveston Bay Marine Data:
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Galveston_Bay.shtml
Weather Underground:
http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=27.7&lon=-93.5&zoom=6&type=hyb&rad=0&wxsn=0&svr=0&cams=0&sat=0&riv=0&mm=0&hur=1&hur.wr=0&hur.cod=1&hur.fx=1&hur.obs=1&fire=0&ft=0&sl=0
It's still a cat 2,, but I think your in for a ruff night..
Good luck to all...
The Reaper
09-12-2008, 17:13
Just finished a SASR class in Guernsey, WY.
Great fun shooting SASRs mountain top to mountain top. Good class. Awesome ranges.
Currently stranded in Denver.
Host's suburban crapped out on the way home.
Caught a ride with one of the students into Denver. Staying with people I have never met, who are friends of the host.
If this storm does what they say it is going to do ... my house will be/will have been under water when I get back. No sea wall on my end of town. Right side eye of the storm.
Wife fine in Dallas area.
Watching the news. Washing a load of clothes.
Currently on hold with the airlines as I type this. Trying to sweet talk my way onto a flight out of here, into DFW. Been on hold for over an hour ...
No flights into Houston where my truck is.
They pulled our guys back so I will be coming in asap. Trying to get into the fight on the backside ...
Thanks for the well wishes and prayers.
What fun amigos.
bk
I flew out of Colorado Springs this morning, into Houston on the way home. We were moved up from a 1420 flight to a 0605. Not a lot of fun, but at least we got through.
Not a lot of traffic on the roads around Houston and not too much excitement there. Continental was saying they were going to close down Houston at 1400 today, and when we left at 1200, there was not much left on the tarmac.
Big clouds stacking up though, and buddies in Panhandle Florida reported that coastal highways were getting flooded and closed by high surf.
Wish I had known you were there and in need, amigo. Best of luck!
TR
Stay safe all...looks like one hell of a storm.
greenberetTFS
09-13-2008, 09:07
This one is gonna suck.
bk,
Prayers out for you & your family....God Bless.....I know what it's like to go though one of these.
GB TFS
Ambush Master
09-13-2008, 10:02
My Mother-inlaw, Brother-in law, and numerous Friends live in the Clear Lake Area. We have been able to make commo with all of them and the storm was not as bad as they were lead to believe or expected!!
No Di-Hydrogen Oxide issues at all!!!:D
Take care.
Martin
Glad your people are okay, AM!
BK...hope the same for you and yours.
But it is still a MESS in Texas! My families prayers are out!
God help those who chose to stay...and "ride it out.":rolleyes:
Holly
No Di-Hydrogen Oxide issues at all!!!:D
Take care. Martin
Good to hear,, stay safe,, our prayers..
Be on the look-out for looters,, they think it's all free,, set up a neighborhood watch...
No Di-Hydrogen Oxide issues at all!!!:D
Take care.
Martin
I'm slow on the uptake...nice crossthread. :D
So last night I got a "hurricane dial" from the beginning author of this thread. Yesterday they got a bunch of folks moved out of Galveston and Houston and then were evac'd out of the area themselves...
Said they all wound up spending the night in San Antonio and didn't even really have rain, and have about 400 ambulances and rescue vehicles heading in this afternoon to see what they can do to help.
Meanwhile back in Chicago we're getting monsoon like rains, not sure that it's from Ike...but damn we've got tons of flooding. 8 or 9" of rain so far today.
Said they all wound up spending the night in San Antonio and didn't even really have rain, and have about 400 ambulances and rescue vehicles heading in this afternoon to see what they can do to help.
Meanwhile back in Chicago we're getting monsoon like rains, not sure that it's from Ike...but damn we've got tons of flooding. 8 or 9" of rain so far today.
I lot of time the hurricane damage can seam light,, but the winds will take out any weak link in the power & commo grid,, and it can be out for a long time. It depends on your utilities companies and their preparations.
We are hit often enough to have heavy duty prower/commo/water supplies. The power lines and insulators are rated at something like 200 mph.
But there are areas in South Florida where the politicos & utilities have not spent on prevention.
During Wilma we lost power for about 2 hours in BPK. My cousins in Ft Lauderdale,, 3 weeks..
Add to the weaknesses in the grid,, that fact that most coastal areas are just starting to get to the 150 mph wind load architecture. I bet that most houses from the Florida Panhandle to Mexico are built to the old 110 mph load.
Remember all the destruction in Miami after Andrew. Most of those homes were built to the 110 mph loads. Andrew was a cat 4-5 storm..
A cat 1 or 2 storm can cause havoc on the up-prepared..
Any seems Texas has been bumped & bruised,, but in pretty good shape..
They got lucky...
Aye, it definitely could have been much worse.
I take it back,, I just spent a couple minutes watching the CNN & FOX video clips and Texas got their butt kicked..
It looks worse than Andrew, what kind of building codes do they use???
:eek::eek::eek:
greenberetTFS
09-14-2008, 15:07
I'm slow on the uptake...nice crossthread. :D
So last night I got a "hurricane dial" from the beginning author of this thread. Yesterday they got a bunch of folks moved out of Galveston and Houston and then were evac'd out of the area themselves...
Said they all wound up spending the night in San Antonio and didn't even really have rain, and have about 400 ambulances and rescue vehicles heading in this afternoon to see what they can do to help.
Meanwhile back in Chicago we're getting monsoon like rains, not sure that it's from Ike...but damn we've got tons of flooding. 8 or 9" of rain so far today.
Gypsy,
I have two sons that live in Elgin and they told me it's raining extremely hard and our news reporters down here are stating it's IKE thats causing your heavy rain in the Chicago area.....:(
GB TFS :munchin
Gypsy,
I have two sons that live in Elgin and they told me it's raining extremely hard and our news reporters down here are stating it's IKE thats causing your heavy rain in the Chicago area.....:(
GB TFS :munchin
That's one hell of a far reaching storm then, I figured we'd get some effect today but not yesterday. It was really something, it finally stopped raining about 2 hours ago.
Ret10Echo
09-16-2008, 20:59
Day 3 here on Galveston Island and finally got some internet access and a couple of hours of down time. This is going to take a while to put back together campers.
If you have property out here, don't be in a rush to get back the State will let you know when that can start, but now is not the time. A lot of folks are working hard toward that end.
R10
Well, I'm back home. Got in last night at 2400 hours. That first beer I had, after walking in the door, was probably the best tasting one I ever had.
As Gypsy reported, we rode out the storm in San Antonio, after evacing nursing facilities and the Hospital in Galveston. We were going to head back to Houston after dropping off a Pt at a Hsp in Austin, but we got orders to head back to SA for the storm.
As Nmap said, the reports stated we were supposed to get some part of the storm, but we didn't see a drop of it. That following Sat. afternoon we divided up our assets into 4 Task Force packages for the trip into Houston. We had, at last count, 484 Ambulances in the SA staging area at Kelly AFB. That's not counting the para-transit/wheelchair cars. Someone said, it was the largest call up of EMS vehicles for any national emergency.
My Strike team (5 cars) were in the 2nd Task Force and left SA around 1300. As we drove into Houston, from the West, we started seeing some of the damage. Mostly blown over signs and banners. We saw some trees and such knocked over, but nothing major was seen along I-10. We did see some damage to some of the local neighborhoods, on calls we ran, mostly downed trees into houses and onto property, but nothing like the damage that we all saw of Galveston and the Gulf front.
We staged at the Reliant convention center next to the Astrodome and the Houston Texans stadium, Reliant stadium. Once we got staged there, and brought in our other assets, we pretty much waited for the "Go-orders".
But while we were there, we had several calls from shelters that had lost power and had pts that needed better care. So Strike Teams were dispatched out to pick them up and take them to either SA or Austin or even Dallas.
We also helped out the Houston FD with some of their 911 calls and helped fill in where needed.
We never made it into the "Strike Zone", because my strike team along with 9 others were ordered back to SA, to help out there. There evacuee's shelter on Kelly hit close to the neighborhood of 4500 evac's, and there was also a make shift Nursing Facility made up next to it, that held about 1500 pts. So we helped were needed, transporting pts to local hsp and helping out the SA FD.
So we pretty much spent our time in San Antonio on Kelly AFB. But if that's where we were needed, then so be it. I just looked at it this way......I don't care were I ended up, doing what needed to be done. If that's were I'm ordered to go, then so be it.......as long as the check clears, that's fine with me. :D
Ret10Echo
09-22-2008, 20:03
Still here on the Island. Residents will be allowed back in on Wed morning at 06:00. Centerpoint is not expecting power restoration here until Thursday... the wireline phone provider is still running things down...cellular service is primary means but fades as you move away from the downtown area so many places are still without dialtone......(3 short bells followed by one long-continuous bell). Several retail locations are back up under generator power. Primarily Kroger, Target and Wal-Mart. Also various small convenience stores and such. The 18:00 curfew is still in place.
We will see what Wed brings.
R10
Thanks for keeping us posted Ret10Echo, continue to stay safe.
Notice the difference between Ike and Katrina et al?
Katrinara et al - Woe is me! Why did the government allow this to happen and what is the government going to do to about it? :boohoo
Ike - Why won't the government allow me to go back and rebuild? Hell, this is the third time I've lost my business/house and we'll git 'er rebuilt again if the damn government will git outta the way! :lifter
Don't mess with Texas! Which is why I choose to live here. :p
Richard's $.02 :munchin
So we pretty much spent our time in San Antonio on Kelly AFB.
I hope you had the chance to enjoy some of our excellent cuisine! With all due respect to other locales, I'm convinced the best enchilada plates are available here.
I hope you had the chance to enjoy some of our excellent cuisine!
Nope.
Really didn't get a chance to get off base. There was a Wal-Mart shuttle that ran a few days, but nothing more.
If we weren't eating MRE's, we were eating Salvation Army canteen "creations". Someone one my old strike team (when I was there for Gustav) found a local Pizza Hut number and ordered for us (on the FEMA credit card no less). I kept the number, and this time when we where there for Ike, I just had to call. ;)
But never really got out and about.
BTW......I've got 2 packages of BBQ Pork Ribs if anyone has any Chili Mac. :D
There was one bright thing that happened to me while in TX.
After evacing the Galveston Hsp, the Pt I had was going to a Hsp in Austin. We get to this Hsp in Austin, we drop off our Pt and the staff offers us a place to bed down for the night. Unfortunately we couldn't, we had to get back to Houston. But we did take up their offer for the use of their showers.
After I washed my nasty self, I was hanging out by the nurses station in the ER. I was just casually talking to the charge nurse, when after awhile she said, "Damn you look familiar." I played it off, seeing as I hear it all the time. I just jokingly say, "Have you ever been to a post office, and see the pictures on the wall." ;)
But she just kept looking at me and saying, "I know you from somewhere." She finally asked me where I was from. I told her Denver, but that I grew up outside of Chicago.
She looks at me and says, "Did you go to Lake Zurich Sr. High?" I say yes I did. "What year did you graduate?", she asks. "1984....the Class With Cash."
Her jaw just drops and she points at me and says, "Shawn *****?"
By this time the hair on the back of neck is standing up. "Yep. That's me."
She points at her self and says, "Stephine L*****"
Holy Class reunion Batman. I graduated with her, and hadn't seen her in 24 years. (I missed my 20th H.S. reunion). So here I am at a hospital, in Austin Texas, helping evac people inland from a hurricane bearing down on them, and I run into an old High School friend, who I hadn't seen in over 20 years.
Talk about a small world.
Ret10Echo
09-27-2008, 08:34
Well we did the handoff to the recovery teams and left Galveston yesterday for a little R&R in Austin. The power came on over portions of the island on Thursday night at about 20:30. There were also several looting incidents that occured after residents were allowed back on.
Best to all the folks in the storm path. It is going to take a while.
R10
Well we did the handoff to the recovery teams and left Galveston yesterday for a little R&R in Austin. The power came on over portions of the island on Thursday night at about 20:30. There were also several looting incidents that occured after residents were allowed back on.
Best to all the folks in the storm path. It is going to take a while.
R10
C,
ENJOY THAT BEER !!!! You earned it !!!! :lifter
Glad to hear you're doing okay, and taking a little time off.