Hurricane Ike...Once more into the breach - Page 3

JJ_BPK · 09-13-2008, 19:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gypsy

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...

Gypsy · 09-13-2008, 20:27

Aye, it definitely could have been much worse.

JJ_BPK · 09-14-2008, 11:41

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???

greenberetTFS · 09-14-2008, 15:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gypsy

I'm slow on the uptake...nice crossthread.

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

Gypsy · 09-14-2008, 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

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

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

Sdiver · 09-22-2008, 15:48

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.

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

Gypsy · 09-22-2008, 20:06

Thanks for keeping us posted Ret10Echo, continue to stay safe.

Richard · 09-22-2008, 20:44

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?

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!

Don't mess with Texas! Which is why I choose to live here.

Richard's $.02

nmap · 09-22-2008, 20:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sdiver

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.

Sdiver · 09-22-2008, 21:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by nmap

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.

Sdiver · 09-22-2008, 21:30

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

Sdiver · 09-27-2008, 19:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ret10Echo

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 !!!!

Glad to hear you're doing okay, and taking a little time off.