No Crying Wolf

[mrdreamjeans]

Here in Southeast Texas, we're bracing for our third hurricane in six weeks. We prepared for Edouard and he turned out to be all bluster, no punch. We organized for Gustav and didn't get any rain at all in Houston. With Ike, I suspect that he won't be "crying wolf". The latest news for Houston is that Ike will impact us by late Friday/ early Saturday morning. Two coastal counties have ordered mandatory evacuations beginning tonight; there are several other counties (including Galveston Island that have issued voluntary evacuations. Because of the warm water temps in the Gulf of Mexico (87 degrees F), Ike could hit our area as a Category 4 storm and do some real damage. As with Edouard and Gustav, I don't wish other cities or areas to be hit, but I am hoping that we are spared the wrath of Ike. The latest coordinates put Ike closer to us ...

If the storm hits, I'll be required to shelter in place with the staff and residents of our building. I've taken tomorrow off from work to accomplish items that may be canceled if I was to wait for the weekend. I've got a dental appointment in the morning, as well as an appointment with the real estate agent with whom I'm listing my house (signing paperwork, listing with her for four months); finally, I'm accompanying my mother for her first experience with an acupuncturist. She's scared silly, but said she'd go if my sister or I were to go with her. I'm hoping she gets some relief from the pain she's been experiencing. We'll see ...

Back to the storm ... When New Orleans evacuated last week for Gustav, it was orderly and efficient. However, the storm didn't hit as predicted. I can't help wondering, during such an active hurricane season with evacuations ordered time and again, if folks will forget Katrina and its consequences, be annoyed at the inconvenience and and ignore the official warnings. Will human nature and a large urban populace feel that officials are crying wolf?

Comments

[texwriterbear.livejournal.com]

You stay safe over there mister!!!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Back at ya! I'm in Brenham this morning. Casey is flying out tonight to Dallas, to avoid the storm. Tonight, I'll be in Meyerland alone with the cats. Am I wrong to just want to stay put in my own home? :) Oh well .. .duty calls ...

Big HUGS!

[texwriterbear.livejournal.com]

Oh believe me I completely understand. If I didn't have these plans already to head to Louisiana for this wedding, I'd be hunkering down in my own home!!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Be careful driving! Are you getting out ahead of the storm?

[texwriterbear.livejournal.com]

We are heading out after work today, so hopefully traffic heading east won't be that bad. But you just never know.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

You'll be in my thoughts and prayers ...

[althrman.livejournal.com]

Please stay safe…. At least you can see it coming, not like an earthquake. My sister in Louisiana still has no power, with only minor damage to her property, but as usual per the state, movement is slow in response. They have told her not to expect power back on until next week. She also is staying at the clinic where she works, dealing with all the added stress of this, on the patients. Hang in there Neil…..

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I will. I'm not certain what my responsibilties will be in an emergency as a non-clinical person, but I'll do my best to be helpful in keeping the residents safe.

HUGS!

[icejohn2.livejournal.com]

Stay safe and hope that Ike will bring too much damage. I am visiting my parents here in Taiwan and we have our own typhoon attacks in the next 3 days as well.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

You be safe as well. It's good that you can be close to assist your parents. I don't like leaving my own parents alone during this (though Brenham is 150 miles inland).

HUGS!

[carytown.livejournal.com]

Good luck to you, and hope everyone comes through safely.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks, my friend ...

HUGS!

[rafdfw.livejournal.com]

Stay safe. I'm still trying if I should bail on this conference a day early and head home Saturday.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

The latest info is that the storm will hit the Houston area right after midnight on Friday. If that happens, you would be traveling as the storm reaches you. You might want to ride out whatever reaches Austin, in Austin.

Be safe! HUGS!

[elfkat.livejournal.com]

Be safe!

Hugs!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Kat!

HUGS!

[terpsichord.livejournal.com]

I'm holding you and yours in my prayers as Ike heads your way.

Acupuncture absolutely cured a debilitating case of sciatica I had years ago; I hope it helps your Mom as much as it has me and so many others. Good luck!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the endorsement of acupuncture. I'm not certain how it will help Mom, but I hope so much that it will. Fortunately, she's in a position to pay for the treatment, as Medicare and supplements do not cover it.

I appreciate your conforting words.

HUGS!

[mister-don.livejournal.com]

Be safe, Neil

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much!

HUGS!

Wish you the best handsome

[rockey1.livejournal.com]

Hope it does not do too much damage and that you say hight and dry.

Re: Wish you the best handsome

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I appreciate your good wishes. I will hope for the best, that all of us ... our residents, staff and familiies remain safe and that the storm isn't destructive.

HUGS!

[bookish-cub.livejournal.com]

Every time that a hurricane is projected to hit an area and it misses, the people there get more complacent.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm worried about ... We have mandatory evacuation now for all of Galveston Island. The roads are full right now all the way out here in Brenham. I shouldn't have trouble getting back into Houston .. Got to tell you .. I'm really nervous about being away from my folks; both aren't particularly ambulatory. My brother, sister and I won't be close by. I'll be locked in with 220 residents. *sigh* ... We'll see what happens ...

HUGS!

[bookish-cub.livejournal.com]

I hope that it's all going ok for you down there.

[cimarrondfw.livejournal.com]

You are in our thoughts and prayers. As you probably know, they're even saying the Metroplex may experience tropical force winds and heavy rainfall (up to ten inches) on Saturday. Charlie and I are thinking of you as well as several other friends along the coast. Some are in Galveston, I guess they have to admit that they should leave.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

The roads are full of evacuees. I got caught up in the mess with Hurricane Rita, so I'm not looking forward to traveling back into Houston tonight. However, I do have to be at work tomorrow. I'm really unsettled about this ... Don't like leaving my folks alone to fend for themselves ...

I'm glad to be in your thoughts and prayers ...

Much love ...

Neil

[clamproir-mary.livejournal.com]

You are so very much in our thoughts and prayers my Friend. Sending lots of good vibes and Reiki your way to help you and those in your charge...And for anyone else that needs it!

Stay safe! Big HUGS to you!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I appreciate it, Mary. Too many storms this season! And to think, the GOP VP candidate doesn't believe there's such a thing as global warming.

I'll do my best to stay safe ... Keep my folks and family in your prayers too, my friend .. I have to leave mom and dad by themselves. I am really anxious about that.

HUGS!

[labeartorycub.livejournal.com]

You're very much in my thoughts. Stay safe. HUGS!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Mike. It's a scary storm and so is leaving my folks alone during it. I'm required to work tomorrow and stay in the building till the crisis passes.

Hugs!

[nlotic.livejournal.com]

My prayers to you and other other texans....

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Lee! They are very much appreciated!

HUGS!

Ike

[rossbear.livejournal.com]

Been worrying about you all day and wanting to call but afraid you'd be in the middle of organized (hopefully) chaos. Sent a text message to you instead pretty much knowing you wouldn't notice or maybe even know what to do with it! LOL Thoughts and prayers definitely with you and all your family especially your parents. Tell them I said hang in there.

From what I can tell the Rita experience is keeping people in place. Many Gustav evacuees feel the same but many are still without power living a miserable existence. I hear we still have a couple of hundred hospital patients here in LR from Gustav.

Get yer hip-waders out buddy! Big ol bearhugs....

Re: Ike

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I've been off from work .. sort of unfair to my colleague in admissions. There were six discharges and five admissions today. We've accepted 13 residents from other nursing homes. I am to go into work tomorrow morning and to stay throughout the night, perhaps well into Saturday. We are sheltering in place .. about 236 residents, 200 staff and family members. It's going to be a challenge. I've spent the afternoon trying to prepare Mom and Dad's house. Dad, for the first time in months, had one of his episodes where he tried to hit me, screaming and cursing. I didn't lose it. Mom got bad news from the acupuncturist. (Can't help .. the issue is mostly likely kidney-related). I'm not happy to be driving against the evacuation and leaving them behind. Colleen and Cait will be sheltering in place in Conroe. Jeff and Lisa are bow-hunting in New Mexico. My house is officially on the market. You might be getting some weather your way. The tracking shows the storm moving into Arkansas on Sunday.

Love you! ps ... I have texting blocked on my cell phone:)

[weekilter.livejournal.com]

I was in Houston in 1983 when Hurricane Alicia hit and it was bad, but doesn't sound nearly as bad as Ike looks like it will be. Be safe!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Thanks! All of us are doing are best!

[bear-left.livejournal.com]

Just wishing you & everyone around you all the best in the days to come.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I appreciate it, Ian! The more good wishes for our safety, the better.

HUGS!

It's thursday

[tkn1114.livejournal.com]

Just checking: Has Ike blown you? :-)

I read 1 million evacuated = wow!

Stay safe/

Re: It's thursday

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

The storm's 700 miles in diameter. The Strand in Galveston is under 4 feet of water and that's just from the waves going over the seawall. Ike won't hit until Midnight, but it looks like it's a dead hit on Galveston.

I'll do my best to stay safe ...

HUGS!

Re: It's thursday

[tkn1114.livejournal.com]

much love!

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

With all the news reports, I felt it was time to drop the drafting pencil and tune in on how you're doin'. I'm under the impression that so many ecavuation warnings in so short a time are unprecedented (or maybe I haven't paid enough attention to Houston's weather over the past several years). Anyway, the immediate course of events sounds
unpredictable - though naturally, I'm hoping it'll be a false alarm. Thinking of you, and wishing you and your family safe passage through the crisis. Hugs!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

No false alarm this time. Ike is going to hit Galveston directly. Galveston Island is 45 miles South of Houston. Keep bootedintexas and me in your thoughts. This is going to be a doozy of a time for the next 24 hours.

Big HUGS!