We are off the Chesapeake Bay - Hanna is our immediate problem - we have been removing all the sails and canvas off our boat, triple lines, extra spring lines, extra bumpers, for the last 2 1/2 hours - now for the deck and plants and what furniture that could be a problem. We lose power often - for days - somethings for no apparent reason, so we also have to get the generator ready. I'm suppose to be making dinner - fajitas - but needed to check time of high tide.
Ike is scary & big! Hanna "should" just be an inconvenience for us since they are only predicting a 3' surge. Our sailboat is always at risk in these storms.
Hope everyone along the coast stays safe!

magothyrivergirl,

Yeah, I took our canvas down this afternoon & put on an extra bow & spring line plus our stern fender. DH was supposed to be here early but, unfortunately, he was in a major accident on I-84 about 5:00 p.m. so he's REALLY running late. He's fine but the car is NOT. He was rear-ended...the other two cars were totaled. Firetruck, ambulance, 2 police cars, & 3 tow trucks. He said I-84 was backed up for miles! Thank G@d he's OK. One woman was taken in an ambulance. Please say a prayer for her tonight. DH doesn't know how badly she was hurt. She was in the car that rear-ended DH.

DH is 'on duty' tomorrow at our marina for Hanna. The guys will stay at the marina all tomorrow night 'cause the center is supposed to cross right over us overnight tomorrow. I'll take sandwiches & a crockpot of chili for them in the middle of the night. A few people just hauled early but there's still a lot of boats. They'll be adjusting lines/fenders for 24/36 hours. Goes with the territory.

I'm not too worried about surge 'cause it's neap tide...famous last words, huh? lol We're supposed to get 5-7" of rain & winds sustained at 55 with higher gusts as she passes over tomorrow night. The first heavy rain bank is coming in around midnight tonight.

Good luck & safe harbor to you!

/tricia

Shaun, that is wonderful! Something like a Midwest snowstorm warning stare. You know it is coming but what can you do?

Tricia- Glad your DH is ok - now you say - its only a car - that's why we have insurance. I hope the lady isn't hurt badly.
DH is gone alot - I am lucky he is here to prepare for this one. - He wasn't suppose to be here this week - I had some surgery - not suppose to lift anything over 5# - so I wasn't too much help preparing the boat - but could not have done it alone - so very lucky!
Our storm surge is now expected to be 3' - 6'. Isabelle was 7.5' at high tide so devastating to Annapolis (my area). I think we'll be okay this time. When we lose power , we also lose water & sewer capacities also become an issue.
I am watching your area also. Marinas & boats are like another world in these storms.
Keep safe as well!

Stay safe all.

I love your post Shaun, let's hope Ike stays away.

Tricia, sorry to hear about the accident, glad your DH is OK.

Nancy

magothyrivergirl,

I've been thinking about you. You're just about at high tide now...and the radar looks like it's pouring. The storm is still well to your south so your winds now look like the proverbial "calm before the storm". Are you expecting tonight's high tide to be the one of most concern?

Anyway, hope yesterday's preparation was just a drill!

We've got a TS Warning out as of the 5 a.m. NHC update. They've also moved the track from last night's 11 p.m. update. Before we went to bed last night we were thinking we might get lucky & be on the west side but now it looks like Hanna's going to pull in our driveway! We got a heavy band overnight...maybe 2"+?...haven't checked the guage yet.

Here's a picture of us on our last trip to Annapolis. We're just pulling out of our transient slip in a small cove off Spa Creek heading for the C&D Canal.

{{gwi:1452934}}

You live in a beautiful area!

Still wishing you fair winds & safe harbor!

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: TS Hanna Track

Stay safe and dry everyone.

Shaun, I love it! It's so true...what ya gonna do.

Tricia, Sorry to hear about the accident. I hope DH is feeling OK today.

First -- Tricia, I'm sorry to hear that your car is now an accordian and I'm happy to hear your DH is okay. I hope the other woman will be okay, too. I almost got rear-ended the other morning by a woman on a cell phone. Traffic slowed, she wasn't paying attention and had to slam on her brakes and drive onto the shoulder to avoid me. I felt like a sitting duck!

And M- Rivergirl, I hope you're healing well.

Oh boy, I get to talk about a hurricane. I am sitting on the elbow of Cape Cod at the moment and Hanna is supposed to go over our heads tonight. Since I live outside of Philadelphia, hurricanes are usually just heavy rain and maybe enough wind to blow over some trees. Now I get to watch people batten down the hatches for the real thing.

SInce I am on a pond rather than the beach, all I've seen anyone do is flip the rowboats, canoes and kayaks, and put the porch furniture where it won't be blown into a window or down the road.

I am kind of excited, except I am totally alone here! There are three cottages, but one is empty and my friend lives year-round in the other. She's going to Dedham to babysit her grandkids tonight. I hope the electricity stays on here.

Oh well, I wish I knew "hurricane speak." I'd say "thar she blows" but I think that has to do with whales. Break a leg? Nope, I don't think that's it either.

The Hurricane word is "hunkerdown"..LOL! And wait for it to blow over.
Stay safe everyone!
Linda C

Tricia - we're at high tide now - H still located in NC/VA according to NOAA
Isn't that a great site??? The worst is still to come - We live in a pretty protected cove, my neighbors are completely exposed and the boats across the cove get beaten to death. We are getting surfer waves pushing the water into us. I think we will be fine - our concern is the people around us - power boaters who do nothing to prepare - they are on lifts - the water rises and their boats float - you'd think they have learned from Isabelle. We have a potential problem boat next to us that could break loose - if it does it will probaly get to ours.
It is much easier riding out these storms in daylight! You'll get it tomorrow morning.
This storm is nothing at all compared to what our Florida to Texas friends endure.
Our power is still on - but flashing -
Having Cuban sandwiches tonite - Paninni is the only electric appliance that I have that can work on a generator, if need be.
Today is our 33rd wedding anniversary - so much for our nice dinner out we planned.
Everyone be safe!

It's raining very hard now, so maybe I should hunker down -- with a nice glass of merlot! It's about 2:35 on the Cape.

The rain should be starting here on the Western end of the CT coast pretty soon. I'm going to fill up a tub with water before the power goes out, as I'm certain it will.

We're headed to a neighbor's house for dinner, so we'll only have to drive about a half mile and hunker down with some cabernet and her lasagna!

AM
The Dinner Chronicles

Well, Hanna was a dud. A lotta rain, some wind. That's it. I was ready for bicycling witches in the sky! Today is gorgeous, cool and sunny. Ahhh.

Oops. Bicycling sky witches would have meant a tornado. Maybe flying palm trees?

Boy, you got that right...a DUD. We had lots of people to help at the marina but there was nothing to do so we had a Hurricane Party instead. DH is still in bed snoring!

Looks like good football weather today! I'm up cooking because we've got the early kick-off...go Pats! Go Brady!

/t

Hanna - yea also Dud - no major damage here - some trees down - I think I read about 10 emergency calls for trees down across driveways. Leaves and sticks and branches to clean up - Gorgeous today.
dedtired - thanks for well healing wishes! Dud storms are the best kind!!!
Hope IKE is also a Dud!

Jimtex,

Take care of that new boat this week. It looks like Ike may be coming pretty close to you. Hopefully, he'll go far enough south of you that he won't do much damage to the Galveston/League City area.

Thanks d. I think we may take a thumping from Ike. Carla hit Port Lavaca in 61 and we had a 20 ft storm surge. I was six but I still remember some of the destruction between League City and Texas City along FM 146. Que sera.

Well, since I posted that they seem to be moving the predictions further north. UTMB's site is now saying Freeport. I talked to my friend in Galveston at Shriner Burn Hospital and they are evacuating all of their patients in the morning so that they can close that hospital.

I'm so glad we don't live there anymore. We lived in a condo on the seawall near the westend of the island (Seawall and 83rd). We lost the roof on part of our building during a Cat 1 storm while we were there. And if this thing has a storm surge like Katrina, that seawall is not going to help -- water will be topping it.

Take care Jim, it looks bad for you. Even if you don't take a direct hit, you are on the worst side of Ike and that's probably worse than a direct hit would be. Will you be staying home or going further inland?

The pressure's been falling rapidly today. I expect to wake up tomorrow morning to see Ike as a Cat 3 or even a Cat 4. Our DD & DSIL are in Houston. They evacuated for Rita & say they're sheltering in place for Ike.

Jimtex, please be careful & tie that boat/trailer down good. Wishing you all the best!

/tricia

We live in extreme Southwest Louisiana and they are calling for a mandatory evacuation of Cameron Parish. I live in Calcasieu Parish which is north of Cameron. The OEP is advising that we leave...the media is really scaring us. They say we may be out of power for 3-5 days. I sure hope I don't wake up tomorrow morning and Ike has jagged northeast...just like Rita did. We took almost a direct from Rita and was out of power for 2 weeks. If Ike does change course then we will have to leave.

I think I'm staying home and housing friends from Houston.

Good luck Jim. Be safe! I talked to lowspark (May) and she is hunkering down in Houston. Be Safe everyone.

I came home at noon today to tie things down. I go back to work in Baytown in the morning and I'll be there for the duration. The weather people are in a frenzy but I don't think this will be as bad as Alicia unless it stalls. I'm more worried about being without power for a couple of weeks than anything else.

Glad to hear you both are battening down the hatches.

I just heard Jim Cantore say that NOLA is just reporting that they're already getting a 6' surge now.

It's such a long fetch for the winds to pile up the water. I'm seeing pictures right now of Fort Morgan, AL showing houses already being flooded. A large area will be affected...to one degree or another. I heard earlier this morning that H. Ike is 994 miles across. The pressure's up this afternoon...good sign.

My DSIL has been evacuated AGAIN.

Stay safe.

/tricia

Well, I've been home from work since noon and will be here tomorrow as well. Hunker down mode is in full effect! Like Jim, my biggest fear is being without power. During Alicia in 1983 we lost power for three days, and BBQed all the meat in our freezer! I was younger then! LOL

Been connecting to my work computer from home to get essential stuff done, but aside from that it's going to be movie watching all weekend, assuming the power holds out. I've been wanting to make bread and have a wonderful recipe for chocolate cherry bread -- and this might be my golden opportunity to make it tomorrow. Just hope my power doesn't go out before I get a chance to bake it!

Take good care.

This website gives expected winds for each zipcode. Wow!

Here is a link that might be useful: Forecasted Maximum Sustained Wind Data for the City of Houston

This thing is HUGE!!! The power has been on and off all day at my mom's house on the Mississippi Coast. They've had sustained winds of over 30 mph today. They've had to close the Highway on the beach some today also due to it being uderwater. My mom said some piers were already underwater by noon today because of the high waters. They've been told that anything that flooded in Gustav can expect flooding again --and they are hundreds of miles away!!!

I don't expect Galveston to fair to well in this storm. Hopefully, most of my friends were able to leave. I know some will have to stay and work at the hospital, though. I doubt their houses will make it through this. Many of them live past the seawall, but I'm not sure the seawall will be enough protection this time.

From CNN:

(CNN) -- "Residents living in single-family homes in some parts of coastal Texas face "certain death" if they do not heed orders to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Ike's arrival, the National Weather Service said Thursday night."

"All neighborhoods ... and possibly entire coastal communities ... will be inundated during the period of peak storm tide," the advisory said. "Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single-family one- or two-story homes will face certain death."

and from Dallas Business Journal:

"With Hurricane Ike trekking through the Gulf of Mexico and expected to make landfall in portions of southeast Texas, Exxon Mobil Corp. is complying with a mandatory evacuation order for Baytown and surrounding cities."

Here is a link that might be useful: CNN Ike

We have a home in Galveston that my family has had for 30 years. Galveston was a second home to us as we were growing up. We would go 5-6 times a year...I guess we may have to rebuild after this storm. This home is on the dirty side of the storm, past the seawall.

We are hunkered down here in Lake Charles. We are expected to get the largest of all storm surges. I'm so glad that we are on a 19 ft. bluff.

We are expecting to lose power and will be without for 3-5 days. So, if we lose power, we will leave after the storm. We have several people coming in from Texas that will be staying with us.

I've been cooking all afternoon!

Damn! I feel so helpless up her in mid Iowa....
Stay safe all you people!!

Karen, May, Jim, buddies stay safe. 10 o'clock news here tonight said anyone staying on Galveston in 1 or 2 story homes would face certain death. Karen, the surges are supposed to be horrific they say because of how large the storm is, not necessarily because of its category. We are totally out of "the cone" and now only must deal with chicken pox, but with immunization, hopefully it will be a minor case (which is inconsequential, except to a 6 y.o.)

Prayers to all on the Texas and Louisiana coasts.

Brenda

I'm just checking in on everyone, hoping that all my friends will stay safe and untouched.

Stay safe,e veryone, it looks like Ike's path is going to be a big one. JimTex, tie that boat down well.

Annie

Checking in on my buddies too. I'm crossing my fingers for you tonight.

Stay safe everyone, I'll be thinking and worrying about y'all!

I experienced a minor hurricane while vacationing in Bolivar and Galveston in the 80's. This storm is not a joke. It's going to cause widespread devastation.

Nancy

Please play it safe with this one. They are not issuing the warning lightly for this storm, they have know for weeks that Ike is very deadly.

Chicago will be getting Ike's rain on Monday, with 2 to 5 inches predicted. But we have no winds or surges to contend with.

If you want to head up here, just let me know!

Just checking in. As everyone has said, this is looking to be a big storm. Even up here in the Dallas area, they're expecting tropical storm force winds, and east of us will be even worse - not to mention, of course, the coastal region. It's just not everyday a tropical storm hits Dallas, lol. (except on the t.v. show, Dallas, where they had a hurricane hit Dallas.

Sally

It's not going to be pleasant, but that's the way it is. I live far enough from the coast to not be in an evacuation zone (mandatory OR voluntary) so it's really best for me to stay put. I have had offers from a few friends to head north and stay with them, so I'll just say THANK YOU right now to all of you!

I'm going into the kitchen now to make bread! Fun!

Thinking of everyone, May, Karen, Jim, Brenda, please be careful and stay safe! I am praying so hard that Ike will hit a cold eddy of water and weaken. Check in when you can and know that prayers for safety are being sent your way.
(((TX & LA Friends)
DONNA

I'm adding my good thoughts for everyone in the storm's path and will be checking in online and on TV and praying for everyone's safety.

Lee

The local weather guy last night said Ike was 1500 miles wide if you drew a straight line thru the eye- like reaching from NY to the FL Keys. He also said because the Gulf is so shallow the winds create more surge than in deeper water. 20' surge!
My prayers are with all.

And then there are the idiots like this guy who obviously doesn't remember Katrina & Rita.

"A stubborn few decided to defy orders to leave. Emory Sallie, 44, of Galveston, said he had ridden storms out in the past and didn't think Ike would be any different. He didn't believe the dire warnings  he was more worried about the wind, not the flooding.

"If the island is going to disappear it has to be a tsunami," he said, as he walked along the block where his home is located, drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. "If it ain't your time you ain't going anywhere."

I suspect it's "his time"....
Stay safe everyone...stay inside, stay away from windows and watch out for tornadoes!
Linda c

There are always idiots like that in these hurricanes. I haven't been watching TOO much local news because it can really get to be too much. But I was listening to a local TV station a couple of hours ago and apparently there has already been some major flooding in Galveston, Channelview, and some other low lying areas near the gulf and Galveston Bay. That was as of 6 this morning. A lot of people who THOUGHT they would ride it out were evacuating this morning. And some people were carrying stuff out of their house into their cars by wading through a couple of feet of water.

You have to understand, the last major hurricane to hit Houston was in 1983. That was 25 years ago. And every time one of these storms hits the gulf, we are inundated with predictions of where it might hit for at least a week in advance. And so many times they are wrong - including this time. So, after so many "near misses" and especially after Rita 3 years ago when many evacuated and then it went east, and after Tropical Storm Eduard just about a month ago where many people evacuated, people just get immune.

It's not easy to be told to evacuate over and over again and then you'd have been better off staying. It's nobody's fault, because there really is no way of REALLY knowing where it's going to hit that far in advance. But by the time it really does hit, well, it sort of becomes like the boy who cried wolf. Of course there are some who never listen as well.

Anyway. It's still pretty quiet here at my house. I don't expect to see much before the wee hours of the morning. Hope Karen and Jim and Brenda check in soon!

Good luck to all of my forum friends in Ike's path - I will be thinking of all of you and checking the news and wishing you and yours to be safe.

KHOU-TV is live streaming their video on www.khou.com or if you have Direct TV you can just watch it on channel 361. I've been glued to my computer since 6am.

Here is a link that might be useful: Live video of Ike