NOn-music :Texas floods

Subject: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 12 Jun 01 - 02:28 PM

These looked bad on UK news, hope all Lone Star Mudcatters are OK
RtS (not waist deep in the big muddy)

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Jun 01 - 02:44 PM

Well, I've had several emails from Aine, today and she's not said a word about it, of course, she is up on a slight hill, from the way she tells it. I'll ask her, next reply I send out.

I hope WesleyS and his wife and baby are okay, as well as Jed and the rest of Mudcatters in Texas, too.

kat

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: SINSULL
Date: 12 Jun 01 - 02:44 PM

Roger,
Houston seems to have suffered the most. Any word from our Texas contingent?

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: Áine
Date: 12 Jun 01 - 03:02 PM

Hey guys! You can stop worrying about myself, Jed, guinnesschik, and Wesley -- the floods are a few hundred miles south of us. And you're right, they're having a terrible time down there in the bayous.

And kat -- you're right about my hill -- I won't worry about being flooded out, unless I see a big wooden boat floating by with a lot of pairs of animals on it ;-)

I've been worried about emily b., who lives down that way -- has anyone heard from her?

-- Áine

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: MMario
Date: 12 Jun 01 - 03:05 PM

jed and guinesschik are just west of dallas - should be okay. Wes and family are in Ft. Worth (I think) and the problems seem to be mostly down around houston/galveston

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: SINSULL
Date: 12 Jun 01 - 03:18 PM

Wes and family??? That reminds me...when are we going to get an update and pictures of young Master Brendan?

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: GUEST,emily b
Date: 12 Jun 01 - 07:00 PM

Thanks for everyone's concern. The catters that I know down here are all fine. I was in Austin (about 3 hours drive NW of Houston) the whole time and missed all the drama but came home to a dry house. We all think of Houston as very flat, but of course, running water knows it's just not true. Catter Bill Galbraith's house was fine but the houses across the street had some flooding and cars on his street were flooded too. Some people say that streets were 6 feet deep in water. Scotsbard lives quite close to one of the bayous but he is OK.

It's such a strange phenomenon, this street flooding in places miles away from bodies of water. One friend swears the water was coming up out of the storm sewer, not going into it. Our water table is so high that the ground gets inundated and then the rain has nowhere to go. Parts of Houston received 3 feet of rain. It's really unimaginable. The weathermen said the conditions were a perfect rainmaker. This 3 feet figure may have been over the 5 days when Tropical Storm Allison hung around or maybe it was one night. I'm not sure.

At least 1600 cars have been towed from underground parking areas in the downtown area. Some of these garages were 3 or 4 levels underground. I heard that a wall broke which allowed the bayou to flow in. Many businesses were closed yesterday and today. Estimates of $1 billion worth of damages sustained. The Theater District was hit hard with flooded floors housing costumes and stage sets.

A reported 20 deaths. Mostly drownings but some electrocutions. Emergency help was totally overwhelmed. So many people were stranded on rooftops. Freeways turned into rivers. 18 wheelers floated down the roads. The medical center has suffered greatly with the loss of many lab animals and years of research stored in basements. One report I heard said that at one point people were working in the basement and then 20 minutes later the basement was full. I think it's very hard to estimate the power that water has. The pictures and stories continue but I just can't imagine it all.

As usual, Houstonians are chipping in with all methods of help. Paddling boats to rescue stranded folks, donating clothes and money. Unfortunately, it's so often the tragic that brings people together.

Thanks again to Roger who started this thread and the rest of you who are concerned. The mudcat community is a strong and caring group and it's comforting to know that people around the world are aware of what is happening in other places and care enough to ask.

emily b

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: Peg
Date: 12 Jun 01 - 11:47 PM

thanks for the update! Here's hoping thos who were affected will be back to normal soon (I still remember when the flood of '72 destroyed my hometown). Nature can be a harsh mother...

Peg

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 12:00 AM

I'm wondering about the patients and research labs at M.D.Anderson Cancer Center in Houston---hope all is OK.

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: Amergin
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 12:02 AM

well i was hoping texas would just wash straight of the face of the earth.....

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: Áine
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 07:14 AM

Thanks for checking in with us, emily b. I'm so glad our Houston 'Catters are OK; but, it's so sad to see the scenes of flooded houses on the TV. Take care ya'll, keep dry, and remember, don't drive through standing water on the road!

-- Áine

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: Mrrzy
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 08:49 AM

I hear that it's not just mud left behind, but TOXIC mud. Poor y'all! Glas to hear so many of you are OK...

Mighty day, wasn't it a mighty day
Mighty day great god that morning when the storm winds swept the town
There was a seawall there in Galveston
TO keep the waters down
But the high tide from the ocean god put water into the town
Wasn't that a mighty day...

I guess mighty week might be more like it...

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: GUEST,emily b
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 09:04 AM

Amergin, I know what you mean. I'm originally from Mass. and it's hard being here. If TX washed away, I guess I'd have to move unless I washed away with it. That'd be no good.

So are there good paying jobs where you are? Actually, Houston isn't so bad but Gulf Coast Texas is flat, hot and humid and a long drive from anywhere with topography. But it is wonderful here in February.

I haven't heard about damage specifically at M. D. Anderson, just the Medical Center in general. I know many patients were flown or driven to other hospitals. I think one hospital lost its emergency generators and there is speculation that some patients died because of this.

Now is the ugly time in this tragedy when people are starting to point fingers and blame others. It's pretty hard to place blame on people when Mother Nature is behind it all.

Peg, are you from Rapid City? I think their big flood was in 1972.

So we're drying out and cleaning up and hoping it doesn't rain for a while.

emily b

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: MMario
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 09:12 AM

Peg was/is from Elmira NY - they had a big flood in '72

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: Snuffy
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 09:22 AM

Here in UK it's being billed as God's revenge on Dubya for tearing up the Kyoto treaty - "Who says global warming is a load of boloney?"

Subject: RE: NOn-music :Texas floods
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 09:39 AM

I doubt if Dubya's got his feet wet! But those of us on this side are thinking of you one that side who have.

Steve