# Hurricane Harvey



## LocoYokel

Hi all! I am sitting up here safe in Idaho, burning to a crisp, and watching Harvey approach Texas on the TV. We get storms up here but not the likes of a hurricane. It has always made me feel bad for the folk who have to deal with the aftermath of any major storm but now I KNOW folk, have friends here at BYH, that are in the path of Harvey. 
My thoughts and prayers are with you all and may all your family, friends and farms be safe.


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## frustratedearthmother

Thanks @LocoYokel.  I've spent my entire life pretty darn close to the coast and it can be a booger to deal with, but I don't think this one is going to be too horrendous. (Hope I'm not being overly optimistic!)  

I spent nearly two weeks without power after Hurricane Ike - and ya know - it wasn't so bad!  It was so peaceful and quiet when the generator wasn't running, lol.  I think most folks who have experienced a couple of these have acquired the basics to survive.

We have a generator, a camp stove, a bbq/smoker pit w/charcoal, a big propane burner, a French press for coffee, and a well stocked pantry.  I do store extra water, even though I can pump water with the generator.  I'd hate to get too cocky and think that my generator would never break down or that the water pump will run forever.   With all the rain that's forecast I'm sure there will be no shortage of water!

It does make for a lot of extra work for those of us with critters.  I'll be re-arranging critters soon enough. Have to work late tonight, so I'll probably be doing that in the rain tomorrow.  Goats will NOT like that, lol!

Thank you for the well wishes!


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## Latestarter

Thanks Loco  Luckily I'm far enough north in TX that I shouldn't have to deal with much at all. Some rain, some T-storms, maybe localized flooding in low lying areas. It's the folks down living on that near flat coastal plain that are gonna be dealing with big troubles.


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## Goat Whisperer

Will @animalmom be effected by the hurricane? 

I know @Baymule & @Devonviolet aren't too far from Latestarter- how's the forecast looking for you two?


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## Devonviolet

So far, it looks like we are far enough North, that we shouldn't be affected by it.


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## frustratedearthmother

Devonviolet said:


> So far, it looks like we are far enough North, that we shouldn't be affected by it.


Wish I could say that!  At least we're not taking a direct hit...


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## greybeard

I am over 100 miles from the coast.
After Hurricane Ike, when we learned it may be 2-3 weeks before power was restored, we left here and went North toward Tyler. First town we came to with electricity was Jacksonville Tx, which is 131.2 miles from my home. We then decided NE to go to Arkansas. There were pine trees down on I 30 as far East as Hope Arkansas.

But I agree..there is cause for optimism in regards to wind in East Texas with Harvey if it's projected path stays true, which will keep the system itself mostly contained to the mid to southern gulf coastal area.

But, hurricanes are notoriously unpredictable even after landfall. Just a few degrees change in course can bring it in much farther up the coast than currently predicted.
And, something to keep in mind. Even far from the coast, the wind as the system passes over is not just for a short period of time as in a thunderstorm. It can last 6-8 hrs, depending how fast the system is moving and you are likely to see the wind coming from 2-3 different directions.
Can your 'stuff' withstand 7 hrs of sustained 35 mph wind? Time exposed to any wind makes a huge difference.
Projected wind velocity 120 hrs from this morning:


> Aug 29/1200Z 28.5N  96.5W   30 KT  35 MPH...INLAND



And, according to NHC, it is going to make a loop and tuesday afternoon, will be back in the warm waters of the gulf looks like right off Galveston Bay. Intensification from there is very possible, and no one knows which direction it will be headed then.

(I have added blue dots and arrows so it is easier to see the projected path)




 

https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/atlantic/2017/hurricane-harvey?map=5day&MR=1


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## OneFineAcre

greybeard said:


> I am over 100 miles from the coast.
> After Hurricane Ike, when we learned it may be 2-3 weeks before power was restored, we left here and went North toward Tyler. First town we came to with electricity was Jacksonville Tx, which is 131.2 miles from my home. We then decided NE to go to Arkansas. There were pine trees down on I 30 as far East as Hope Arkansas.
> 
> But I agree..there is cause for optimism in regards to wind in East Texas with Harvey if it's projected path stays true, which will keep the system itself mostly contained to the mid to southern gulf coastal area.
> 
> But, hurricanes are notoriously unpredictable even after landfall. Just a few degrees change in course can bring it in much farther up the coast than currently predicted.
> And, something to keep in mind. Even far from the coast, the wind as the system passes over is not just for a short period of time as in a thunderstorm. It can last 6-8 hrs, depending how fast the system is moving and you are likely to see the wind coming from 2-3 different directions.
> Can your 'stuff' withstand 7 hrs of sustained 35 mph wind? Time exposed to any wind makes a huge difference.
> Projected wind velocity 120 hrs from this morning:
> 
> 
> And, according to NHC, it is going to make a loop and tuesday afternoon, will be back in the warm waters of the gulf looks like right off Galveston Bay. Intensification from there is very possible, and no one knows which direction it will be headed then.
> 
> (I have added blue dots and arrows so it is easier to see the projected path)
> 
> View attachment 37961
> 
> https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/atlantic/2017/hurricane-harvey?map=5day&MR=1




X2
Everyone needs to be watching it very closely.


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## frustratedearthmother

I'm about 18 miles from the coast.   If you see the number 35 that has the circle around it - between Alvin and Angleton - is right about where I am.  My house sits a whopping 22 feet above sea level.  Sooooo glad we're not getting a direct hit - this time!


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## Baymule

We used to live in Livingston, just above where Greybeard lives. In hurricane Ike, it brought down a massive old oak tree on our house, crushing one end of the house. Of course it rained in the house. My answer to THAT was to pour a glass of wine and get a brownie that I had the good sense to bake before the power went off. After a couple glasses of wine, I no longer cared that it was raining in the dining room and kitchen. I am basically a non drinker, but I know when to hit the wine box for a little comfort. LOL

We were with out power for almost 4 weeks. We didn't have a generator, but borrowed one from a friend, so were able to have a fan, light and keep the freezer frozen-mostly. My place of work had a 1947 locomotive engine for a generator and it kept everything running, I lost no work days. The boss sent out a driver every day with everyone's gas cans, he had to drive for 4-5 hours to find a gas station with working pumps.

Now we are just north of Tyler, Texas and while we will get wind and rain, it isn't like being as close to the coast as we were. I will be out there in the morning picking up buckets, lawn chairs, anything that can get blown around. Old habits die hard. We are stocked up on feed, hay, food in the house and we'll be ready for days of rain and possible wind. @Latestarter and @Devonviolet, please batten down the hatches and leave nothing loose laying around that you do not want to become a flying projectile. Even though we are well inland and are not in the projected path, we could get a LOT of rain and wind.

@frustratedearthmother hang in there and hunker down!


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## Latestarter

Baymule said:


> @frustratedearthmother hang in there and hunker down!


  Indeed!

 it maintains its present projected path well to your south west. You'll still be in the NE quadrant - highest surge/winds/etc. but hopefully not the eye wall.


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## OneFineAcre

Going to be a lot of rain
Some places may get 30 in
That's a lot of rain
And you guys are already wet aren't you ?
30 mph winds will bring down trees when the ground is wet
Trust me I know (Fran)
And a CAT 3 can still be a CAT 1 200 miles inland
Trust me I know (Hugo)
Get ready
Prepare for the worse
Particularly with your animals
Move them to a safe place if necessary 

ETA:
Have a backup plan and hope you don't need it


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## frustratedearthmother

I re-arranged animals tonight.  The bucks had a hoop house that is not going to stand up to high wind.
Tarps are off now just so it won't blow away.  Moved all the does out to the big barn/pasture area.  I was keeping the milkers up closer to the house for convenience - but they're all out now.  That means that the bucks can have the smaller barn closer to the house.

Looks like we might have this going on for 4 or 5 days if it follows the "projected" path of veering off towards Galveston after landfall.  Yay.

My only back up plan if water gets too high is to rearrange again.  I've got a really high/dry drive way back to the big barn.  There is a portion of the barn there that I used for a feed room that is higher than the community area of the barn.  I'd have to put the does over there and the bucks in the trailer if things get worse than expected.   After that... not much else I can do except to put them ALL in the stock trailer. Not a great plan at all!

Got most everything taken care of this afternoon.  Not sure what tomorrow will bring at this point.


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## Goat Whisperer

frustratedearthmother said:


> I re-arranged animals tonight.  The bucks had a hoop house that is not going to stand up to high wind.
> Tarps are off now just so it won't blow away.  Moved all the does out to the big barn/pasture area.  I was keeping the milkers up closer to the house for convenience - but they're all out now.  That means that the bucks can have the smaller barn closer to the house.
> 
> Looks like we might have this going on for 4 or 5 days if it follows the "projected" path of veering off towards Galveston after landfall.  Yay.
> 
> My only back up plan if water gets too high is to rearrange again.  I've got a really high/dry drive way back to the big barn.  There is a portion of the barn there that I used for a feed room that is higher than the community area of the barn.  I'd have to put the does over there and the bucks in the trailer if things get worse than expected.   After that... not much else I can do except to put them ALL in the stock trailer. Not a great plan at all!
> 
> Got most everything taken care of this afternoon.  Not sure what tomorrow will bring at this point.


Please keep us updated! Praying for no flooding issues or damage


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## frustratedearthmother

Goat Whisperer said:


> Please keep us updated!


 
I will definitely try!  Not sure what will happen with connectivity or electricity at this point.  Baymule was kind enough to send me her cell # and she's got mine.  I'll try to text her if I can't get online and she's promised to update for me.  Thankfully, we aren't in the path of a direct hit, but will most likely have a few miserable days.  Time to catch up on a good book!


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## BlessedWithGoats

Praying for y'all! Stay safe!


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## goatgurl

hope all goes well with all of you in that part of the world.  batten down the hatches and stay safe.


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## OneFineAcre

Keep safe
ETA
It sounds like you have done all that you can do
The trailer is always the final straw


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## Devonviolet

Oh, FEM!!!  My prayers are with you all down there!  We are watching the weather report on the news (recorded earlier).  They are saying by the time it gets to you, the winds will have gone down, but it will be moving very slowly and dumping rain on you!  With water runoff and all that rain, I'm thinking that 22' above sea level may not be enough to keep you out of flood waters.  Please stay safe!!!


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## greybeard

_The 12Z Thursday runs of our top intensity models—the HWRF, LGEM, COAMPS-TC, HMON, and DSHIPS—predicted that Harvey would be a Category 1, 3, or 4 storm at landfall. The HMON model was the most aggressive, predicting Harvey would max out at Category 4 strength with a 924 mb central pressure. However, the HMON had Harvey with a 966 mb pressure at 2 pm EDT Thursday, while the actual pressure was 979 mb, so the HMON forecast is likely overdone. The HWRF model was the most conservative, predicting Harvey would max out as a Category 1 storm with 90 mph winds and a 960 mb pressure. However, the HWRF had Harvey with a 984 mb pressure at 2 pm EDT Thursday, when the pressure was actually 979 mb, so this forecast is likely too conservative. The LGEM, Decay SHIPS, and COAMPS-TC models all predicted Harvey would be a Category 3 hurricane at landfall, and so did NHC in their 4 pm CDTThursday advisory. This appears to be the best intensity forecast, though we cannot rule out Harvey making it to Category 4 strength, or coming ashore as a Category 2 storm._

IOW, they aren't sure how strong it will be at landfall. There has only been one cat 4 hurricane make landfall on the Texas coastal bend since the end of the 1800s and that was Carla. Came in at Port O'Conner in 1961. It had a storm surge of 22' that went inland 10 miles.
Freeport, LaMarque, Galveston 160 miles farther to the North were all innundated to some degree.
This is what Galveston (again, 160 miles north of the landfall point) looked like the morning Carla came ashore:
http://rwatts.cdyn.com/Old Galveston Photos/image/Hurricane Carla 1961.bmp


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## babsbag

I will be praying for you and all your critters. I can't even imagine hurricanes and the like, I'll take my earthquakes any time. Stay safe.


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## frustratedearthmother

Just saw that the pressure is down to 958mb.  Winds are up to 110 (one mph shy of cat 3).  Looks like this is really gonna happen.


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## BlessedWithGoats




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## Mike CHS

You have done all you can by the sound of it.  I have only been in one Cat 4 and one Cat 5.  Both of them made me question my wisdom about riding it out but I have friends who spent 24 hours or more on the highway trying to get out of it.  With animals you have even less options.


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## frustratedearthmother

We took a direct hit from Hurricane Ike - the eye passed right over us.  I believe it was a Cat 3 when it hit land, and I swore I'd never stay through anything bigger than that.  You are so right that animals limit your options.  I loaded up everything and ran from Rita... swore I'd never do that again either! 

In a lot of ways it's "danged if you do and danged if you don't."


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## Baymule

Rita was a nightmare right out of the top 5 of Worst Life Experiences. I don't blame you for not running again. But at some point, you have to wonder just why you stay in the path of hurricanes. Just so you know, there is 17 acres just around the corner from us, about a mile and a half, on a hill, beautiful view, for $130,000. Build your retirement home.........just sayin'


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## frustratedearthmother

Baymule said:


> Just so you know, there is 17 acres just around the corner from us, about a mile and a half, on a hill, beautiful view, for $130,000. Build your retirement home.........just sayin'


Don't think I haven't thought about it.  At some point we will probably move...probably next door to my son!  He's about 10 miles away from me now...but it's 10 miles further inland, lol.


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## Baymule

After getting over run by people fleeing from Rita, and Ike doing a lot of damage, we decided to make plans to head for higher ground. We are so happy we moved. We knew only our DD and family, but we have made so many friends, we are happier than we've ever been!


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## Baymule

frustratedearthmother said:


> Don't think I haven't thought about it.  At some point we will probably move...probably next door to my son!  He's about 10 miles away from me now...but it's 10 miles further inland, lol.


So bring him with you! Build two houses! Tyler is a great town and is very close by. really trying to dig you out of hurricane land.......LOL


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## frustratedearthmother

Great idea....   Minor little problem like I've got 2 yrs and 5 months before I can retire.  It would be quite a commute if I moved before, lol!


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## Devonviolet

GREAT!!!  Bay and I will be counting the days and hours until you retire and can move up to God's Country!!!


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## CntryBoy777

Honestly....having been thru several hurricanes living in central Florida, including the year that 4 hit in '05....I believe....I just can't imagine enduring one with animals. I sure hope it all turns out okay for ALL concerned and no problems arise from the torrential downpours. Our prayers are certainly with all of ya....and tho it may not be High on the priority list at the time, know that some of us here are anxious to hear that all are okay. There certainly will be cleanup afterwards, but hopefully that is the worst any may face.....


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## frustratedearthmother

I just went and picked up some square bales of hay.  I've got a round bale that's under cover but it's not IN the main barn.  Goats would have to go out and get their twinkle toes wet to eat off of it.  If this were a one or two day event I'd just tell 'em to get over it, lol.  But if it truly turns into a 5 or 6 day event I'd feel like a terrible goat mom.  So, they will be able to munch in the comfort of the barn.

Saw something interesting on the way back.  A couple horses in a pasture with telephone numbers spray painted on them.  WOW!  Now, it's not a bad idea, but I'm not thinking it's gonna be that bad.  Maybe I'm underestimating???


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## CntryBoy777

The hay was a good idea and the numbers on the horses seems to be preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best. But, being barely above sea level ya just never know....like GB said, there will be water flowing down-stream from it falling N of ya there and it will have to flow somewhere.


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## babsbag

When we first got our goats and they were challenging fences we put our phone number on their collars.  I don't like rain and I don't like wind so combining the two into a really really BIG storm sounds like a bad idea.  Hang on tight and still praying that it goes easy on you.


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## animalmom

We are pretty far removed from any excitement Harvey may throw.  We might get some wind and we are hoping to catch some rain as we are rather dry.  We're about 120 miles Southwest from the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

@frustratedearthmother, putting a contact number on the horses is a good idea... might actually get the animal back if it got out due to the storm.  We don't have anything large enough upon which to spray paint a phone number.


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## Latestarter

Baymule said:


> So bring him with you! Build two houses! Tyler is a great town and is very close by. really trying to dig you out of hurricane land.......LOL


  Awwwww cumon now Bay... be honest... You're just trying to get us another great new neighbor! moving out of harms way is just an added bennie!  



animalmom said:


> We don't have anything large enough upon which to spray paint a phone number.



Well SURE you do! You'd just have to spray it in really small numbers   Didn't you have rather large cows wandering around? Or were those someone else's on your land (leased)?


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## greybeard

Most of my cows will just have to take it as it comes, as I don't have loafing shed enough for all of them without risking one of the calves getting crushed or injured in all the jostling around they do.
Cows with nursing calves will have shelter available, but they usually choose to just stay out in the rain anyway.

Neighbor texted me from Houston yesterday and asked if I could look after his horses. I asked if there was anything in particular he wanted me to do.  "Yeah, if you see them swimming..."

He was serious and for good reason.

We are seeing bands this morning, steady light surface wind alternating from North and East, with dark clouds on the south side of it moving from south to north. Pretty typical of  12-16 hrs pre landfall. 
Unless there is a deviation from past storm events and we have solid cloud cover all day, there will be a heck of a pretty sunset tonight. Ike hit around 11pm and the sunset that evening was spectacular. 
You can feel it in the air. It's coming..


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## Bunnylady

Spray paint is a bit extreme, but a good sized tree branch falling on a fence could mean loose horses any time. Halters can get snagged on stuff; worst case scenario is then nobody finds the horse. Some people will put contact info on a waterproof tag or ribbon and braid it into the horse's mane.

I've seen a lot of direct hits and near misses in the 34 years I've lived in Wilmington. Ran from some, rode some out; been through some crazy aftermath. I doubt I can add anything that hasn't already been said (probably ad nauseam on the news!), but my thoughts and prayers are with y'all!


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## greybeard

From a similar thread on one of the cattle boards--the most relevant items underlined--precursors of what is to follow:
_Bouy Data offshore Aranasas Pass. 21 ft sea tells me that some are probably up to 35'. Pressure "falling rapidly". Im glad I'm not there!
DBC
Location: 26.968N 96.694W
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2017 13:50:00 UTC
Winds: N (10°) at 35.0 kt gusting to 42.7 kt
Significant Wave Height: 21.7 ft
Dominant Wave Period: 13 sec
Average Wave Period: 8.8 sec
Mean Wave Direction: ESE (117°)
Atmospheric Pressure: 29.39 in and falling rapidly
Air Temperature: 80.6 F
Dew Point: 77.2 F_


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## Hens and Roos

prayers for everyone


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## frustratedearthmother

Parts of Galveston island are starting to evacuate.  Mostly on the west end where there's no sea wall.  Matagorda county I under a mandatory evacuation...the whole county.

I'm going to bake some zucchini bread...


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## Devonviolet

greybeard said:


> Unless there is a deviation from past storm events and we have solid cloud cover all day, there will be a heck of a pretty sunset tonight. Ike hit around 11pm and the sunset that evening was spectacular.


Make sure you get some good photos. I LOVE "calm before the storm" cloud shots.  Some of my favorite photos are of storm clouds.



frustratedearthmother said:


> I'm going to bake some zucchini bread...


  Now that's how a true Texan Hurricane rider prepares for a big storm!!!


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## Baymule

frustratedearthmother said:


> Great idea....   Minor little problem like I've got 2 yrs and 5 months before I can retire.  It would be quite a commute if I moved before, lol!


It's called buy your retirement  land, build your home and get it the way you want it, sell out when you retire and MOVE. That's what @Mike CHS did and it worked for him and his wife! 2years and 5 months sounds like a adequate time to get things situated before the retirement countdown!

I'm a great enabler.......how am I doing?


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## Mike CHS

We worked on our place for over 3 years and we really appreciate having much of the hard work already done.


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## Baymule

A friend of ours had a beach house on the Boliver Peninsula that we went to. Hurricane Ike  destroyed everything.

https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/ike/photo-comparisons/bolivar.html


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## Baymule

Today at 1:40 PM


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## Mike CHS

Is that storm making a turn yet?


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## babsbag

frustratedearthmother said:


> I'm going to bake some zucchini bread...



You are a goof.  

I had a neighbor pound on my door one morning to tell me about a fire that was on the road behind me, about 600' from my house. I looked out the window, yep, saw the smoke and said. "I'm going to take a shower". What else could I do with 60 goats, 6 dogs, 4 cats, 2 birds, numerous chickens, and no warning?  Figured I get that shower before the power went out. No power, no well.


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## babsbag

Now it looks like @frustratedearthmother is under tornado warning too.


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## frustratedearthmother

We've had several tornado warnings so far.  Thankfully, none materialized right here even though I did hear that one touched down somewhere near Galveston.  We've had some intermittent gusty winds too.  Oops - another tornado warning about 10 miles from here heading this way.  I do not have time for that!

I've gotta get out and feed and figure out a way to milk in the big barn.  Nothing is set up for milking there - and I'll be milking by hand.  Hope I don't have to do a LS and clip 'em to a fence and get on my knees.  UGH!  I've got a portable wash rack that I used when showing.  I'm thinking I might be able to put that on top of my old show box and convince the girls that it's a great idea to hop up there for milking, lol.   With enough of a bribe I should be able to make that work.

Headed out and it's about a 100% chance that I'm going to get wet!


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## Devonviolet

YIKES!  I'm watching the 6:00 news, & they are saying Harvey is a Category 4, with sustained winds of 130mph!!! It is predicted to make landfall at Rockport, not Corpus Christi, as originally predicted.(Not that it won't be bad in Corpus. It will be bad along the whole coastline.)


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## frustratedearthmother

Cat 4 is scary!  Praying for those folks for sure.

Zucchini bread is finally in the oven - wouldn't it just be a _itch if we lost power right now - grrrrr! 

Tornado warnings are coming almost continuously...they even mentioned our little town....said something to the effect of "take cover".   I'm about to take a shower so at least if I blow away I'll be clean.  Should probably take a shower with my clothes on...cuz...ugh if I got blown away nekkid nobody would save me, lol!

We have a little electronic weather station and wouldn't ya know it - the rain gauge is broken!  ARGH!   But, we've had some rain for sure.  Ditch went from barely holding any water to being at least half full now.  That's not really so bad - yet.

Just about 20 miles down the road there are thousands without power already.  Hope we're not next.

Just got another tornado warning...almost constant thunder and lightening now and steady rain.  Gusty winds, but not too high yet.

Hunkering down!


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## Devonviolet

frustratedearthmother said:


> I'm about to take a shower so at least if I blow away I'll be clean. Should probably take a shower with my clothes on...cuz...ugh if I got blown away nekkid nobody would save me, lol!


   You and @babsbag . . . Taking a shower before the ***t hits the fan!  You are cut from the same cloth!   That part about being nekkid is just too funny!


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## OneFineAcre

They are upping the expected rain amounts 
That's what usually kills people 
Don't drive your car into water in the road people


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## frustratedearthmother

OneFineAcre said:


> Don't drive your car into water in the road people


AMEN!


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## OneFineAcre

frustratedearthmother said:


> AMEN!



You know last year when Matthew hit here most of the people who died were far inland
Drown in cars
People who aren't in the direct path seem to ignore the storm 
FEM you be safe


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## Latestarter

Looks like it's made landfall on the barrier islands north of Corpus... Just finished mowing, goat chores and clean up. Haven't checked the weather channel yet. Heard it's a cat 4 now. FEM, I hope it doesn't do as forecast and wobble NE along the coast... That would put you in harms way I'm pretty sure. Hang on! Stay clothed!


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## frustratedearthmother

Latestarter said:


> FEM, I hope it doesn't do as forecast and wobble NE along the coast



Me too!


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## Goat Whisperer

Everyone please keep @Ferguson K in your prayers as well. She is/will be close to the heart of the storm.


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## frustratedearthmother

Has she moved already?   If not, she's a bit north of Houston...   Definitely will keep her in our prayers too!


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## greybeard

Other than intermittent rain, it's been a relatively calm day here.

Solid clouds for the last few hours..there will be no sunset pics.
Looked again a few minutes ago. We are still forecast to get 20" rain over the next few days. 6" of it will come tomorrow between midnight tonight and 10am according to weather underground.

My personal greatest concern will be here around tuesday or wed when the river starts rising. 
This time, I will be ready.


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## frustratedearthmother

Where can I get one of those ... fishing poles?

Hope you don't need it!  (the boat - not the pole!)


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## CntryBoy777

Be as Safe as ya Can be!!....


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## Baymule

Harvey has made landfall. The news just announced that Sam's Club waived membership today to allow people to stock up. They waited until today? Oh that will be a huge help for the people battened down that now have no electricity to hear the good news! That's mighty generous of them. Gheesh. Maybe it will help people in the Houston area. Harvey hasn't got there yet.


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## greybeard

Wind here, has picked up significantly in the last hour, tho nowhere near dangerous. 
My anemometer says steady at 12 with gusts to 15 mph. Still out of the ENE. Light drizzle.
Our rain forecast for the next 6 days has diminished slightly.


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## Goat Whisperer

frustratedearthmother said:


> Has she moved already?   If not, she's a bit north of Houston...   Definitely will keep her in our prayers too!


It shouldn't be a direct hit but I know she is already feeling some of the effects of it.


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## greybeard

Day is breaking. Rain here. Thunderstorm woke me up around 3am but didn't last long. 
Wind less than 5mph currently. 
Lights blinked on-off on-off during the tstorm but still on this morning.


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## Goat Whisperer

@frustratedearthmother how's it looking over your way?


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## frustratedearthmother

Goat Whisperer said:


> It shouldn't be a direct hit but I know she is already feeling some of the effects of it.


Hope she's doing ok!

We are hanging in there!   To say I didn't sleep well is an understatement, lol.  DH sleeps like a baby...sigh.    We had almost non-stop tornado warnings all night. They were literally all around us.  The damage reports are starting to come in now that the sun is up.  We've had substantial rain and some gusty winds. (wish my rain gauge was working, ugh!)  Took Gracie for a short walk just as the sun was coming up and there are small branches and a lot of leaves covering the road.


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## Bunnylady

greybeard said:


> Day is breaking. Rain here. Thunderstorm woke me up around 3am but didn't last long.
> Wind less than 5mph currently.
> Lights blinked on-off on-off during the tstorm but still on this morning.



Power still on always good news. We were without power for 10 days after Fran; with Floyd, it was only about a day and a half. When I complemented a power company employee on the speed with which power was restored after Floyd, they remarked, "we learned a few things from Fran."


----------



## greybeard

frustratedearthmother said:


> Hope she's doing ok!
> 
> We are hanging in there!   To say I didn't sleep well is an understatement, lol.  DH sleeps like a baby...sigh.    We had almost non-stop tornado warnings all night. They were literally all around us.  The damage reports are starting to come in now that the sun is up.  We've had substantial rain and some gusty winds. (wish my rain gauge was working, ugh!)  Took Gracie for a short walk just as the sun was coming up and there are small branches and a lot of leaves covering the road.


I have learned over the years to just go to sleep when storms come if I'm tired. Nothin I could do anyway if a tornado came across the pasture so I may as well get some sleep. 

High water is a little different..I have some time to react and options.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

greybeard said:


> I have learned over the years to just go to sleep when storms come if I'm tired. Nothin I could do anyway if a tornado came across the pasture so I may as well get some sleep.


I definitely shoulda just turned off the phones... those alerts are obnoxious.  We turned down the volume, but I think I was hyper-alert.  Might be different if I knew DH would wake up, but I know he could sleep through the roof blowing off, lol! 

Feeling really lucky that we have power - it's out in many places all around us.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's good to hear FEM.....sure hope the power continues, but that relentless rain will sure get on the nerves too....may have to "Pop a Cork" and relax a bit...after those alerts slow down some.....especially since there won't be any outside work for a few days....other than feeding and checking on the animals.....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

CntryBoy777 said:


> .....especially since there won't be any outside work for a few days....other than feeding and checking on the animals.....


You're right about that!  Should probably use this time to clean closets or something, lol.  maybe not...

Looks like we've had about 8 inches of rain so far....still coming down!   Wind gusts in the 16-20mph range.  It's a blustery day out there!


----------



## Baymule

Glad that y'all are ok and still have power. Check in from time to time to let us know y'all are ok.


----------



## greybeard

Bunnylady said:


> Power still on always good news. We were without power for 10 days after Fran; with Floyd, it was only about a day and a half. When I complemented a power company employee on the speed with which power was restored after Floyd, they remarked, "we learned a few things from Fran."


Same here..They learned a few things from Rita in 2005, so when Ike came in '08, they were 'more prepared'. Saw out-of-state bucket trucks from as far away as Missouri. 
Rather than try to repair the main lines, they found a way to run a completely new line into E Texas from Louisiana, which cut what was projected to be a month or more without power to about 2 1/2 weeks. 
(we're still paying for all that on our monthly elec bill I notice, but that's the way things work)


----------



## greybeard

Couldn't get the Harvey sunset pictures because of cloud cover, but here's "Calm before the storm" sunset pics I took about 6 hrs before Ike hit in '08...taken from the apt parking lot I lived in at the time while my home was being built.








Early the next morning, was very different...same parking lot, but from a different angle:




Got in my truck and drove thru town:




A couple weeks later..pic doesn't do justice to the reality. There were dozens and dozens of bucket trucks on that new line. The old destroyed line is on the opposite side of the highway.


----------



## greybeard

one more..


----------



## CntryBoy777

Storms can certainly change the landscape and do such damage that it takes yrs to recover from....if it is ever recovered from....totally.


----------



## babsbag

Glad to hear that you are all ok, wet, but ok. Now I can go milk...  Hope this storm gets on out of there soon.


----------



## Latestarter

So nice to see you folks down south reporting in. Glad you still have power and no major damage!  I'm overcast, damp, 74 degrees and very light breeze. I can see a very weak outer band running E-W right over I-20 from Shreveport to just south of D/FW. Looks like the western portion of that may have visited with @animalmom & appears that Houston & GB's area are getting the heaviest training band right now. Can't tell any defined direction of movement and though the forecasters are saying all kinds of things, I doubt they have any real clue either. Guess we'll all just have to wait and see.  Hang in there folks!


----------



## greybeard

Getting a little rougher here. Heavy bands one after another.


> ... A Tornado Warning remains in effect until 1015 am CDT for
> southwestern San Jacinto County...
> 
> at 1006 am CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
> was located near North Cleveland, or 8 miles northwest of Cleveland,
> moving northwest at 30 mph.
> 
> Hazard... tornado.
> 
> Source... radar indicated rotation.


----------



## Bunnylady

Latestarter said:


> Can't tell any defined direction of movement and though the forecasters are saying all kinds of things, I doubt they have any real clue either. Guess we'll all just have to wait and see.



If there has been one constant with Harvey, it has been his inconsistency.  The meteorologists gather their data, run their models, make a prediction - and Harvey does something else. Nothing like a storm that has no real steering currents to keep a forecaster humble!


----------



## greybeard

The only profession where you can be wrong 50% of the time and still keep your job


----------



## greybeard

1 minute ago:


----------



## mysunwolf

Wow, seems you have a few more lakes and streams than you did previously...


----------



## Baymule

Glad you still have power.  Up here we have a lot of cloud cover, it's much cooler, but no rain. On the news, they are showing 3 idiots standing on the Jetty in Galveston. Waves are breaking over the Jetty. Ya' can't fix stupid, but stupid can kill it's host and prevent breeding more.


----------



## OneFineAcre

Baymule said:


> Glad you still have power.  Up here we have a lot of cloud cover, it's much cooler, but no rain. On the news, they are showing 3 idiots standing on the Jetty in Galveston. Waves are breaking over the Jetty. Ya' can't fix stupid, but stupid can kill it's host and prevent breeding more.



They are going for a Darwin Award


----------



## Devonviolet

Baymule said:


> Ya' can't fix stupid, but stupid can kill it's host and prevent breeding more.


   DH and I cracked up when you said that, Bay.  I've heard you say that before and it never stops being funny!  


OneFineAcre said:


> They are going for a Darwin Award


When I read Bay's comment to DH, he mentioned the Darwin Awards. His favorite was when a guy, who was nominated for the Darwin Award, said the guy who writes the awards should be castrated.  *SHE* said, "Good luck with _that_ one Buddy!"   

http://www.darwinawards.com


----------



## greybeard

Rainfall is @ 7" since 7am according to my gage. 
We seem to be in a lull or between outflow bands right now, tho I can still hear thunder rumbling. 
Hopefully, the areas farther North aren't getting this..up on the river's watershed. My place can handle local heavy rain or river flood water but not both at the same time.


----------



## Latestarter

Sorry man... got a bad feeling about that.   it doesn't get too bad.


----------



## Baymule

My sister is on the San Jancinto river in Conroe. For the first time she sounds like she doesn't want to redo everything after a flood. I don't care how nice of a house it is, if it takes 3 feet of water, it's time to get out.


----------



## greybeard

If she's south of hiway 105, the dam at lake conroe helps protect her from flooding unless they absolutely HAVE to lower the water level in the lake..


----------



## Baymule

Even when the Lake Conroe Authority knows flood waters are coming down river, they will not open the gates to let some water our to lessen the flood down river. They just open the gates and dump the water. My sister and BIL have both called and pleaded for them to open the gates ahead of time and they refused. Me? I'd get the hell out of there. Just durned if I would live in a known flood plain, no matter how nice the house is. she should be ok this time, since the floods she has to worry about are the ones up river, but you already know that.


----------



## Baymule




----------



## frustratedearthmother

Somebody opened up the heavens and we are being absolutely inundated with rainfall... lots, and lots and lots of rain along with a little thunder and lightening just for fun.

I may need one of those /\   !!


----------



## CntryBoy777

....and one of these??.....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Absolutely!!


----------



## greybeard

frustratedearthmother said:


> Somebody opened up the heavens and we are being absolutely inundated with rainfall... lots, and lots and lots of rain along with a little thunder and lightening just for fun.
> !



I can believe it, looking at current radar.
This is still a very tight & well formed storm system.
I'm seeing/hearing non-stop lightning & thunder right now, but at the moment, very little rain. 
https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap?lat=30.40&lon=-95.19&radar=1


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Praying y'all stay safe.


----------



## greybeard

frustratedearthmother said:


> We have a little electronic weather station and wouldn't ya know it - the rain gauge is broken! ARGH! But, we've had some rain for sure.



I've been wanting a Personal Weather Station for several years but never could find much info on them as far as reliability goes. Been looking at Ambient Weather and Davis, but I want one ready to go out of the box and compatible with WX Underground. 

Can you recommend one?


----------



## TAH

Praying for all! 

All texacans keep safe!


----------



## CntryBoy777

I have thought about them, too....but, have only the temp and humidity sensors that can be had at WallyWorld....GB, maybe WX Underground can recommend one that they promote.


----------



## greybeard

moot point regarding the wx station this morning. If we don't get a break from the bands in the next couple hrs, I may well have to call sheriff dept for water rescue. 
We are already trapped on property with no way out. Not deep, but velocity is too great to attempt in boat, vehicle or even on a tractor since I have no way of knowing if there is even a road left under there.


----------



## mysunwolf

Oh no


----------



## CntryBoy777

Sure sorry to hear that....will surely be praying for ya and hoping for the best....certainly don't take chances.... .....has it started reaching the house yet?


----------



## Baymule

Gerybeard do you have tools in the house so that you can open a hole in the roof if water rises in the house? If it comes to that, take some bottles of water and granola bars, something to snack on. Eat a good meal now while you can. you might need it later.


----------



## Baymule

I sent FEM a text, so far no response.


----------



## Bunnylady

greybeard said:


> velocity is too great to attempt in boat, vehicle or even on a tractor since I have no way of knowing if there is even a road left under there.



. . . . and this is the reason they tell you not to drive on flooded roads. Just a few inches of fast-moving water can be enough to wash a vehicle off into deeper water, or flood an engine and take the feet out from under a driver who then tries to wade out.

 I hope your house is on high enough ground to be safe. The entire city of Wilmington became an island after Floyd; we had utilities and food, but nobody could get in or out because all the roads inland were flooded and closed to traffic. Praying that you can safely wait this out on your home island.


----------



## Bunnylady

Baymule said:


> I sent FEM a text, so far no response.



Hopefully, she's just incommunicado at the moment.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Praying for you Texans


----------



## Baymule

Weather station just said that Naussau Bay (below Houston and to the east of FEM) just got over 9 inches of rain in one hour!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Oh my!!.....I hope all are okay....I've been wondering about FEM, thanks for the update there Bay....sure hope GB is okay too.....


----------



## Latestarter

Not much to say but I sure hope our south TX folks can hold on and make it through the next week or so. @Baymule you've been talking about your sister down near the river... I sure hope she's taken to her wheels and gotten out of there. If she hasn't, it may already be too late for her as well. Instead of rebuilding a flood damaged home, this time she may be rebuilding from a clean slate...  Sure hope FEM isn't flooded in with a sinking island... Has anyone heard from Kate? I believe she's well south of the area getting pounded now. We also had some other newer members down that way. Sure hope they're doing OK as well.


----------



## Latestarter

SBC just posted on my journal that she's been in contact with @Ferguson K  (Kate) and she's/they're doing OK


----------



## frustratedearthmother

We are ok.  Unbelievable devastation in the surrounding areas, but we are ok.   I'm almost embarrassed to say that I actually slept in this morning.  Was up past 3am watching and listening.  Finally got so exhausted from two nights of not much sleep that I turned off the phone and totally crashed for a few hours.

I think the only thing that saved us was that the bands of rain would hit us, then split around us, and then we would get a break for awhile.  Our ditches/culverts are freshly cleaned out within the last couple weeks and things are draining well.  Don't know what will happen when there's no where left for the water to drain to.  Not sure we're totally out of the woods yet, but thankful that we are ok.

Hoping that Greybeard can get out of a bad situation.  

My brother and parents are in Baytown.  They are ok.  It's a good thing because I couldn't get to them even if lives depended on it.  Flooding all around us.

We're not out of this yet.  Just hoping and praying that we stay lucky and that everyone else gets out of this ok!


----------



## Southern by choice

Latestarter said:


> SBC just posted on my journal that she's been in contact with @Ferguson K  (Kate) and she's/they're doing OK



oops sorry LS- son't know how that happened I thought I was on this one.

So glad to hear from you FEM


----------



## babsbag

Greybeard, I am praying that the rain around you will give you a break and that all is safe.


----------



## greybeard

After driving a tractor over it, then walking it, I and wife were able to get out a little earlier, but nowhere to go. The county roads are all flooded.
I probably could have made it to my sister's place further up the highway but left it up to my wife. She wanted to return home. We barely made it back in, but we'll stick it out here. 
So far, we still have electricity, plenty of canned food, a generator and enough fuel for 48 hrs if the power does go out.
My exit/entrance problem. 



 

And, as if there isn't enough water coming down already, the water treatment plant decided to pump itself out this morning.



 

My home is on pilings, with top of first finished floor a full 6' above grade, and it does have an upstairs. 

It is going to get worse before it gets better, once the river rises. That will be this afternoon sometime, and thru the night. 

SJRA is going to let water out of Lake Conroe, but slowly and incrementally. Since that water feeds the West Fork San Jacinto River and the East Fork converge farther downstream, the increased flow from West Fork will adversely affect how much water I see from my fork of the river. 
http://www.yourconroenews.com/east-...Rivera-Authority-reverses-course-12003233.php


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Glad to hear ya'll are ok at the moment.  Hoping/praying that it stays that way for you!


----------



## luvmypets

Stay safe everyone, I havent been keeping up to date with the storm but I have seen some of the damage and I pray all of you, along with your animals, stay safe and dry.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Good to hear from ya GB sorry ya didn't make it out, but glad ya got back in and sure are hoping that things do get Better for ya before too long....keep cking in as ya can....sure is difficult to think of much more today with all that is going on down there....ya may not be blood family, but I sure consider ya as such.


----------



## Baymule

@greybeard I am relieved to know that ya'll are high off the ground. You might need that 6 feet, plus the upstairs, but I surely hope not! What about your cows? Are they on high ground?


----------



## Baymule

This is the Allen Parkway in Houston. Channel 11 is off the air, they had to be evacuated.


----------



## greybeard

Cows are on the highest points I have. Water will have to rise 6' + more to inundate those points. If it does, well, this one will benchmark as the 100 or 500 yr flood and many around here will lose their homes.


----------



## Baymule

Glad to know that your cows are safe. Of course, you matter too, but I was really concerned about your cows.


----------



## Baymule

Today at 2:20 PM


----------



## Baymule

The call has gone out for anybody with a boat to volunteer for search and rescue. Galveston county is asking for anybody with a flat bottom boat to help. The news just showed an air boat bring people to I-45 in Dickinson, unload people and go back for more. I-45 is underwater. Dump trucks and school busses are taking people to higher ground


----------



## Baymule

This is a nursing home in south Houston. They were rescued.


----------



## greybeard

That nursing home pic is hard to look at...

Other places seem hard hit too. Road closures are mounting up too. You can go to the link and click on each dot to find out which road is closed and flooded.
(It helps to disable the construction option.

And, we just lost our power....



 
https://drivetexas.org/#/7/30.232/-93.776?base=roadmap&future=false


----------



## CntryBoy777

I know that had to be pretty frightening for those older folks there....my heart just goes out to them. That is a lot of closures, so soon....and they are talking not much let up til wednesday.....that would be a very scarey situation to be in, not to mention what will be uncovered when it finally does recede.


----------



## Baymule

Sorry that you just lost power. It will probably be weeks before it comes back on.


----------



## Southern by choice

Baymule said:


> Glad to know that your cows are safe. Of course, you matter too, but I was really concerned about your cows.



I love your humor! 

I cannot believe the nursing home wasn't evacuated BEFORE that happened.

Hoping for the best for you @greybeard


----------



## Baymule

Water came up in the night last night. People woke up to their homes filling with water, grabbed what they could and got out. My sister went through a flood 2 years ago, she woke up to 3' of water in the house. 

People fled Houston in hurricane Rita. It was horrible, look it up. There are literally too many people to evacuate the area. Nobody is saying that, but it is true. I lived in a town 1 hour from Houston and it took 24 to 28 hours for people to get there. That's another reason we moved. I never want to be in the way of an all out panic like that again.


----------



## babsbag

I showed my DH that nursing home picture...he inspects places like that...he said "someone should be going to jail".  Very sad.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They are calling for a mandatory evacuation of everyone south of state hwy 6 and west of hwy 288.  That intersection is about 15 miles from me and even closer to my son.  We are NOT in that zone, but are starting to take certain precautions.  

DH and I took a short drive around and it's not looking good.  Bayous totally out of banks, roads overtaken by water...as in many other places.  But, we were 'safe in our cocoon' until we got out.  Wish I hadn't.

Critters are still good, but the ground is totally saturated.   All my barns are open to the south and water has blown into them so they are wet at the front.  Still good shelter, and out of standing water at this point.

Praying that this system does NOT go back out to sea to reform and get stronger again.  Don't know how this area could stand that.


----------



## Baymule

It may be too late for you to get out of there. Highway 59 is closed at Shepherd and Goodrich due to flooding. So even if you could get that far, you'd still be stuck, trapped by flooding.


----------



## Latestarter

Really FEM, glad to hear you're still doing OK... about the only chance for escape, if it existed, would be to head south or SW... Since the storm's initial landfall, there's been little flooding from Corpus south. additionally, the wind to the south is offshore, so you'd be better to stay along the coast, but then you have to deal with all the damage caused when the storm first came in.    Like the governor said, at this point there's little option aside to shelter in place and hope for the best.

Sorry to hear your worst hasn't arrived yet GB... Hope you don't need all 6' of those stilts. I've a really bad feeling that you might need some of it though...

This storm is reaching so far out to sea that LA is getting hammered as well. They're going to have flooding issues also. Looks like they're saying it will eventually head up over Houston and to the NE exiting TX somewhere up around Texarcana. I'll be in the NW quadrant so shouldn't get as much as those to the east of the storm track. With the models now, I'm forecast 70% chance of rain now for Wednesday and Thursday.

This storm is gonna suck so much water out of the gulf that it's going to reverse the flow of the gulf stream and there will be a new ice age.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yep - only route out is west on hwy 35 and then north on 71.  We're still hanging in...high and (mostly) dry for now!


----------



## Alaskan

That map with road closures is insane.  Since when has Texas had flooding to such an extreme THAT far inland.  

Yeah, on the coast... but just wow!


----------



## Baymule

Alaskan said:


> That map with road closures is insane.  Since when has Texas had flooding to such an extreme THAT far inland.
> 
> Yeah, on the coast... but just wow!


When did you leave Houston? I graduated from Bellaire in 1973 and left soon after.


----------



## Alaskan

my parents were raised there. .. and my mom's family was and still is there... my dad's close family, and now my baby sister, are outside of New Braunfels.   I have extended family all over Texas (mostly west and coast).

Anyway....uh....left?  Well, I went to college in the 80s....so I guess that is "left".... but I went back in summers... then lived there one year.... and now visit.


----------



## Alaskan

I also lived in Galveston for 4 years... can't remember which hurricanes went through in those years...


----------



## Alaskan

ack!  multi-posting...sorry.

I have friends in North Houston, and they got knee high water on their lawn. ..but then the waters receded quite a bit....  They are worried about their cars...too much junk in the garage to put them up.

My parents are fine, they are in the middle of Houston...East of Bellaire. ..in West U.  Water has been super low by them.  All they have now is a bit on the road sides.


----------



## Baymule

My sister in Conroe is taking water in her house. They were trying to get upstairs a few minutes ago.


----------



## Mike CHS

That nursing home picture is so sad but it sure looks like they are coping.


----------



## Mike CHS

Having lived in hurricane country for most of my life I truly feel for you folks down there.  It seems at this point trying to get out without a good way to get out isn't a good thing to do.  I have friends in Charleston that evacuated from a storm in Charleston.  The government really blew it with interstate lane reversals long after the evacuation started and folks spent 48 hours on the interstate during a hurricane and never got more than 40 miles from home.


----------



## babsbag

@Baymule so sorry for your sister, I can't even imagine going through that.


----------



## Alaskan

Mike CHS said:


> Having lived in hurricane country for most of my life I truly feel for you folks down there.  It seems at this point trying to get out without a good way to get out isn't a good thing to do.  I have friends in Charleston that evacuated from a storm in Charleston.  The government really blew it with interstate lane reversals long after the evacuation started and folks spent 48 hours on the interstate during a hurricane and never got more than 40 miles from home.



See... after living through lots of storms where stuff like that happened, I strongly believe that you either have to leave way in advance or just hunker down.  Traveling in the middle of it all is a great way to die.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> My sister in Conroe is taking water in her house. They were trying to get upstairs a few minutes ago.


Sheesh!!! 

I thought that "they" said that Harvey had stayed further away from Conroe than they thought it was going to...  in other words that it wasn't going to get too terrible there...

So sorry... water in the house is a royal pain.... so much of what we build with now a days is completely destoyed when it gets just a bit of water on it (carpet, sheetrock, etc.)


----------



## Baymule

@greybeard I pray that you and your wife are safe.


----------



## Baymule

Mike CHS said:


> That nursing home picture is so sad but it sure looks like they are coping.


They were rescued shortly after that picture was posted. Most had to be hospitalized. 

I lived 75 miles from Houston for 30+ years and was there when Houston evacuated for hurricane Rita. A 1-2 hour drive took people 24-28 hours. They got to Livingston and ran out of gas. The whole town turned out to shelter people in schools, churches. I was a Red Cross volunteer and spent nights in a school, we sheltered people in our home. No power, no nothing. It was awful. We moved 170 miles away. 

The governor told people to leave, the mayor of Houston refused to issue an evacuation order and told people to stay home. He should have to spend the night standing in flood waters in a dark house all night praying for rescue like the people he condemned to such a fate. Rescues have been suspended until tomorrow when it gets light.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They have suspended air rescues...I'm still watching water rescues.

I'm not upset that a mandatory evacuation was not ordered.  Can  you imagine over 2 million people on the roadways with all the closures and flooded roads that there are?  It is a royal pain to be in a flooded home... the monetary cost of this flood will go on and on and on....but there hasn't been excessive loss of life (not that any loss of life is ok).   I believe it would be higher if people were trying to evacuate...trying to drive through areas that they are not familiar with...trying to 'make it' through that next puddle...

Nothing about this is ok - but we are fighting Mother Nature - and she will always win.

I might be in the group of flooded people within the next few days.  I don't blame anyone and I will do my best to mitigate any damages that might be forthcoming.  It sucks...!
edited to add: I wouldn't have left even if there were an order...


----------



## Baymule

From channel 13 news in Houston. The Livingston dam is getting ready to release 50,400 cubic feet per minute. if you live down stream on the Trinity river, please take precaution. 

Great. Now the people down stream of Livingston are going to flood big time. But I have been there when the dam released over 80,000 CFM, it flooded all the way to the Gulf. 

FEM people could have got out of known low lying areas. Yes, remember Rita? 3 million people hit the roads and it was a mess. But had he issued an evacuation order earlier, I don't think 3 million people would have hit the roads, they remember Rita too. But maybe at least some people could have escaped the floods. 

FEM I hope and pray that you do not take water in your house. Praying for you my sister!


----------



## greybeard

We won't be going anywhere any time soon.
That pic I posted of that little stretch of water on my road is now running back toward the right, (into the Natl Forest) and is 5 feet deep and 40 ft long.
Being fed by the river that came up to what is now historic levels.

Power was off, then restored, now off again and Entergy last stated Tues 8Pm as the earliest restore time.
I don't think I have enough generator fuel to last that long.

I honestly no longer have any inkling just how high this water will get.
It is now a river driven event for me instead of the localized rain.
Water is in my yard, and in my shop, but just barely.
Tomorrow morning may be quite depressing.

Taken from my back steps, just before sunset, Sun Aug 27. water is just at the outside corner of my yard fence. Cows are in a pasture to the  opposite direction.


----------



## Alaskan

Greybeard, I take it that it is still raining upriver from you?

That is horrid.  

I want things to start subsiding!!! Enough already!


----------



## Latestarter

Truly sorry GB... Thank you for letting us know that you're still OK (at that moment anyway)... Can you get to the shop and move stuff "up" to maybe save some of it? It's not looking good for a break in your area any time soon...


----------



## babsbag

Well that is just depressing.


----------



## Alaskan

Yep... yep, that it is.


On a happy note, since Harvey decided to skip out on playing in the hill country, my sister's seeds are still in place.  She just got nice steady rain....maybe six inches.... but good and slow and gentle.  Nothing washed away or around, and nothing got broken.

She had just planted all of the fields with good dirt (she didn't plant dirt... but some of the pastures have horrid dirt, mostly just rock), some had had all of the mesquite newly removed...giant production...

This rain and the continuing slow rain and clouds (where she is anyway) might mean that even the little bluestem that was planted will grow like gangbusters!  (That stuff is picky... it needs lots of moisture for the sprouting and starting of growing)

(Not trying to belittle the horror.... just tossing out a positive  )


----------



## frustratedearthmother

So sorry Greybeard.   So glad you are up on pilings. 

There *were* actually mandatory evacuations for folks in several known low lying areas.  Matagorda county - the whole county was ordered to evacuate...the east end of Galveston island...and right now there is a mandatory evacuation less than 15 miles from me because of predicted river flooding.

Bay, not only are they going to release water from the dam....they are going to release water from the two big reservoirs in Houston...Addicks and Barker.  Insult to injury...

IF/WHEN this thing turns around and comes back at us again - with another 40+ inches of rain....I don't even have words for how bad it might be.   May start moving things upstairs...


----------



## LocoYokel

FEM, I sure hope it doesn't get to your house but I am glad to hear you have an upstairs if you need it.  Also hoping Greybeard's stilts are going to be enuff.  
They have started calling it a 500 year flood now, and another storm is brewing on the SE coast. This is just crazy scarey weather.


----------



## Baymule

FEM definitely move things upstairs. My sister and BIL packed things up in a box truck (they have a business) and one of their sons drove it to high ground. They moved things upstairs also. Having done this before, they have a small refrigerator and they got that out of a portable building and it is upstairs too, along with food and water. My advice to you is to make sure you have food and water upstairs, clothing and other necessities. Do it now, don't wait. Here you were worried about mixing your goats up in the barn........they might rather be upstairs with you! What's a few goat berries in the carpet when you have a flood.

@greybeard I am glad that you are up on stilts. You might want to get all the tools you can out of your shop and put them in the house. You will need them later, especially electrical tools. Can you turn your generator off at intervals to conserve fuel?


----------



## Mini Horses

This is so devastating.  Yes, it will be years of recovery.  Saw on my AM news that several units of rescue helos were sent from this area to assist, as well as some water rescue teams/boats, etc.  We are coastal so there are many well trained service & civilian personnel for these type rescues.   Operation Blessings is home based here and had sent assist when storm was already predicted to hit.  

In my lifetime I have seen several areas of destruction, living here in VA Beach for over 60 years.  In FL when hurricane Andrew wiped out Homestead, spent 2 months there to rebuild our apartment properties. We had to send our own materials from here - 4 tractor trailer loads - and crews.  Not flooding but looked like a dozen bulldozers had lined up and ran over the entire town.

At my current farm, in Fall 1999 a hurricane came inland from coastal NC with rains not as bad as TX now but, still a 100 yr storm event.   The little town nearest me, built along a small river, was totally underwater.   Much loss of property and many farms lost animals big time.    I had been at another home as this one was not built, drove out to see conditions and no issues.  Drove to the town for some items and as I got to the bridge -- it was totally underwater.  The river was 16' above flood level and I was in shock!!  Obviously had not seen news that morning.   Took couple years to recover.

I hope that more people in TX have flood insurance than those in the little town near me!

At this time it is a situation where there just are not enough resources to help everyone that needs it.  *This is a SHTF time.  *I pray that those who are at least "safe" are prepared to hunker down until things can settle and be assessed.  Conserve gas as it will become hard to get.


----------



## Ferguson K

Just checking in. We are OK here. My house still has power. My store is flooded. Animals are seeking shelter. 

I took these yesterday, we went out to see damage. 

I took tons but I'll put these up. These birds aren't on ponds or rivers. They're fishing in flood water. These are the raw unedited pictures.... but you get the point. 

Towns are flooding. People are evacuating. It's a terrible sight but we are safe. 

My grandparents are flooded and water is coming into their home but they haven't left yet. They are stubborn. 

Johns family has evacuated completely. Flood waters have pretty much destroyed their homes. 

@frustratedearthmother the pictures I sent you yesterday have nothing on what we are seeing this morning.


----------



## CntryBoy777

So glad to hear that y'all are okay, and sorry things aren't looking any better for awhile. It is really devastating what is happening there and it will definitely change the landscape for a long time to come.....stay Safe and know our Prayers are with all of ya down there and let us know if we can help in any way....


----------



## Baymule

My SIL in Conroe (high and safe) just called to let us know that my sister and her husband had to be rescued from their *second story* last night by their son and friends in a boat. They and their pets are at their son's home now, exhausted and asleep. Their home and business is under water. Their son and friends got all their equipment and vehicles out yesterday. 

Y'all pray for Texas. 

If anybody wants to donate to the clean up effort, I would suggest the Texas Baptist Men. They are an excellent organization and do lots of good work. I am not a Baptist, not pushing a religion, but I know this is a very good organization. There is a chapter here in Lindale and we are going to donate to it.

http://www.texasbaptistmen.org/


----------



## Baymule

Kate, I am not surprised that TSC is flooded. It is right there next to Long King Creek and is in a flood plain. Even though there was over a million dollars in dirt work alone to build the building site up, it was still lower than Highway 190. You will have a huge mess to clean up when you can go back to work. Please try not to work yourself to death. The community needs you, the community needs TSC, so I know the crush will be on you to get everything up and running ASAP, but please take care of yourself.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Still here, still ok.  We are without power now - sorta.  It started flickering about 6:30 this morning and never stopped flickering.   Not really the best way to explain it... it never really went out but instead was pulsing.  Lights were flashing on and off, computer screens flashing on and off so I cut the main breaker.  Same thing at the neighbors...

We'll start the generator eventually - don't really need it right now.  All I need right now is a cup of coffee.  Gotta go dig out the French press and the camp stove to heat water. 

Kate - I didn't get any pictures


----------



## Ferguson K

frustratedearthmother said:


> Still here, still ok.  We are without power now - sorta.  It started flickering about 6:30 this morning and never stopped flickering.   Not really the best way to explain it... it never really went out but instead was pulsing.  Lights were flashing on and off, computer screens flashing on and off so I cut the main breaker.  Same thing at the neighbors...
> 
> We'll start the generator eventually - don't really need it right now.  All I need right now is a cup of coffee.  Gotta go dig out the French press and the camp stove to heat water.
> 
> Kate - I didn't get any pictures




Well cell towers are flooding so signal is shotty at best in most places. 

It appears about 3 of my team members made it into the store to check on things. A few customers desperate for tarps and dog food have been through. 

Wish I could make it out and get there.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

And..... our power is back.


----------



## Baymule

frustratedearthmother said:


> And..... our power is back.


Glad that you have power! Hope it stays on.


----------



## LocoYokel

Baymule said:


> My SIL in Conroe (high and safe) just called to let us know that my sister and her husband had to be rescued from their *second story* last night by their son and friends in a boat. They and their pets are at their son's home now, exhausted and asleep. Their home and business is under water. Their son and friends got all their equipment and vehicles out yesterday.
> 
> Y'all pray for Texas.



Bay, so glad to hear your sister and her husband are safe, how awful to have both home and business flooded.  At least they were able to save some stuff.  
My heart goes out to those folk I see plodding thru waist deep water, not knowing where they may find shelter.  The rescue operation down there looks amazing tho and the civilian response with their own boats is just amazing.
You Texans are tuff, if anyone can survive this it is Texas. Just wished I lived closer so I could help in some way.
Praying for Texas.


----------



## Latestarter

Good to hear you're still OK FEM and Kate. Still many days of flooding to come though. Hope GB is ok and hasn't had to depend on his stilts. Since the storm moved back out to sea, it appears the bands have moved north and east of him so maybe that will provide some break. Though he did say his biggest contributor now wasn't rain, but the river. Bay, how many times has your sis been flooded out now? Is she STILL going to stay there after this? I think you've said in the past that you've been trying to get them to move for years... I'm surprised she can still get insurance after multiple claims... Glad to hear her and her hubs were rescued... and by family no less. Good to hear they got the vehicles and some other stuff out before this happened as well. At least they saved something.


----------



## Baymule

Hope this will be the last straw for them.


----------



## greybeard

I guess this will tell the story here this morning...we left in the little boat I pulled up by the back porch.
back porch/front porch views








I will lose some livestock in this, and perhaps even my house but with waist and chest deep water most places there is nothing more I can do.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Praying for you, Graybeard.


----------



## Alaskan

This just ....  $#*%


----------



## Mike CHS

I'm so sorry this happened.  Stay safe as you have done what you can.


----------



## Ferguson K

So sorry greybeard. 

We just helped locate the owner of some drowning cattle. By the time the owner was located the mama cows had led the calves that could walk to higher ground. 

He said he doesn't know what they've lost yet but for sure one cow and her calf.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

I have no words. I am so sorry.


----------



## promiseacres

prayers
can not imagine.


----------



## Baymule

My heart breaks for you and your wife @greybeard .  I hope and pray that your cattle make it through this. I am so sorry.


----------



## farmerjan

As hard as we try to take care of our livestock, it is still more important than you and your wife make it through.  I know that you did all that could be humanly done, and you weren't supposed to get all this.  Hoping that the some/all the cattle can get out of the fields and find some higher ground.


----------



## CntryBoy777

I know ya have places a lot closer, but y'all are certainly welcome to stay here for as long as it takes....ya did the right thing and I know it hurts deeply.....


----------



## Latestarter

Really sorry to see that GB. I hope that's the worst of it and the water goes back down before you suffer total/catastrophic losses. Where you're located so far from anything, I hope you had enough gas in that little boat to get you to someplace with high/dry ground.  Glad you had the boat!


----------



## babsbag

I'm at a loss for words, I honestly thought that 6' high stilts would be enough. It's sad to lose livestock but IMO much worse to lose your house. Praying that your home at least remains dry. Glad that you got out of there, but sorry that you had to leave.


----------



## OneFineAcre

I'm really sorry greybeard.  I hope your cows are OK and you and your wife be safe.


----------



## AClark

So sorry to hear GB. At least you and the wife are getting out.


----------



## Ferguson K

Trinity river is WAY UP.

Only going to get worse.


----------



## Latestarter

They are now reporting that several reservoirs are just now starting to dump water... My question is, since the forecast was for 4 feet of water, why didn't they start dumping well in advance to make room for what was coming? Dumping now seems like adding insult to injury. I understand they have no choice at this point or lose dams and such, but again, why didn't they start before the flooding started?


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Just got a text from my brother in Baytown.  They are about to get water in their house.  My 89 yo father and 86 yo mother live next door and are in the same situation.  I talked to my brother and for the first time in his life - he doesn't know how to fix this or what to do.   I convinced him to let the rescuers come and get them and get them to a shelter.  It's going to be so hard on them...  Just talked to my mom and she is at maximum anxiety level - who wouldn't be?  Such a helpless feeling not to be able to help.


----------



## Hens and Roos




----------



## Alaskan

Latestarter said:


> They are now reporting that several reservoirs are just now starting to dump water... My question is, since the forecast was for 4 feet of water, why didn't they start dumping well in advance to make room for what was coming? Dumping now seems like adding insult to injury. I understand they have no choice at this point or lose dams and such, but again, why didn't they start before the flooding started?



I completely agree... I don't get why they don't start draining them down as soon as hurricane season starts...at least a little... and why they don't really drop the amounts when such a bad storm is predicted...  I don't follow at all.

My parents in mid Houston are still dry and fine... my mom DROVE TO HER EXERCISE CLASS THIS MORNING!  I wanted to scream!  

I guess mostly because if something happens, I am too far away to help.  My dad is pretty infirm... so ...well.... it could get bad fast.

I don't know how those with loved ones that are actually wet and loosing stuff are managing the stress.


----------



## goatgurl

been catching up to see how everyone is doing.  @greybeard  I have no words for your loss.  I so hope that 6 ft up is high enough and your home will be ok and also hope that your cattle are able to find higher ground somewhere.  I wish there were something I could do to help.  @frustratedearthmother i'm so thankful that you are still not underwater.  please keep yourself and DH safe and so what is you have some unplanned kiddings.  just sell 'em.  my prayers are with your mom, dad and sister and brother.  my heart just hurts for all of the devastation in your part of the world.   i'm so sorry you feel so helpless but in reality you are.  your family knows beyond a shadow of a doubt you would be there if you could.  i'll continue to pray for all of the folks suffering thru this 'event'.


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## CntryBoy777

It really is difficult sitting here in comfort, while so many are hurting and losing.....my physical abilities are a hindrance, but my mind and heart sure wishes I could be there to help others out in their time of need....I sure hope GB made it out okay in the boat...I know he had a plan, but sometimes they don't always work out as planned. The water hinders any to get in to help and I'm sure as in most disasters it is simply chaos, but it doesn't subside the desire to any degree. GB did say that the water would have to get 6' higher to get to his cattle and house, so hopefully they will remain untouched, but the landscape will never be the same again. Sooo thankful FEM is still fine and I know it is very scarey thinking of the family being in a shelter, but just hold to the fact that they are Safe, certainly not comfortable and being out of routine is difficult on the aged, heck I don't like it either, but it certainly is surviveable. Really glad Kate is okay too and hope it remains that way, there is still a ways to go tho...so continue to be watchful. Bay....I really hope your family stays safe and can recover thru the aftermath....and then Moves. Sorry for the long post, but somethings just build inside and ya have to let them out.....I really am much more than a "Good Time Charley", but very few know that.


----------



## Mini Horses

I am so concerned and upset with the TX flooding!!  Hopefully GB & wife got out and to a safer place.  While I know he refers to them as "livestock" he DOES care for that cattle herd & their well being.  It is breaking his heart to leave them, I am sure!!!  It is hurting me and they are not mine.  I feel so badly for everyone there having to make these life altering decisions.  

Times like these push beyond any reasonable decisions.  The impact of these losses will emotionally last forever.   I feel helpless.


----------



## Poka_Doodle

I'm really not sure what to say, I've read some of this and am beyond words. Going to be praying for everyone tonight.


----------



## Baymule

@frustratedearthmother I am so sorry for your brother and parents. At least if they evacuate, you will know they are safe. They may be stressed beyond what they can bear, but they will be safe. When the water goes down, take it from there. 

My sister and BIL were evacuated last night and are now at their daughter in law's house in Willis. They very well will lose everything they have, but they are safe. Praise God, they are safe.

Early this morning Fox News was showing early morning boat rescues. In one boat, packed with people was a man without a stitch of clothing on. He was totally naked, there wasn't even a blanket to toss on him. And no, there wasn't a shot of him in his all together birthday suit, I had to do a double take to realize he had absolutely nothing on.  He didn't even get out with the proverbial "shirt on his back" but he got out with his life.


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## Baymule

@Latestarter that is the million dollar question. No matter what, no matter why, in the face of a looming flood rolling down river, they never open the gates on any dam for early water release. My BIL has called on this and previous floods begging for early release to lessen the impact of flood waters and never, has the San Jancinto river authority ever, released water early. Lake Livingston dam is the same. They wait until the lake is full, then start releasing water. In 1994, there was a horrendous flood along the Trinity river. Lake Livingston dam released more than 85,000 cubic feet per minute of water. It devastated everything downstream all the way to the Gulf. The operators at the dam got death threats. The other option is to let the dam break and kill thousands of people. There is no easy answer, it will flood, but you'd think the river authority would release water early to maybe, just maybe, help it not be so bad.


----------



## AClark

^ Same here, with our minor flood on Friday, they waited until it was over and then opened the dam at Lake Ellsworth and flooded out the river. I got pictures of that, not that they can hold a candle to this, but it forced water well over the banks of the river. 
It does make you wonder why they don't start draining early.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They are OUT!  Praise God!   Friend of a friend of a friend had a high water vehicle and went in and got them.  They are staying with one of those friends and I have no idea exactly where they are - I just know they are safe.  

We've been setting up to live upstairs if we have to.  Campstove, ice chests, food, water.  We have an inverter and power stored in batteries.  We've stretched an extension cord up there for small things (phone charger) if we lose power.   I've got to assume we will lose power if we take on water in the house.  If we don't I'll cut the power.  Not sure we'll sleep tonight...gotta stay up and watch the level.

Right now we are fine, but the water is higher than it has been and with the constant rain it's not backing down at all.  I just came in from doing whatever else I can do for the animals.  The small barn where the bucks are is still high - but I put some crates and chairs and two garden carts in there in case water comes up during then night they will have something to climb on until I can get them out.  I went out and moved the livestock trailer next to the big barn. Still dry there too, so far.  If the worst happens, it won't be fun to try and corral the does in the middle of the night and drag them out into the rain to get them into the trailer.  It only has a tarp top, but if there is flooding I'd rather them be a little wet than a whole lot drowned.

We need a break in the rain.   

My heart goes out to all of those that have it much worse than we do.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is the same with the US Corps of Engineers on the Miss River....it is a stance of "Reaction" instead of "Preparation". It is tax $$ in action.


----------



## promiseacres




----------



## Baymule

I am so glad they were rescued. They are safe, that's all that matters. It sounds like you have a good plan, hang in there. The rain will eventually stop. It has to.


----------



## Mike CHS

So sad seeing what is going on down there.  I'm assuming you have a way to get out of the upstairs if it gets that high?  Wishing all a safe night and better tomorrow!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Our portion is to begin on Wed and are suppose to have rain til Fri....I wish it would come sooner, so y'all could get a early break from this PITA storm. So good to hear they are Safe FEM....hang in there!!


----------



## Latestarter

I really feel for you FEM. Glad your family members got out and are in a dry place now. Looks like your troubles are on the rise though...   Now that the center is back over the gulf, it will maintain or gain intensity and it's pumping everything in right over you, up to Galveston, and into Houston proper. Looks like GB's area is catching a little break for now. That may mean only 4' of water for him vice 6', but his home is on 6' stilts, so that 2' helps. Sure hope his cattle don't get trapped in water they need to swim in. Won't help the calves, but better than losing the entire herd. This whole thing is unprecedented. astounding.

Right now, the way they are predicting it to track, I may not get a drop of rain out of it. They are saying it will move north through east TX then into LA around Shreveport. I kinda feel it will go north but further to the east, like in LA, and Fred may get more than what they're saying right now. Might even get you up in TN Mike.

Hope those who can are taking pictures and video as this is going to be something to pass down through/as/for history.


----------



## OneFineAcre

So sad for all of you


----------



## Ferguson K

Some of the pictures of the flooding around me. I'll try to describe what you're looking at.






This was yesterday. Today the creek is up to the top of some of those trees. The bridge I was on is now under water. This is White Rock Creek.





All of this is under water now.





There's a herd of about 100 cattle that live here. They're safe. This is the pasture of the man that lost an unknown amount of cattle before moving. One cow and calf that was just born were washed away. Three dead on the highway this morning.

































Trinity River way above it's banks:






















These two pictures were taken 12 hours apart. The water rose over 20 feet.









Hope we can still get out tomorrow so I can get updated pictures of the White Rock Creek.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

FEM, glad your family got out!

GB, I am glad you and your wife got out, are you guys still faring okay? I am sorry for the damage your place has experienced, and I hope your cows are able to find somewhere to go.

Praying for you all!


----------



## OneFineAcre

Latestarter said:


> I really feel for you FEM. Glad your family members got out and are in a dry place now. Looks like your troubles are on the rise though...   Now that the center is back over the gulf, it will maintain or gain intensity and it's pumping everything in right over you, up to Galveston, and into Houston proper. Looks like GB's area is catching a little break for now. That may mean only 4' of water for him vice 6', but his home is on 6' stilts, so that 2' helps. Sure hope his cattle don't get trapped in water they need to swim in. Won't help the calves, but better than losing the entire herd. This whole thing is unprecedented. astounding.
> 
> Right now, the way they are predicting it to track, I may not get a drop of rain out of it. They are saying it will move north through east TX then into LA around Shreveport. I kinda feel it will go north but further to the east, like in LA, and Fred may get more than what they're saying right now. Might even get you up in TN Mike.
> 
> Hope those who can are taking pictures and video as this is going to be something to pass down through/as/for history.





Latestarter said:


> I really feel for you FEM. Glad your family members got out and are in a dry place now. Looks like your troubles are on the rise though...   Now that the center is back over the gulf, it will maintain or gain intensity and it's pumping everything in right over you, up to Galveston, and into Houston proper. Looks like GB's area is catching a little break for now. That may mean only 4' of water for him vice 6', but his home is on 6' stilts, so that 2' helps. Sure hope his cattle don't get trapped in water they need to swim in. Won't help the calves, but better than losing the entire herd. This whole thing is unprecedented. astounding.
> 
> Right now, the way they are predicting it to track, I may not get a drop of rain out of it. They are saying it will move north through east TX then into LA around Shreveport. I kinda feel it will go north but further to the east, like in LA, and Fred may get more than what they're saying right now. Might even get you up in TN Mike.
> 
> Hope those who can are taking pictures and video as this is going to be something to pass down through/as/for history.


I'm glad you are going to avoid the worse of the storm


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Mike CHS said:


> I'm assuming you have a way to get out of the upstairs if it gets that high?


Yes, the house is two story.  I'd be totally afraid to get on the tippy top.  But, we do have a breezeway between the house and garage that is one story and has a porch attached that runs about half the length of the back of the house.  We can go out one of the bedroom windows and be right on that part of the roof, with lots of room.  However, if we need to get on the tippy top of the two story part of the roof - I might just start swimming.  I think I'm more afraid of that roof than anything.  Pic shows the lower part of the roof between house and garage.  I can deal with that! (p.s. the roof is not two different colors - must've been the angle)

If you look really close you can see Gracie, the English Shepherd in the door wondering why she isn't outside with me!

This pic was taken Friday morning before any significant rain.  As of right now - the water is well past the tree - almost to the concrete drive in front of the house.


----------



## Alaskan

FEM.....


Eeeeeeeew     big stilts... I wanna stick your house 10 feet up!!!


This is horrible.  

Praying for you all!  And that my mom and dad stay safe and dry.


----------



## Latestarter

Hang in there FEM! We're all pulling for you folks down south! Hope to hear something from GB soon.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Latestarter said:


> Hang in there FEM! We're all pulling for you folks down south! Hope to hear something from GB soon.



Me too...



Alaskan said:


> Praying for you all! And that my mom and dad stay safe and dry.



Praying for them!


----------



## Baymule

Latest information I could find is as of 1:00 PM today, Lake Livingston dam was releasing 110,600 cubic feet of water _per second._ The pictures that Kate posted of the Trinity river comes down to Lake Livingston dam. All gates are open. This picture from www.polkcountytoday.com

http://polkcountytoday.com/harvey082817.html







EDITTED TO ADD: The Trinity River goes to the east side of Houston, to Baytown, where it empties into Trinity Bay.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Alaskan said:


> Eeeeeeeew  big stilts... I wanna stick your house 10 feet up!!!


Me tooooo!   We have a pretty good rise even past the concrete pad.   Thankful to the folks who built it.  Hopefully, that little rise might save us....notice that we are higher than the house next door.



Alaskan said:


> Praying for you all! And that my mom and dad stay safe and dry.



Will definitely put them on my prayer list.

Kate - awesome pics.  Ya'll stay safe out there!


----------



## Baymule

frustratedearthmother said:


> Yes, the house is two story.  I'd be totally afraid to get on the tippy top.  But, we do have a breezeway between the house and garage that is one story and has a porch attached that runs about half the length of the back of the house.  We can go out one of the bedroom windows and be right on that part of the roof, with lots of room.  However, if we need to get on the tippy top of the two story part of the roof - I might just start swimming.  I think I'm more afraid of that roof than anything.  Pic shows the lower part of the roof between house and garage.  I can deal with that! (p.s. the roof is not two different colors - must've been the angle)
> 
> If you look really close you can see Gracie, the English Shepherd in the door wondering why she isn't outside with me!
> 
> This pic was taken Friday morning before any significant rain.  As of right now - the water is well past the tree - almost to the concrete drive in front of the house.
> 
> View attachment 38096


I bet falling into dirty water would be a good incentive for you to scramble to the tippy top. LOL I think you might be ok. Harvey is supposed to go back inland on the east side of Houston, which would put you on the west side of Harvey. And you already know, the east side of a hurricane is the "dirty" side where all the destruction is.  Harvey is supposed to go north and rain himself out. there is hope!


----------



## Latestarter

Actually I did notice Gracie, and that the neighbor was lower than you. I feel for them.


----------



## Baymule




----------



## Alaskan

That is just too slow!!!



Just how much more rain is Houston going to get?

And the picture of the damn,    SO MUCH WATER!  There is not going to be anything left downstream of that...just nothing.


----------



## babsbag

Still praying for all of you and your families. What a hopeless feeling this must be. 

@Baymule I guess Texas needs to take lessons from CA on flood control and dam releases. Our state does a pretty darn good job of avoiding flooding downstream. I used to work at a dam and I have a lot of respect for the operators here as they have to not only protect downstream in the winter but save enough water for the farmers for summer and anticipate how much snow melt there will be to add water to the reservoir. They are sometimes at the mercy of mother nature and a dam almost failing like last year but for the most part they do a good job, and I wouldn't want their job, so much at stake if they make the wrong choice and hold back to much or release to much.


----------



## Pastor Dave

_"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."_--Gen. 8:22

_"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."_--Gen. 9:16

Oh Lord God, please remember your covenant and make the rains cease in the Gulf region of Tx and LA. Please keep these folks we call friends on BYH safe(and their neighbors). Bless those that are assisting them. Please bless those with tremendous loss to prosper and multiply again as did the sons of Noah. And, give us compassion and charitable love to give aid now and in the aftermath of these storms. Let our country come together and grow strong again realizing it is You we rely on. Our trust Is in You, Lord.
In Jesus, name we pray--AMEN.
_
_


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Amen.  And thanks for that prayer.

We do know that prayers are answered.  We were blessed last night as the water receded from threatening our home.  I was literally shocked this morning to wake up and see how far it's fallen back.  We are getting significant winds now and the rain has started falling again, so hoping that we aren't in as much danger again in a few more hours.  What a roller coaster - and not the fun kind!


----------



## Mini Horses

AMEN!  Thanks Pastor Dave....I'm sure your congregation is sending their prayers for all.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Amen!


----------



## Devonviolet

Yesterday was a busy day for us and I didn't realize how far behind I got, on this thread.  

I'm blown away by the enormity of this storm and the far reaching flooding.  I'm no expert, but it seems to me, the devastation, of this storm, far outweighs Katrina - and at that time, we didn't think it could get any worse. But it has!!!

I'm just glad to hear everyone is safe. My heart breaks for the lost of livestock.  Y'all continue to be in our prayers!  I asked for prayer, for y'all, on Sunday, and you have been added to our church's prayer chain.  It seems that God is answering those prayers, if even in small ways. Loved your prayer @Pastor Dave!!!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I'm watching rescues on TV right now in my parents neighborhood.  Thank God they got out last night.  They lived in Pinehurst...not sure if/when they will ever get back there.   They are safe for now - and as soon as I can get to them, they will be coming home with me.


----------



## Baymule

@frustratedearthmother it was just announced that Addicks dam is in danger of breaching, on the southwest side of Houston. Residents are urged to flee. Will that reach You?


----------



## Baymule

On a good note, the Cajun Navy arrived in Houston yesterday. They are a group of volunteers, with their boats, who have come to rescue Houston like Houston rescued New Orleans in Katrina. Over 200 volunteers convoyed to Houston.


----------



## Baymule

Barker dam is also in danger of breaching and water is coming over Addicks dam. I know FEM is not real close to either of these, but I don't know the down flow path of where the water will drain to.


----------



## Baymule

Pastor Dave said:


> _"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."_--Gen. 8:22
> 
> _"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."_--Gen. 9:16
> 
> Oh Lord God, please remember your covenant and make the rains cease in the Gulf region of Tx and LA. Please keep these folks we call friends on BYH safe(and their neighbors). Bless those that are assisting them. Please bless those with tremendous loss to prosper and multiply again as did the sons of Noah. And, give us compassion and charitable love to give aid now and in the aftermath of these storms. Let our country come together and grow strong again realizing it is You we rely on. Our trust Is in You, Lord.
> In Jesus, name we pray--AMEN.


Thank you from the bottom of my heart.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Baymule said:


> @frustratedearthmother it was just announced that Addicks dam is in danger of breaching, on the southwest side of Houston. Residents are urged to flee. Will that reach You?


The Addicks reservoir is 63 miles northwest of me.  Barker reservoir 55 miles.  I sure hope/wish/pray that the waters won't reach here!  I haven't heard any evacuation orders for us so.... 

We need a praying emoji!


----------



## Latestarter

Both of those reservoirs empty into the Buffalo Bayou, which goes right through downtown Houston then out into Galveston/Trinity bay at Baytown, so well north of FEM. The news reports on weather channel are coming from a reporter standing at the water's edge of Buffalo Bayou in Houston. Though they've reported levels going up and down, I think they are soon to be going up again in earnest. Other news reports say there's no danger of the dams themselves foundering (Sure hope not!), just the additional flooding.   what a horrendous mess... I don't think the death toll will rival Katrina, but the flood damage almost assuredly will.


----------



## Baymule

I figured it was pretty far away, but didn't know the path the water will follow if/when the dams break. 

My Momma always said, "build your house on high ground and not behind a dam." Wise woman, my mom.


----------



## Baymule

Columbia Lakes dam in Brazoria County has breached, residents told to leave NOW.

There is more water flowing into  Addicks and Barker reservoirs than is flowing out.


----------



## AClark

Baymule said:


> On a good note, the Cajun Navy arrived in Houston yesterday. They are a group of volunteers, with their boats, who have come to rescue Houston like Houston rescued New Orleans in Katrina. Over 200 volunteers convoyed to Houston.


Those folks are pretty impressive. I remember seeing them on the news sometime last year, I forget what the disaster was. Good folks! Glad they are there to help along with the NG.


----------



## Alaskan

my parents are still dry and have power


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Water in our yard went down - water on the road came up.  Not only on our road, but all roads between us and town have water over them at some point.  Good thing I don't need anything (except cheddar cheese).  What good hurricane prep doesn't include cheddar cheese?  I feel like such a failure....


----------



## Mike CHS

That's why we keep some dehydrated cheese leftover from my time in Pensacola.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

I have got to get me some of that!  I do have Monterey Jack - but it's not cheddar.  I've even got freshly made goat cheese, but that's not cheddar either.  DH picked up some cheese in a box - but that's not cheddar either.     Sometimes ya just want what ya want!


----------



## Alaskan

oooooh....


cheeeeeeeeeese!


----------



## Baymule

My favorite cheddar is Cabot extra sharp. It is white and it is sooooo good on nachos! Now you are going to sit there hankerin' after cheddar cheese. Let that be a lesson to you, add it to your emergency preparedness list. LOL Would you like a little whine with that cheese? 

It is good news that the water is out of your yard. Maybe not so good that all the roads are underwater. Harvey is supposed to start moving out, but it will take days if not longer for all that rain to make it's way down the ditches, to the creeks, to the rivers and out to the Gulf. Ohhhh.....then you get the joy of mosquitos!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Baymule said:


> Let that be a lesson to you, add it to your emergency preparedness list. LOL


I thought I had some!  I'd never leave it off of 'the list'!  We have two fridges and usually keep milk and cheeses in the fridge in the breezeway.  There's ALWAYS plenty of cheese in there ... crap... I got excited for a minute and thought I mighta just missed it.  Ran out there to look... found cheese...mozzarella.  Mozzarella is NOT cheddar!      It's even worse when ya get your hopes up like that....

About to take Gracie for a walk - towards the end of the road.  Gotta see what's happening out there.


----------



## babsbag

Don't you mean that you gotta see if there is a way to get to town for CHEDDAR ?


----------



## frustratedearthmother

It's almost worth driving through the raging waters to get CHEDDAR!  But, since it's dark now... I'm gonna have to find a way to weather this storm.. (the lack of cheddar storm)!   Not sure how I'm gonna eat a taco without it, but I'll have to use my imagination (and maybe a little wine will help!)    

But:  "I'm going to live through this (storm) and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry (for cheddar) again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. *As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry (for Cheddar) again!* 

For the young'uns in the crowd...famous line from "Gone With the Wind"

Ya'll forgive me - I have hurricane brain... or lack of cheddar.


----------



## Bunnylady

A cheddar deficiency is almost as bad as caffeine withdrawal; a certain amount of delusional raving is to be expected.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Bunnylady said:


> A cheddar deficiency is almost as bad as caffeine withdrawal; a certain amount of delusional raving is to be expected.



We think alike!


----------



## Mini Horses

Any cheddar cheese crackers????? crunch them & use with some Monterey jack.

Ahhh, yes, Cabot cheese.  Great stuff. Also the one in the black pkg -- they make butter, also.. Darn, can't think of name.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

No crackers...  Didn't leave them off of 'the list' - just one of the things I don't keep around.  With a diabetic DH who would eat the whole box in one setting - I don't buy 'em.


----------



## CntryBoy777

When I was driving the 2 things I always had in the truck was a box of Cheez-Its and a can of nuts....preferably Cashews...but, without teeth nuts have not been eaten in about 10yrs....still eat the CheezIts tho....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Yum - I love cashews!  But they ain't soft!


----------



## frustratedearthmother

OMG - here's one of the things they don't tell ya about floods.  All that water makes all kinds of critters move.  I've found big, crunchy, nasty, disgusting roaches in my garage.  Thank goodness Gracie hates 'em as much as I do and she doesn't mind the crunch they make when you pop their exoskeleton.  Barf!

Ants!  Up the outside wall and onto the kitchen cabinet....argh!  

But, the worst thing was....  It's actually the things nightmares are made of....

I was walking through my dining room and saw movement.  A big fat spider was crawling across the floor so I grabbed a sandal (DH's - don't tell him) and popped that spider.  Literally popped the spider and about a hundred little tiny spiders came crawling out.  I'm not a screamer - but I screamed like a little girl and jumped around on one foot...can't have both feet getting microscopic spiders crawling on ya.  

UGH - my stomach is still turning.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Now, now FEM...those big roaches are palmetto bugs, ants can't swim, and that spider was a wolf spider...the mother raises and totes the little ones on her back, and when they are old enough she releases a pheramone that makes the babies attack and eat her....you squashed her while they were still riding on her back...they will make ya step a bit Lively....


----------



## frustratedearthmother

CntryBoy777 said:


> that spider was a wolf spider...the mother raises and totes the little ones on her back, and when they are old enough she releases a pheramone that makes the babies attack and eat her....you squashed her while they were still riding on her back...they will make ya step a bit Lively....


OH my gosh - that makes it so much worse!  LOL    So glad I squished all of them too - then found some Clorox Clean Up spray and drowned 'em with Clorox!  
I'm gonna check my bed real good before I crawl into it.  Ugh... skin is crawling!


----------



## CntryBoy777

Just be extremely carful outside, cause there could be snakes hanging out also....especially those poisonous kinds....red touches yellow, kill a fellow...red touches black, venom lack....could be moccasins too....even some gators.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Been really keeping an eye out for snakes.  Chickens and pigs are pretty good at snake control too.  Free food, right?  LOL

Holy cow - no gators!  Don't think my chickens could handle that!

But thanks for the reminder...


----------



## babsbag

Gators   I wouldn't mind the spider but the roaches have to go.


----------



## Mini Horses

Saw a report that someone found gators swimming in their backyard from all this...not TX but from this storm.  Those Cajuns see them all the time though. 

Yeah, all kinds of critters will be moving around.


----------



## Alaskan

frustratedearthmother said:


> About to take Gracie for a walk - towards the end of the road. Gotta see what's happening out there.



take some more pictures. 

sure is nice that the water is no longer so close.

sounds like you still have electric too, right?


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

@Alaskan how are your parents?


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Has anyone heard from @greybeard?


----------



## Pastor Dave

I have been considering the snake idea last night. Moccasins can swim quite a bit, but Rattlers will only swim until finding a place to get out of water. I would be very careful with floating debris having snakes in, around, and on top of, hidden in crevices. Probably don't have to tell Texans abt Rattlers, but it was a daydream moment that disturbed me.

Also on the cheddar debate. I am a big cheese lover. My MIL works at a cheese factory that produces for Kroger Supermarkets. I would take the goat cheese right now. I had it on pizza with green apples once. The cheese made it ok.


----------



## Baymule

No word from @greybeard yet. FEM you will be ok now, the storm is moving away. I am so grateful that you were spared.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Worried about Graybeard - hope we hear from him soon.

We have drained an unbelievable amount.  Ditch is only about half full this morning as opposed to the yard being half full. 

Our road had water on it in two places yesterday afternoon.



 



All gone now!

 My gps and other systems updated themselves a couple weeks ago - it now gives me 'tropical storm warnings' and flood warnings....coolest thing, lol


----------



## lcertuche

Praying for the people in flooded areas.


----------



## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> That's why we keep some dehydrated cheese leftover from my time in Pensacola.


So, do you dehydrate the cheese yourself, or do you buy it freeze dried? 

I would love to try drying some of our Mozzarella.  But then, my question would be, how do you use it for cooking?  Can I grate it and put it in my dehydrator? Then would I rehydrate it before putting it on a pizza, for instance?


----------



## Devonviolet

frustratedearthmother said:


> Worried about Graybeard - hope we hear from him soon.
> 
> We have drained an unbelievable amount.  Ditch is only about half full this morning as opposed to the yard being half full.
> 
> Our road had water on it in two places yesterday afternoon.
> View attachment 38132 View attachment 38133
> 
> All gone now!
> 
> My gps and other systems updated themselves a couple weeks ago - it now gives me 'tropical storm warnings' and flood warnings....coolest thing, lol


I'm so glad your flood waters are going down and that your house didn't flood!  We're still praying for @greybeard and all the others who were forced to leave due to flooding!  I pray he, his wife and livestock are all safe!

What kind of GPS do you have? That would be so cool, to have tropical storm and flood warnings!


----------



## Mike CHS

Devonviolet said:


> So, do you dehydrate the cheese yourself, or do you buy it freeze dried?
> 
> I would love to try drying some of our Mozzarella.  But then, my question would be, how do you use it for cooking?  Can I grate it and put it in my dehydrator? Then would I rehydrate it before putting it on a pizza, for instance?



I've dehydrated just about everything else but not cheese.  I bought what we have in storage but it tastes pretty good. Not as good as fresh but it works for cooking.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

Devonviolet said:


> What kind of GPS do you have? That would be so cool, to have tropical storm and flood warnings!


I don't know what kind it is....It's the one in my Ram truck...you can see it in the first picture.  I was amazed when the warning popped up...and when we were driving it warned us about road flooding.  Love me some modern technology!


----------



## Devonviolet

Mike CHS said:


> Not as good as fresh but it works for cooking.


So, do you rehydrate it, with water, before cooking with it?  I'm going to make Mozzarella today. I'll age it a few days and then grate some and dry it in our food dehydrator.  I'm pretty sure commercial dried food is freeze dried. But, we don't have the equipment to do that.


----------



## Devonviolet

frustratedearthmother said:


> I don't know what kind it is....It's the one in my Ram truck...you can see it in the first picture.  I was amazed when the warning popped up...and when we were driving it warned us about road flooding.  Love me some modern technology!


I did see it, once I went back to look. That is way cool!  We paid cash, for our Chevy Silverado, back in 2013. We wanted to keep the cost down, so we got the vanilla model. It does have AC, and a radio, with a CD player, but no power windows or power locks, and for sure no GPS.  I have that on my phone, so we manage.

We opted for a full size (8') bed, so no extended cab.  We did splurge & had a bed liner and bed cover with sliding screen windows, so we could carry animals in back.  THAT was money well spent!!!  We put big eye bolts, in the sides of the bed, so we can hook the animals in place for safety.  It has worked really well for transporting dogs and goats.



It's hard to tell, from this photo, but the Windows have a piano type hinge along the top, so we can lift the whole window and access the animals from the side.  That feature has come in handy many times.


----------



## CntryBoy777

That's what I'd like to get when we do get one....I like that alot, but would like the club cab. We are thinking of getting a car 1st, then a truck....trucks have really escalated in price, so a car would be more reliable than the van and we would use it for the farm vehicle til a truck can be acquired.


----------



## babsbag

No GPS in my 2010 Tundra but my phone connects to the bluetooth so I am happy, first vehicle with that feature for me. We don't buy many new cars or trucks and we tend to hang on to ours forever. Nothing better than getting rid of a car payment.  Next one is 12/18 and the car will be officially ours. 

I wish greybeard would check in. Is his home in the path of the destruction caused by the damn dam releases? As if water from above isn't enough. I can't imagine the feeling of helplessness and despair. Where does his brother live???  I just wondered where he would be going in his boat and you sure can't take much with you that way either.  Doesn't he have a dog too?


----------



## CntryBoy777

@babsbag I'm not sure about a dog or the water release questions, but his brother lives up around Little Rock area. I just hope the currents weren't too strong for his boat and motor to go thru and he had enough gas for the motor to get to where he was heading. But, with so many roads closed down that way it would be difficult to get to where others might be. Most of the attention is directed towards the major metropolitan areas and not the outlying ones, so finding assistance could have been rather difficult. Maybe he could get the rangers at the national forest to help...not sure....but, it is sure driving me Crazy here waiting to hear something.


----------



## Baymule

Fox news is now showing Port Arthur, practically the whole city is flooded. They just showed a nursing home being evacuated. The water came up during the night. They are using boats and dump trucks to get people out.

@babsbag our @greybeard is located on the East Fork San Jancinto River. All the rain falling up stream will raise the water level even higher. After the rain stops, the sun comes out, the river still rises. It rises until all the watershed has drained into it and the river has drained into the Gulf. It's crazy. I hope he and his wife were able to get to safety and shelter.

@Devonviolet download KLTV weather app. I have been getting hurricane updates all along, with a map and projected movement. It's handy to have for our tornadoes too!


----------



## Baymule

The news media concentrates on the big towns and cities. Mass destruction is always more newsworthy than a few homes wiped away out on a lonely country stretch in nowhere. I remember after Rita, the media swarmed, but ignored hard hit small towns. In the small town of Jasper, volunteer firemen hunted wild hogs, shot and cleaned them for BBQ. Volunteers cooked the meat, women brought what we call "fixin's" and they fed people in the fire station. And so it goes.


----------



## Baymule

I just found a page for the water level of the East Fork San Jacinto River! It is going down! It is still way, way over and beyond flood stage, but it is going down. 

River level is 73 feet, flow is 46 _thousand_ cubic feet per second as of 2:00 PM 8/30/2017

https://www.weatherforyou.com/repor...onroe&state=tx&forecast=riversobs&gauge=NCET2


----------



## farmerjan

Word is on another cattle forum, that GB talked to another member.  Looks like house is still there, but don't know how many head of cattle survived.  Didn't mention his truck or anything else.  He and his wife got out by boat but it was a tough one.  If anyone is interested it is CattleToday Online, and if you go in to the different categories, go in the "coffee shop" and you will see the "welcome hurricane harvey " thread.  Gb uses the same greybeard handle on it. I realize that it is mostly a cattle forum, but they do have other stuff, and as with all, they have some people that are know it all jerks, but for the most part it is a great place for information. Go to the Q & A  section if you get to the main page.
The Texas Baptist Men have been mentioned and also one of the CT members is a member of the Fl baptist group and they are sending help.  Also will see several other organizations mentioned  that will help more to the small guy/farmer/rancher.


----------



## Alaskan

BlessedWithGoats said:


> @Alaskan how are your parents?


just fine.

Thanks for asking.

She said the grocery stores are open.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Thanks @farmerjan that really eases my mind that they are at least okay and made it out....Whew!!!.....


----------



## Baymule

Thank you @farmerjan I am so glad to hear that Greybeard is ok and that his house is still there. I sincerely hope his cattle made it. 

Beaumont, Port Arthur and Vinton, La. are all under water.


----------



## Mike CHS

Devonviolet said:


> So, do you rehydrate it, with water, before cooking with it?  I'm going to make Mozzarella today. I'll age it a few days and then grate some and dry it in our food dehydrator.  I'm pretty sure commercial dried food is freeze dried. But, we don't have the equipment to do that.



I would assume also that it's freeze dried.  You do rehydrate with water.  When making things like mac & cheese I just add a bit of water and then the powder.


----------



## Baymule

Probably the same stuff in the little packets of boxed mac n' cheese.  Just add milk. I can't believe I used to like that stuff. It was cheap, on sale 5 boxes for a dollar.


----------



## babsbag

Nothing is 5 for a $1 anymore, except maybe  1 cent bubble gum.


----------



## HomeOnTheRange

When they are on sale I get ramen noodles 5 for $1.


----------



## Baymule

Keep an eye out League City friends! This family's heart is breaking while they search for Philip!





‎Lost pet! Please notify me immediately if spotted. Be safe, thank you. He likes tacos and his name is Phillip.


----------



## Southern by choice




----------



## Baymule

I went to the Cattletoday.com forum @farmerjan mentioned and found a post dated yesterday, August 29, who stated that he had talked to our (and I guess theirs too) @greybeard on the phone and he didn't lose the house, he lost some cows, didn't know how many yet. And the water is receding.


----------



## Mike CHS

That is really great to hear.


----------



## Southern by choice

So very happy to hear this! Thanks @Baymule


----------



## Alaskan

thanks for the update on graybeard.


----------



## greybeard

I am at home, on generator. 5th day without power. I have to ration electric load and time, so I can't stay on computer much.
As far as I know, only lost 4, and all those may not be 'gone'. I have 2 in my pasture that aren't mine, so mine may be in a pasture downstream somewhere. 

The place is a sure 'enuf mess, telephone poles & crossties on top of fences, as well as logs, barrels, tires, and probably 100 5 gal buckets I have no idea where came from. 

I will lose most of the equipment in my shop even tho I put everything up on the highest shelves and workbenches. Water just came up too high.
It was surreal to open that shop door the morning we paddled out of here and see the water level inside the same as it was outside..waist deep. 

Water did not get in the house, but came up to the 3rd or 4th of 7 steps.


----------



## Poka_Doodle

greybeard said:


> I am at home, on generator. 5th day without power. I have to ration electric load and time, so I can't stay on computer much.
> As far as I know, only lost 4, and all those may not be 'gone'. I have 2 in my pasture that aren't mine, so mine may be in a pasture downstream somewhere.
> 
> The place is a sure 'enuf mess, telephone poles & crossties on top of fences, as well as logs, barrels, tires, and probably 100 5 gal buckets I have no idea where came from.
> 
> I will lose most of the equipment in my shop even tho I put everything up on the highest shelves and workbenches. Water just came up too high.
> It was surreal to open that shop door the morning we paddled out of here and see the water level inside the same as it was outside..waist deep.
> 
> Water did not get in the house, but came up to the 3rd or 4th of 7 steps.


Had a sigh of relief when I saw it was you. Good to here you didn't loose many cows and your house is okay. Hopefully it will dry up soon and you can get to cleaning the mess.


----------



## frustratedearthmother

So glad to hear that you and yours are safe.  Hope you find your cattle safe and sound.


----------



## babsbag

Very glad you are safe, taking off in a boat sounded like a Huck Finn adventure and I'm glad you made it ok.  Hope that your cattle is just visiting and on a walk about. Are they branded?  Hard to loose equipment, I know that you had a lot of tools of the trade...I hope that they can be replaced in short order.


----------



## Alaskan

fantastic about the house,  about the cows and the shop tools...maybe some will dry out OK?

I have had a drill left out in pouring rain.... and it dried out and still works...not the same though I know...just hoping.


----------



## CntryBoy777

It sure is Good to hear from ya and that you and your wife are fine....glad your house was spared and things there are not a total loss. Hope ya can track down the missing 4, but had to be relieved to find the others still at home. Ya sure had me concerned for ya and bout wore out the knee pads. I know things there will keep ya busy, but knowing ya are safe will make the wait for your full return possible....


----------



## promiseacres

me too! So glad you're safe


----------



## babsbag

So it looks like Harvey has a sister, but not a little one. If Irma is going to hit the US they are saying next weekend.   Hang on all my eastern friends


----------



## greybeard

I called for water rescue not long after daylight on the 28th.
About an hour later, I saw someone wading chest deep water coming up my road. He had swam/waded 3/8 mile to get to us. He called for a boat to launch from across the river, follow the opening in the trees that  was FM945 traveling West and then cut in over the fences to the South. The boat launched ok, but found the current going over the fences too swift and turbulent as all kinds of debris had piled up against the fences and made the water gain velocity in the upper few feet. I suggested we send their boat back rather than risk swamping or getting hung up in the fence, and just take the vee bowed alum boat I had out the back way, going with the current right back the same route he had come from. He agreed, even tho we both knew there was a section that had a cross current in it because there was a deep draw under it, now over 15-20' deep. Bailed the rainwater out of the boat, paddled it around to the front of the house, put our 2 bags in and he took the bow position, put my wife in the center seat, and I steered from the stern seat. Told wife: "Don't look back at it, (the house)  look ahead" and off we went. It was a hairy trip is all I can say. I did a lot of back paddling to keep us straight. 

We had paddled up the road in the background 1/8 to the point you see to bow of the boat facing you. The stern of the boat is facing the direction we had just come from. That is a county road.--it was solid water. That road intersects my property 1/8 mile further  back down it. We had already paddled 1/4 mile of my private road before we got to the intersection of that road.
When we hit dry land, I got out of the boat, pulled it over and moored it to a tree and we waded about 20 feet in pretty shallow water & got into the waiting firetruck, which he told us was high and dry when he had parked it about an hour before...meaning the water was still rising.

Looks strange now, to be driving down that county road and see a boat tied to a tree in the middle of dry land.


----------



## babsbag

Is that road paved or dirt? It looks surprisingly dry already.  How did you truck fare? It was parked by your house in one of the pictures you posted earlier.


----------



## greybeard

Iron ore road. It drains pretty quick, but is not dry yet.
Only reason it isn't muddy is I'm one of only 2 residences it serves..not much traffic on it.
Truck cab took on water, but not too much above the floorboard. I've been driving it, after I got all the debris off the top of the tires. Inside smells like kaka tho.


----------



## Alaskan

baking soda will help.....once it gets to damp, and is no longer wet...

first set of baking soda that will get wet vacuum out...then put in more.


----------



## Pastor Dave

@greybeard , we were all relieved you were able to log on and let folks know you were safe and sound. You must feel like Noah starting over. Don't forget the "be fruitful and multiply" part.  

Glad to hear your motor on your truck is good and able to run. Hopefully your tools in the shop can be replaced somewhat bearably. Maybe you can become a bucket salesman or dealer of plastics/products. He does seem to giveth when He taketh. 

I know of a few response groups from this area heading or already arriving in Houston area. The looters were shooting at the responders so they could continue looting. Be safe because as the rats jump ship, they have to go somewhere. I pray you have no issues with varmints. 

Someone mentioned on a post, maybe this thread that we need a praying emoji. Been lots of that lately for you and other Gulf region folks. Maybe Admin can find an emoji they can implement. Glad you and wife are safe and have your home.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

So thankful you are safe and glad to hear from you @greybeard!


----------



## Mini Horses

GB we have ALL been so very concerned.  Glad you & wife got out safe & even able to return!!!  Hope the shop tools are all you lost.....that would be acceptable considering the alternatives!


----------



## Hens and Roos

glad to hear from you @greybeard


----------



## Baymule

I am so glad to hear that you and your wife are safe and back home. It is going to take a lot of time and hard work to get things back in order. I am really happy that your truck still runs! I was afraid that it would drown and die on you. That is a big plus that it will still take you where you want to go. Vinegar is a good smell killer. Or you just might have to get used to it. 

Is there anything for your cows to eat? I know the grass will recover, but in the meantime, do they have anything?


----------



## OneFineAcre

Very glad to hear from you and that you and your wife are OK.
I'm also glad that it seems your losses are not as great as they could have been.
I hope you find those missing cows.


----------



## farmerjan

@greybeard, am so glad to see your posts.  I have been watching faithfully on here and CT until I got into 2 days of testing that were marathon, so am now just getting back to check.  Understand completely about the restricted computer time and hope that as things dry out some, that you will be able to salvage more than it may look at this time.  I do hope that you are able to find your missing cows; and give someone else the joy of knowing that they also did not lose as many as they thought by their "relocating" to your place temporarily.  I am sure there will be alot of that for awhile.  Guess one thing to be grateful for, the 6' under the house is enough to withstand a 500 or even a 1000 year flood.
Maybe the next move in the future is to build a barn/shop with a floor 10 foot above ground level????? Then will have a safe place for the tools and the animals?   God bless you and your wife.  If there is anything that you need, please let us know and I am sure we will all try to help you in some way.


----------



## Devonviolet

We've had two very busy days, so I'm just now catching up. 

It's been said many times, but it bears repeating.  DH and I have been praying for you and your wife.  We were starting to get worried when we hadn't heard from you in a while.  We are so glad to hear that y'all are safe and were able to get back home, to find that the house survived the flood unscathed. 

Your description, of your trip to dry ground, was great. It gave a good feel for what you actually went through.  The photo of your boat tied to the tree, on the side of the road was cool.

I'm sorry to hear about your tools.  Maybe when things have dried out, you will be able to clean them up a bit and get them back working, like your faithful truck.


----------



## Ferguson K

My gentle giant has decided he's a house dog. 

We're tearing up the bathroom and have the front door open because they're bringing in the flooring. Flooring is completely rotted out from the roof leak. 

He's had enough of the mud. 




 

Hope everyone else is fairing OK. 

My farrier is doing high water rescues and has rescued almost 100 horses. He and another friend of mine have lost a handful but they've saved more

My brother, cousin, and family friend have loaded a 17ft trailer of supplies and are Rockport bound.


----------



## farmerjan

God bless every one of you individuals that have gotten things together to take to help out someone down there.  Those of us that can't,  hopefully have made some sort of monetary contribution of some sort to help those organizations there to fill in around the cracks of what is needed.  It's going to be a long hard row to hoe to recovery and there are places that will never be the same.  Let's all hope that there are no more serious storms in the area any time soon.


----------



## babsbag

Love the dog...mine want to come is to get out of the heat.


----------



## Baymule

If anybody wants to donate, I recommend the Texas Baptist Men.


----------



## Baymule

I got this from the Cattle Today forum. It has links where you can donate to help the ranchers affected by hurricane Harvey. The ranchers will need to rebuild fencing, they have lost equipment, their homes or damage to their homes, they have lost cattle. Those lucky enough to still have their cattle will have to feed them. Their hay fields are water logged. Their hay is wet of washed away. Cows are hungry now.

http://app.tscra.org/cattle-raisers-establish-fund-to-help-ranchers-affected-by-harvey/


http://app.tscra.org/harvey-update-if-you-need-help-or-want-to-help/


----------



## greybeard

Thanks all for our kind words, thoughts and concern. And of course, for those prayers.
Electricity was restored yesterday afternoon but is out again this morning. Depressing...

I started inventorying and working on some of my equipment yesterday that got water in them. Not including portable tools..
2 gasoline powered pressure washers.
1 8n Ford tractor.
1 Honda 4 wheeler.
1 45hp diesel Leland tractor
1 zero turn Ferris mower with only 45 hrs on it.
1 Miller gas powered welding machine.
1 Hobart electric welding machine.
1 MTD lawn tractor.
1 2x3" gasoline powered water pump.
Craftsman tablesaw.
Craftsman radial arm saw.

I have a 200 gal propane tank in the pasture just north of the house..owner unknown.
Piled up on  fences I've been able to see:
Probably 50 5 gal buckets from 'somewhere'.
A dozen or so empty mineral/protein tubs.
3 utility poles.
several 55 gal barrels.
5-6 cross ties.
Lots of boards.
a couple dozen old tires.
The usual logs, branches and forest debris.

The HT barbed wire fences held up pretty good. Broke in only a few places where something heavy settled on top of them, but lots and lots of Tee posts leaned over from the water flow against all the debris.

I'll have to compost some round bales of hay but not sure how many.


----------



## greybeard

Ferguson K said:


> Hope everyone else is fairing OK.
> 
> My farrier is doing high water rescues and has rescued almost 100 horses. He and another friend of mine have lost a handful but they've saved more
> 
> My brother, cousin, and family friend have loaded a 17ft trailer of supplies and are Rockport bound.


Good folks, doing good things. God Bless 'em and hope they have a safe trip.
I cannot imagine the devastation and loss down around CC and Rockport.


----------



## goatgurl

@greybeard you have no idea how happy and relieved I was to log on and find you back safe and sound.  lot of praying going on for you and all the folks that have been affected by all this.  now the work begins.  I sure hope that you can get all your equipment up and running.  
sil is a detective for the creek nation in ok and two teams are down there now doing rescue and now recovery.  my heart aches for all that folks are having to go thru and trust God to give them the strength to continue their journey and at the same time my heart swells at the site of people pouring out to help others.
so thankful you and your wife are ok.


----------



## Ferguson K

Brother, cousin, and friend arrived early this morning and crashed on my floor. They left out about 8am to continue their southbound journey. They've arrived at their first drop with donations and immediately the weight of the truck pulled them into a ditch where they got stuck. 

Ahh. 

Let it begin. 

I wish I could help more but I can't afford to take off work right now. 

With the water going down we have seen some strange things in the pastures around us. 

Like @greybeard said, there's all sort of new stuff in people's pastures. Including stray cattle and horses that washed downstream.


----------



## Bunnylady

Those painted-on phone numbers really make sense now, don't they?


----------



## frustratedearthmother

They really do!


----------



## babsbag

@greybeard, I hope that list of tools and machinery is not a list of ones you have to discard.  That is really depressing.


----------



## Alaskan

Pastor Dave said:


> The looters were shooting at the responders so they could continue looting



Blows my mind that people can be that brazen about criminal activity. 




Ferguson K said:


> Like @greybeard said, there's all sort of new stuff in people's pastures. Including stray cattle and horses that washed downstream.





dead or alive??


----------



## greybeard

Alaskan said:


> dead or alive??


Both.


----------



## CntryBoy777

Any word on your missing cows GB?


----------



## greybeard

Tho there is tragedy and misfortune all around, I couldn't help but think what the name of the river is, that flows by my place, and more recently...over it.
I can't say I won, but I didn't completely lose either.
(Native Texans here at BYH will understand the historical significance and obvious double entendre of this graphic)


----------



## Baymule

Santa Ana met his Waterloo at San Jacinto and so did Harvey.


----------



## Alaskan

San jacinto is pretty low laying land also.... how badly did they flood?


----------



## greybeard

Alaskan said:


> San jacinto is pretty low laying land also.... how badly did they flood?



Not terribly bad, but according to Houston Chronicle, the whole San Jacinto Battleground park was under several feet of water and from the air, Battleship Texas looks like it is once again at sea.


----------



## babsbag

@greybeard.  Are your dogs ok?


----------



## Alaskan

greybeard said:


> Not terribly bad, but according to Houston Chronicle, the whole San Jacinto Battleground park was under several feet of water and from the air, Battleship Texas looks like it is once again at sea.


thanks, I tried looking it up   and failed.


----------



## greybeard

babsbag said:


> @greybeard.  Are your dogs ok?


They are fine. Those 2 can out swim any duck.


----------



## babsbag

Good to hear.


----------



## TAH

Glad too hear you are safe greybeard... hope your cattle loss aren't to bad.


----------



## greybeard

greybeard said:


> I started inventorying and working on some of my equipment yesterday that got water in them. Not including portable tools..
> 2 gasoline powered pressure washers.
> 1 8n Ford tractor.
> 1 Honda 4 wheeler.
> 1 45hp diesel Leland tractor
> 1 zero turn Ferris mower with only 45 hrs on it.
> 1 Miller gas powered welding machine.
> 1 Hobart electric welding machine.
> 1 MTD lawn tractor.
> 1 2x3" gasoline powered water pump.
> Craftsman tablesaw.
> Craftsman radial arm saw.


So far, I have everything running now except the Leyland (and it will never run again) , the 8n (gonna be a pita because of the gas engine, distributor/spark plugs/points and condensor) and the 4 wheeler. 
Going to start on the 8n today. 

One good thing about this...everything with an engine now has gotten an oil & filter change, fuel tanks cleaned out and new gas and stabilizer. 
Leyland will be scrapped because parts are next to impossible to get since the company left USA and production absorbed by another British company over 20 years ago.

Watching the cattle closely for signs of respiratory problems, tetanus, blackleg etc. Lots of cuts and scrapes...they went thru some horrific physical trauma. The current was fierce and it just hurled them along into and over fences and thru brush, against tree trunks etc...


----------



## Pastor Dave

Poor creatures. Glad you have a fix on some of your mechanical tools/motor tools. My buddy made it back after the long weekend of helping/salvaging in the Houston area. He said no real problems experienced with antagonists such as looters. His worst and most memorable experience involved automobiles with drowned occupants. Today, he went back to work in Central Indiana. Now onto Irma? Hang on East Coast! She's already a Cat. 5 and not sure where she'll head. This will probably will go down as worst hurricane season for U.S.


----------



## Mini Horses

Very possible FL will get hit hard!  Andrew wiped out Homestead back in 91 (?).    Looks like another hit - maybe.

Then, if it continues straight up FL and beyond.  WOW more floods & damage.   I agree, worst in a number of years.

GB -- glad you have been able to recover so much.


----------



## Baymule

Good news that you have been able to salvage so much. I hope your cattle continue to heal from their ordeal without infection or disease.


----------



## CntryBoy777

The track that I saw this morning has Irma headed to the Gulf as a Cat 4....certainly bears watching. Our daughter lives outside of Orlando and said the shelves at the stores are already bare...and they are preparing people and areas for possible evacuation with short notice. I believe the worst in modern history was in '05 when 4 came ashore and ripped both coasts in Florida in a fairly short period of time.


----------



## greybeard

Irma is now Cat 5 with 185mph winds, and that is with the hunter aircraft not sampling the NE quadrant this morning, which is the quadrant with the strongest winds..4th strongest Atlantic storm since NHC has been keeping records.


----------



## Baymule

@CntryBoy777 its time for your daughter to leave NOW.


----------



## Alaskan

Baymule said:


> @CntryBoy777 its time for your daughter to leave NOW.


I second that.

You leave way before it lands. ..when the roads are dry and gas stations have gas. 

So....now.  now is good.


----------



## babsbag

@greybeard, glad that not everything was a loss. Can't imagine being an animal and going through that kind of trauma; they just don't understand why their world is suddenly a raging river. Poor things. 

Hope Irma just changes her mind ...


----------



## CntryBoy777

It is still way too early to call....creditors want their bills paid on time irregardless of the reasons and jobs don't just let ya off for precautions....especially without an immediate threat and neither do schools close. The furtherest out the NHC has predictions for is 2am on Sun and that only has the eye sout of the pennisula somewhere over the keys. So, while it may be a really good idea to leave now....it makes no practical sense until a projected path turns it and reveals the likely path in relation to one's location and the strength once it gets there. I just hope it stays away from Texas and Louisianna, we'll just have to wait and see what does happen.


----------



## greybeard

Don't wait too long...I know that of which I speak.
And, this sure doesn't look good.



 

Irma on track to enter Gulf of Mexico currently moving to the West.
TS Jose moving to the West right behind Irma.

TD13 formed in the Western Gulf of Mexico and is moving East. 

Going to be an interesting couple of weeks...


----------



## BlessedWithGoats

Father, protect all our friends and family in the SouthEast. Keep them safe and give them the wisdom to know if they need to evacuate. In Jesus Name. Amen


----------



## babsbag

@greybeard, are you going to have to buy another tractor?


----------



## TAH

BlessedWithGoats said:


> Father, protect all our friends and family in the SouthEast. Keep them safe and give them the wisdom to know if they need to evacuate. In Jesus Name. Amen


X2!!!!


----------



## Pastor Dave

I am seeing uncertainty in path, but they are saying worst hurricane measured in the Atlantic. 800 miles wide, 185mph with gusts of 200mph +
Could get to a Cat 6. I guess we'll see what Cuba gets.


----------



## Mini Horses

Well the news I just watched seems to feel -- those spaghetti paths -- it will quite possibly hit Keys, Miami and up coast.  If it stays over water, the East Coast is gonna get hit with BAD weather, direct hit or not.   Even if it goes into Gulf, East turn seems pretty sure.  

Let's face it --  HUGE storm and FL is not going to escape it!!!  Then, up the coast -- inland will weaken it before it gets to me but, still huge storm....way too much wind/rain.   All the NC people are looking at the same thing!  

Hate that FL gets brunt but I am not wanting any of it, esp  coastal over water, then into NC.   That's what/where it happens most often if over water.   I'm preparing now for what is certain to come, minimally huge rain & wind.


----------



## lcertuche

This all reminds me how blessed we are here. My heart breaks for the loss of life and property. Now Oregon having hard time with fires, and Florida flooding from another hurricane.


----------



## Bunnylady

greybeard said:


> And, this sure doesn't look good.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Irma on track to enter Gulf of Mexico currently moving to the West.
> TS Jose moving to the West right behind Irma.



What a difference a day makes, eh?

Katia (TD13) is expected to meander around and enter Mexico as a tropical storm by the weekend. Jose's future is a bit more impressive (possible Cat 2), but all of the spaghetti models want to take him off into the Atlantic, where he might give Bermuda a scare.

But Irma. Lord help us _all_. The models this morning are looking more and more like landfall on the southeast coast. A few runs of some of the models are hinting that there is still a possibility of her not making landfall on the U.S. mainland at all, but it doesn't look very likely.

I can remember seeing 3 hurricanes in the Atlantic at the same time, but it's been a while, and none of them was quite as impressive as Irma (on the whole_ planet_, there have been very few that impressive!) 

Definitely "stay tuned."


----------



## Pastor Dave

I will apologize for showing my ignorance of hurricane categories. Being a farm boy from Indiana, ask me anything you like about tornados, but I have never come close to a hurricane, and do not plan to.

I was informed on FB, that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CATEGORY 6 hurricane!
Ok, so Irma is a huge, powerful Category 5, Lol! Not funny to coastal residents, I know. But unless this storm causes a change to categorizing hurricanes, still a 5.

I remember when OK, I think, that had a 300mph tornado and wasn't updated to EF6


----------



## Baymule

Rule for hurricanes. If on low ground, RUN.


----------



## Bunnylady

Pastor Dave said:


> I was informed on FB, that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CATEGORY 6 hurricane!



Well. with this kind of sensationalism running rampant:

*"Category 6? If Hurricane Irma Becomes The Strongest Hurricane In History, It Could Wipe Entire Cities Off The Map"
*
Is it any wonder that people get confused? (That is an actual title I grabbed)


----------



## sadieml

I have not been on BYH in quite some time, but had to see how my dear herding friends in Texas, etc have weathered the storm.  I pray you have all come through this well, @Baymule, @Devonviolet , @Latestarter , and others in the area.  Now with Irma bearing down on us, I pray, also for those of you in Florida and the rest of us up the coast.  Also, for those in the Virgin Islands and Cuba who are already suffering.  Let us all remember Who is ALWAYS in control. Lord, be merciful to us, all. AMEN


----------



## Devonviolet

Hi Sadie.  I did notice that you haven't been on BYH for a while.  It's so nice to see you back among us. How are things going?

Bay, Latestarter and I all faired well in the aftermath of Harvey.  LS and I didn't get any rain.  I can't remember if Bay got any, but if she did, it didn't amount to much.  The storm headed East before it got anywhere near any of us.  Greybeard and FrustratedEarthMother all had flooding. However, as far as I know, they both were blessed to not have water in their houses.

Wow!  It looks like SC is gonna get hit by Irma, after she loses a bit of power, but you should get LOTS of rain and possible tornadoes.  I hope y'all are stocking up on supplies (especially water!). My son is in Central NC, and is preparing for the worst.  His cupboards are full, he has LOTS of bottled water and his In-laws have loaned him a generator, in case of power outages.


----------



## greybeard

On generators..make sure you have a LOT of fuel.
The advertised effeciency of generators is usually give as "runs X number of hours at 50% load". That means, if you are like me and have a 7500watt generator, it will run 12 hrs on a tank of fuel (6 gallons) as long as you keep the load under 3700 watts.
Running watts of common household stuff:
Freezer-500watts
Coffee maker-1000watts
Refrigerator-700watts
Toaster oven-1200 watts
Toaster-800 watts
Microwave oven-1000 watts
computer-800watts
Hairdryer-1000-1250 watts
TV-500 watts
Lights vary..add up the wattage of all the bulbs in lamps you connect to the generator.

Starting wattage tho, can easily be 50% more than running wattage. Fridge with top freezer section that runs at only 500watts can pull as much as 2200 watts every time the compressor cycles to starting. It isn't hard to over load a portable gen set.


----------



## Pastor Dave

Hi Sadie. You have been away awhile. Hope you're good.


----------



## Devonviolet

greybeard said:


> On generators..make sure you have a LOT of fuel.


Thanks greybeard, I cut and pasted your post into a message for my son.  I'm sure there was info there that will help him get ready for the storm.


----------



## Baymule




----------



## Bunnylady




----------



## Pastor Dave

I saw a brief article somewhere that showed ARC throwing away extra food items in TX that evidently hadn't been used or delivered or something. Their paraphrased response was that there would be more to take the place of what's thrown away in FL/GA. 

Maybe it was just propaganda by a group that doesn't like the ARC, but it seems like they could have contacted churches and community groups to come get the excess to distribute so it wouldn't go to waste. They just dont seem to appreciate donors. Seem to expect donations.

And FEMA, don't get me started.


----------



## Mike CHS

I had a long rant written about FEMA but deleted it to say that they do some good but they also waste a lot of $ on people that don't need help.


----------



## greybeard

Pastor Dave said:


> I saw a brief article somewhere that showed ARC throwing away extra food items in TX that evidently hadn't been used or delivered or something. Their paraphrased response was that there would be more to take the place of what's thrown away in FL/GA.
> 
> Maybe it was just propaganda by a group that doesn't like the ARC, but it seems like they could have contacted churches and community groups to come get the excess to distribute so it wouldn't go to waste. They just dont seem to appreciate donors. Seem to expect donations.
> 
> And FEMA, don't get me started.


Local groups do seem to do a better job of food, clothing, and household distribution. Noticed one of the local Christian resale places had shopping carts by the dozens full of clothes and other non perishables out for free, as well as dozens of pallets of free bottled water.


----------



## greybeard

I'm missing some things and have gained some things...Somewhere, someone's gas range, dryer and water heater isn't working. The morning we left by boat, I saw this propane tank come floating down the roadway and bump against the gate on the far upper left. Sometime later, that tank must have moved to the right along the fence and floated over the fence, and then settled where it is now. The 5 strand barbed wire fence was still intact, all wires still tight, so I know it went over and not thru the fence. 





This is a picture I made out of 2 photos I took. Top one is the afternoon before we left and the bottom one is the morning we left. Both were taken with me standing on the back porch.
The water continued to rise after we left. There is a film on the inside of the shop doors 6'-8" higher than the door knob.
Water got high enough, to either float or knock over the bbq pit in the first picture. It was laying down on it's side off to the right of it's position in the top picture.



I'll be taking and posting some pictures later today of the damage to my fences on the East side of the property which is at a lower elevation than my home, as well as some to indicate just how fortunate we were that Someone was looking after an old fool.


----------



## Mike CHS

It's looking like you were extremely lucky to have left when you did.


----------



## babsbag

ARC did a horrible job in CA after a big fire destroyed many many homes. They were given bags and bags of clothes and they didn't want them. They just threw them in a pile at the fairgrounds, outside. Didn't try to sort them or offer them to people. A local lady and her friends took on the job and the victims were so thankful that someone cared. ARC tried to chase her off so she had to "steal" the clothes. 

Saw another post and picture from a lady in TX that was picking up 2 vans full of unwanted pet food that ARC told their volunteers to throw in the dumpster. A volunteer called a rescue and they came and got it to distribute. The volunteers were told..."we can get more for Florida and no one here needs it". 

I have a friend that was an ARC volunteer. She said "do not donate to them, but be kind to the volunteers, they mean to do good, but often aren't given what they need"


----------



## Pastor Dave

I agree with your friend. Once upon a time I was a CPR and community first aid unstructor for ARC. They didn't make it easy to give the classes. Conditions were less than ideal. After being in a class session for so many hours, they had us break down the dummies, mix up bleach water, and sanitize everything before we could leave. Then we had to pack them up and any material used, and tote it back to HQ to store away. Needless to say, I quit volunteering after a while.


----------



## Baymule

@greybeard JMO but it looks like you are blessed that it wasn't any worse than it was.

In 2011 when Texas had a terrible drought and horrific fires, a Facebook group of volunteers started cooking for and feeding the fire fighters. The grocery store chain, HEB heard about it and supplied all the food. FEMA showed up and tried to shut them down. FEMA was ignored by some determined Texas women intent on taking care of hungry worn out fire fighters that were trying to save homes. FEMA finally convinced the volunteers to wear the same colored T-shirts so they could be identified as volunteers. HEB and a Facebook group just kinda shoved FEMA aside and did what they needed to do.

I found the post!


This is a great commentary on Texas folks vs Big govt.

Here are some stories about the Tricounty fire in Montgomery, Grimes, and Waller County, Memorial week, 2011.

My neighbor across the road has a sister named Kenna. Memorial Day, when she saw the huge column of smoke over our homes, she left a birthday party at my neighbors house to meet with her friend Tara at the Baseball complex in Magnolia. She called the owner of the complex and got permission to use the warehouse there as a staging area for donations for the fire fighting effort.

They put a notice out on facebook that they were going to be taking donations on their facebook pages. That night as they were setting up tables and organizing, News 2 Houston came by and saw the activity, investigated and left with the phone numbers and a list of suggested donations.

The facebook notice propagated faster than the fire. By dawn they had 20 volunteers, bins, forklifts, and donations were pouring in. I stopped by with my pitiful little bags of nasal wash and eye wash, and was amazed. There must have been 20 trucks in the lot, offloading cases of water, pallets of Gatorade , and people lined up out the door with sacks of beef jerky, baby wipes, underwear, socks, and you name it. School buses and trailers from many counties around were there offloading supplies, students forming living chains to pass stuff into the bins for transport to the command center and staging areas. If the firefighters had requested it, it was there. What do you give the guy out there fighting the fire that might engulf your home? Anything he or she wants. Including chewing tobacco and cigarettes.

Kenna moved on to the Unified Command Post at Magnolia West High school. She looked at what the fire fighters needed, and she made calls and set it up.

Mattress Mac donated 150 beds. Two class rooms turned into barracks kept quiet and dark for rest. The CEO of HEB donated 2 semi trailers full of supplies, and sent a mobile commercial kitchen at no charge to feed all the workers, but especially our firefighters, 3 hot meals a day. An impromptu commissary was set up, anything the firefighters had requested available at no charge.

As exhausted firefighters (most of them from local VFDs with no training or experience battling wildfires) and workers came into the school after long hours of hard labor, dehydrated, hungry, covered with soot and ash, they got what they needed. They were directed through the commissary, where they got soap, eye wash and nasal spray, candy, clean socks and underwear, and then were sent off to the school locker rooms for a shower. HEB then fed them a hot meal and they got 8 hours sleep in a barracks, then another hot meal, another pass through the commissary for supplies to carry with them out to lines, including gloves, safety glasses, dust masks and snacks, and back they went.

One of the imported crew from California came into Unified Command and asked where the FEMA Powerbars and water were. He was escorted to the commissary and started through the system. He was flabbergasted. He said FEMA never did it like this. Kenna replied, Well, this is the way we do it in Texas.

Fire fighting equipment needed repair? The auto shop at the High School ran 24/7 with local mechanics volunteering, students, and the firefighters fixing the equipment.

Down one side of the school, the water tankers lined up at the fire hydrants and filled with water. Down the other side there was a steady parade of gasoline tankers filling trucks, dozers, tankers, cans, chain saws, and vehicles.

Mind you, all of this was set up by 2 Moms, Kenna and Tara, with a staff of 20 simple volunteers, most of them women who had sons, daughters, husbands, and friends on the fire lines. Someone always knew someone who could get what they needed- beds, mechanics, food, space. Local people using local connections to mobilize local resources made this happen. No government aid. No Trained Expert.
At one point the fire was less than a mile from the school, and everyone but hose volunteers were evacuated. The fire was turned.
The Red Cross came in, looked at what they were doing, and quietly went away to set up a fire victim relief center nearby. They said they couldnt do it any better.

FEMA came in and told those volunteers and Kenna that they had to leave, FEMA was here now. Kenna told them she worked for the firefighters, not them. They were obnoxious, bossy, got in the way, and criticized everything. The volunteers refused to back down and kept doing their job, and doing it well. Next FEMA said the HEB supplies and kitchen had to go, that was blatant commercialism. Kenna said they stayed. They stayed. FEMA threw a wall eyed fit about chewing tobacco and cigarettes being available in the commissary area. Kenna told them the firefighters had requested it, and it was staying. It stayed. FEMA got very nasty and kept asking what organization these volunteers belonged to- and all the volunteers told them Our community. FEMA didnt like that and demanded they make up a name for themselves. One mother remarked They got me at my boiling point! and suddenly the group was 212 Degrees. FEMAs contribution? They came in the next day with red shirts embroidered with 212 Degrees, insisting the volunteers had to be identified, never realizing it was a slap in their face. Your tax dollars at work- labeling volunteers with useless shirts and getting in the way.

The upshot? A fire that the experts from California (for whom we are so grateful there are no words) said would take 2-3 weeks to get under control was 100% contained in 8 days. There was so much equipment and supplies donated, 3 container trucks are loaded with the excess to go and set up a similar relief center for the fire fighters in Bastrop. The local relief agencies have asked people to stop bringing in donations of clothing, food, household items, and pretty much everything else because they only have 60 displaced households to care for, and there is enough to supply hundreds. Again, excess is going to be shipped to Bastrop, where there are 1500 displaced households. Wish we could send Kenna, too, but she has to go back to her regular job.


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## greybeard

I took a few pics today. Realized as soon as I got out on the place and turned the camera on that I had forgotten to put the SD card back in when I transferred some other pics to my laptop earlier in the morning, so I could only take a few.

This was taken leaving the pond dam, and going up the hill where I had left the charolais cattle the night the river had begun to rise bad. It had never seen floodwater on it in all the years we've had the place (since 1964). There were 27 head there right before dark. (My beefmaster herd was smaller and I had them on another high spot not far from the house next to the National Forest. It is the 2nd highest point on my property.)

 

For all the time I've been here, that hill was red iron ore clay. You can see, that the topsoil is now washed away, tree roots exposed as the cattle milled around and their hooves loosened the grass and the topsoil and it washed off. It's now sandy with big quarter/half dollar sized gravel on it. (no, I don't know where the tires came from) At some point in the early morning hours, the Chars decided to leave this hill and try to cross the pond dam, which was then running water 4' deep and had to traverse a low spot between the hill and the dam, which is barely visible off to the right in the picture. To the left of that high spot, is a wire gap between my place and my sister's property. The cattle got washed over or swam over that gap gate. It's still there and fastened on both ends, but is pushed down about 3' high.
 

Opposite fence which separates my property from my brother's property. I built it from scratch in '08 I think it was. 2200' long, built to keep my cattle off what is now his property but belonged to my sister when I built it and I knew she was going to sell it to the first person that offered on it. Works great for holding cattle in, but with the wire on my side of the posts, not so great for holding debris out. Water was running from left to right in the following pictures. But, there isn't a broken wire on it. People can say what they want about how hard hi tensile barbed wire is to work with but it doesn't give.The tposts may lean, but that Bekaert (made in Ky, USA) wire holds. I am SOO glad I didn't use fixed knot field fence on this one. 
 

When I built the fence, I planted a sawed utility pole every 150' and they help hold the wire in place and keep the tposts from just leaning completely over. I need to add some of those same size posts on MY side of the wire, as I noticed there are a few staples pulled out. Same fence, a little farther down toward the river.
 

I've come to the conclusion, that as far as fences go, a really big flood is less damaging than a flood such as we had in May 2016. In a big flood, the really big stuff goes over the top of the fence, where in a lighter flood, it gets piled up on the fence. Most of this stuff is small limbs, twigs and leaves, which I can clean right off with a leaf rake or pitchfork. 

Last pic I was ble to get is one of the washout on the backside of my pond dam. The rr crossties floated there from a stack I had 2 fences over. I have crossties, phone poles, barrels, pallets and big timbers everwhere yet. Not a very good picture, but the washouts are pretty severe and something I'll have to repair before winter rains set in.
 
Strangest thing I've seen so far is a dead squirrel on one of the fences. A dang squirrel can climb anything and is the last thing I'd ever expect to see drowned. Many places in the pasture on the East side of my pond, I saw debris over 7' up in trees and big yaupon. 
This was certainly a flood for the record books.


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## babsbag

You should be proud of your fences; they certainly took a beating. Maybe the squirrel got caught on something and drowned.


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## Baymule

WOOOOW....... You will be busy for awhile cleaning up all that mess. I guess the good part is that fall/winter are around the corner and at least it will cool off. But, then here come the winter rains like you said.


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## CntryBoy777

Glad there wasn't any major breaches, but that is going to be several big piles to be burned...not to mention the amount of garbage to be hauled off. Have ya found your missing cattle yet? It looks like ya got your tractor running....that's a good thing....


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## Latestarter

You said the water got 6'+ above the door handle in the shop. How high did it make it on the house stilts? I believe you said the house was 6' up above ground and the pics you posted when you were leaving showed at least a foot of water up on the truck tires parked outside the house. Glad the fences held for you. Better to only need to do clean up and some repairs vice re-fencing and major repair/replacement of infrastructure/bldgs. Hope you didn't lose too many animals. Al things considered, I guess you made out better than many... small consolation... Glad you're still around.


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## greybeard

Latestarter said:


> ou said the water got 6'+ above the door handle in the shop. How high did it make it on the house stilts? I believe you said the house was 6' up above ground and the pics you posted when you were leaving showed at least a foot of water up on the truck tires parked outside the house.


That was a typo. It should have read there was a debris line on the shop door 6"-8" above the door knob...NOT 6'-8" above the knob.

I didn't know till a few days ago, but wife had taken a few pics on her phone the morning we left. (I had only taken 2 pics--one from back porch and one from front porch)
This pic was taken late the day before we left in the boat. 


 

Same area Next morning..look at the gates in both these pics:


 

Back porch the evening before, the boat just sitting there unmoored to anything:


 

Next morning after I had already waded out to the garden fence and retreieved the boat and bailed the water out and tied it to the railing:


 

When we returned a day later, the BBQ was laying on it's side in the grass but I suspect something heavy had floated into it and knocked it over. Pretty sure the water didn't get high enough to float it.


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## CntryBoy777

Y'all sure did the right thing in leaving....I don't think I'd have made near as long as ya did.....things getting back in order?....ever locate your missing cattle?


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## greybeard

The arrow is pointing to a mineral feeder. 2x6s and 4x4s with sheetmetal top.





To the right of the above pic, is another fence running parrallel to the fence left of the big tree. That fence by the tree had a lot of debris on it, but was not broken.

After the water went down, that same feeder ended up on the fence you can't see in the 1st pic--about 300' between the 2 fences.. The feeder came to rest at the very far end of the picture on it's side. It had floated over the fence seen in the first picture, along with 2 telephone poles and lots of other stuff. Hoses, tires, roll pipe etc.




How high did it get? The yard slopes in every direction awayy from the house, so it was deeper away from the house that around the house, but here's what I figure the water was at it's highest level on the back steps. I know it got over the top of the wheels on my pickup in the front yard from all the debris I had to remove before I could drive it.




How high did it get out away from the house? Not as high as it seems in this picture but it got got over all the fences.


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## frustratedearthmother

Good thing ya had that big ol' ship just a waiting on ya!


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## animalmom

So it is true then that the Marines only need the Navy because the Marines have not YET learned how to walk on water?


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## Mike CHS

USS Missouri was and is a proud ship so that isn't a bad thing to have in your back yard.  

That was a good job inserting her.


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## greybeard

animalmom said:


> So it is true then that the Marines only need the Navy because the Marines have not YET learned how to walk on water?


My Moses impersonation..if wife had walked over to the left about 30' to snap the photo, the planks on the dock wouldn't have shown thru..
From early 2012 just a few months after I had built my dock and never got my feet wet during the 2011 drought. (was also back before I had quit smoking and when I thought that was a lot of water.)


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## Mike CHS

That's funny!


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## Baymule

Looks like the floods went to garage sales and brought it all to you. Your fields are nice and green and your cattle look good.


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## Southern by choice

My son just went down on a missions trip  to help out- wow- the houses they were in were so badly damaged. Some couldn't be salvaged, others everything under the 4 ft mark had to be gutted, treated for mold- they used some kind of mold bombs (foggers I guess)... everything in these houses were destroyed.

I have to say- I am so impressed with the Texans. They really take care of there own don't they. Amazing! Quite different than many other places. I love it.

Been watching the fires in CA. Oh my goodness.


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## greybeard

Southern by choice said:


> I have to say- I am so impressed with the Texans. They really take care of there own don't they. Amazing! Quite different than many other places. I love it.


Believe me, there was plenty of help available for Texas, from within and outside the state. It came from all over, in $ manpower, donated goods, hay and everything else. Saw lots of private owned pickup trucks and trailers with out of state plates loaded down with all kinds of stuff people purchased with their own $$ and brought down and the tractor trailer loads of hay from all over the country was more than impressive. 
That Cajun Navy? They were crossing the Sabine before Harvey was done making landfall, and they really have their act together too. 
I know 3 different guys from other boards from out of state (Va, Fla, Ga) that came down to this part of the world and gave their time and labor to help out. We do try to care each other, but I'm not for a minute going to try to say we did it all on our own. We didn't. 
I was lucky I didn't need any of the material help, but the words and prayers of encouragement and concern from online and via cellphone from accross the country were a huge help and blessing.


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