Sit Rep

[Art]

For those of you interested in what's going on in Houston:

The rain continues to fall and the water continues to rise. The City of Houston is completely inundated and its going to take years to rebuild this place. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it took over a year to get most of the people who are in shelters or with people who have taken them in into permanent living situations.

There is a lot of people helping people going on. Not only is almost every local person who has a boat or a big truck helping in the rescue; people from all the surrounding states and as far away as Nebraska are showing up. We got an S.O.S. call from an elderly couple who are trapped in their house. The man is very fragile and we have no way to get to them. I went to the fire station and an entire flotilla of the "Cajun Navy" was there in big old air boats staging go out and I put our friends on the list and then called our buddies back and told them when their feet were dry we'd come get them.

All the grocery stores here are closed but a couple of gas stations and convenience stores around me are surprisingly open but are out of everything useful unless you count beer and wine .

We are hurricane/flood preppers. We have about a month of reserve food stockpiled for 5-7 people and it looks like we may dig pretty deep into that because I don't see the "food truck" arriving at the grocery stores for at least a couple of weeks, and when it does there will be lines far down the streets to get essentials.

One thing that should be done. Our son is in the Air National Guard and didn't get notification that he was activated until yesterday when it was impossible to get to his base. Anytime there is a hurricane it would be wise to put the Guard on alert immediately and before landfall to start telling people to report. Right now a heck of a lot of people in the National Guard aren't going to be able to get to their bases so won't be able to help in the organized effort.

We are still dry and still have electricity - thank you Jesus.

Speaking of Jesus, any of you who talk to God remember the millions of people in Texas, not just Houston but Rockport, Corpus Christy, Victoria, Goliad, Refugio, Galveston, Beaumont and dozens of smaller cities who are suffering right now.

And God bless Texas.

[Sunray]

"...The rain continues to fall..." They were talking 4 feet of rain by the time it's done on last night's local news. Wonder if The Donald and his ilk would like to rethink the soft wood lumber treaty.
"...Guard on alert immediately..." You'd think so, but that costs money.

[Roadkingtrax]

Stay safe. All of Texas is certainly in our collective thoughts.

[oscars]

As I write this Hurricane Harvey has been demoted to a tropical storm, but it’s still destroying Texas.

In the weeks to come, many well meaning people will want to help the survivors. So they will pack up boxes of things that would, normally, go the yard sale, and send them to Texas. As a result, relief workers will have to deal with the mounds of old clothes, used toys, Christmas decorations, and other odds and ends that they do not need, supplied by folks who meant well.

What is needed are cleaning supplies, lots of them, bleach, disinfectant, cleanser, the works, along with brushes, mops, brooms, etc. Because there is going to be a huge mess, and people are going to have to clear it up.

They also need personal care items, soap, sanitary supplies, toothbrushes, razors, diapers, toilet paper.

If you go online, you will find sites that will tell you what is needed, and where you can send items, or money. None of these sites will ask for sweaters or troll dolls.

Your local mainline Protestant church may be involved in a relief effort. The Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Unitarians, Congregationalists etc. do an amazing amount of good work. They are not big on proselytizing, and you can be sure that any money you donate WILL go to relief efforts, not the pastor’s new Cadillac.

There’s also the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the rest of the usual suspects. Note that one well know television ministry does solicit donations for disaster relief, but they don’t always use the money given for that purpose. If you are reading this, you, or somebody you know, has access to the internet. Check out a charity before you donate.

Don’t click on links. You may find something on your Facebook page with a link, that will, they assure you, let you give to the Red Cross. You’re more likely donating to whoever put up the link. Go directly to the charity’s site through your browser, if you want to give.

If some business announces that it will give so much to hurricane relief for every whatever you buy, make sure they mean it.

Trump is making promises, he’s even going to Texas to view the wreckage. But he may hold the folks in the lone star state hostage to his border wall. (The one Mexico was supposed to pay for, remember?) He’s promising to shut down the government if they don’t vote to fund his wall. Which would be a second disaster for folks in Texas.

So, if you can pitch in do. Anyway, I’m betting there’s a little old lady In Dubuque who gives more for hurricane relief than any member of the Trump family.

If you have stuff that should go to a yard sale, don’t send it to Texas, have a yard sale, and donate the proceeds to relief efforts. They need money, not your old stuff.

[Dick Hosmer]

"...The rain continues to fall..." They were talking 4 feet of rain by the time it's done on last night's local news. Wonder if The Donald and his ilk would like to rethink the soft wood lumber treaty.
"...Guard on alert immediately..." You'd think so, but that costs money.

The above post (I have NO idea why I chose to read it) only justifies my long ago decision to ignore you.

[dave]

As I write this Hurricane Harvey has been demoted to a tropical storm, but it’s still destroying Texas.

In the weeks to come, many well meaning people will want to help the survivors. So they will pack up boxes of things that would, normally, go the yard sale, and send them to Texas. As a result, relief workers will have to deal with the mounds of old clothes, used toys, Christmas decorations, and other odds and ends that they do not need, supplied by folks who meant well.

What is needed are cleaning supplies, lots of them, bleach, disinfectant, cleanser, the works, along with brushes, mops, brooms, etc. Because there is going to be a huge mess, and people are going to have to clear it up.

They also need personal care items, soap, sanitary supplies, toothbrushes, razors, diapers, toilet paper.

If you go online, you will find sites that will tell you what is needed, and where you can send items, or money. None of these sites will ask for sweaters or troll dolls.

Your local mainline Protestant church may be involved in a relief effort. The Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Unitarians, Congregationalists etc. do an amazing amount of good work. They are not big on proselytizing, and you can be sure that any money you donate WILL go to relief efforts, not the pastor’s new Cadillac.

There’s also the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the rest of the usual suspects. Note that one well know television ministry does solicit donations for disaster relief, but they don’t always use the money given for that purpose. If you are reading this, you, or somebody you know, has access to the internet. Check out a charity before you donate.

Don’t click on links. You may find something on your Facebook page with a link, that will, they assure you, let you give to the Red Cross. You’re more likely donating to whoever put up the link. Go directly to the charity’s site through your browser, if you want to give.

If some business announces that it will give so much to hurricane relief for every whatever you buy, make sure they mean it.

Trump is making promises, he’s even going to Texas to view the wreckage. But he may hold the folks in the lone star state hostage to his border wall. (The one Mexico was supposed to pay for, remember?) He’s promising to shut down the government if they don’t vote to fund his wall. Which would be a second disaster for folks in Texas.

So, if you can pitch in do. Anyway, I’m betting there’s a little old lady In Dubuque who gives more for hurricane relief than any member of the Trump family.

If you have stuff that should go to a yard sale, don’t send it to Texas, have a yard sale, and donate the proceeds to relief efforts. They need money, not your old stuff.

The negative remarks about Trump and his family are not needed and they are all non-factual as far as anyone knows. If you want people to listen to your advice, can it!

[Allen]

My wife read where Bass Pro Shops have donated 80 boats to help with the relief.

[Ken The Kanuck]

Email with Ed, (one of our old time posters) he is Okay but members of his family have been hit hard.

Say a prayer for the folks down that way. Or just send them good wishes if you are not the praying type.

KTK

[Jiminvirginia]

The only good side of this is seeing all the people volunteering in the rescue efforts.

[m1ashooter]

Yep it sucks in the metro area but a lot of people are here to help. A bunch of helicopters are and troops are headed this from from Ft Bliss. 14,000 Texas Guardsmen have been activated and the Guard is coordinating with the states for up to 20,000 more. The local Marine Reserve Amphib unit has been activated and are rescuing people.

The effort is amazing and epic.

[JimF]

Anyone in Houston see any of the military hovercrafts in use?
Seems to me these would be ideal in this situation . . .like the airboats!

[JB White]

Anyone in Houston see any of the military hovercrafts in use?
Seems to me these would be ideal in this situation . . .like the airboats!

I'm thinking they'd be a little too large to safely navigate the urban hazards in most cases. Their use would have to be very limited. It's been said I can be dangerous when thinking so take that for what it's worth.

[Dan Shapiro]

Way too big in urban areas....and you'd have no idea what you were running over.

[barretcreek]

https://www.duffelblog.com/2017/08/navy-destroyer-collides-with-building-in-downtown-houston/

[Bill D]

Well, hell, the building didn't take no evasive action neither.