It isn't over yet: Houston update. Still raining, they expect at least 5 more inches on top of the 30" that we have had so far. The Brazos river is massively flooding, all the bayous are way out of their banks and still rising, they are having to let out water from Addicks dam and Barker dam. Both those go into Buffalo bayou. Buffalo bayou travels through the heart of the city and turns into the Ship Channel. A lot of Houston is under water including Meyerland where many people have been rescued from their homes roofs. The mayor and the police and the fire chief are all begging people with boats to help rescue people all over the city as they don't have enough equipment and people to meet the demand. This is Disaster of epic proportions.

 

I expect my house will get flooded tonight. We live above the , which is expected to experience an "uncontrolled release" at some point tonight. The sad part is we looked at flood maps before purchasing a house and ours was out of the 500 year flood plain. Last year's map didn't include the water heights that will flood our house(this month's map has new colors on it).

My wife and I are safe; I'm crashing at work and she is with friends. Fingers crossed things don't go as badly as I expect.

 

Hi Topper & Fred,
It is such a slow motion disaster - it's just horrible to watch...and its still raining.
Everyone I know in Houston has been effected by Harvey... most have been moved
to shelters. The scale is unbelievable and awful.

It's hard to call for an evacuation when you know the hurricane is hitting
near Corpus 200 miles away. I'm glad you guys are safe & I pray your homes stay out of the flood.
My cousin Steve is just sitting in his house watching the water rise ever closer.

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

Hi guys. Hope you are all still dry and safe this morning. Let us know how you're doing. Hopefully your prediction was wrong last night Fred. Our prayers are with you all.

 

We are still getting rain here in the Heights, lucky for us no more flooding. Still stuck in the neighborhood being surrounded by bayous but safe! Sorry to hear about Fred, I have a friend that lives fairly near Bear Creek Park but haven't heard from him in the last few days. Probably doesn't have power. Stay safe Fred and family!

We have one very large Kroger/grocery store that has been sporadically opened the last few days, now they make people wait in line and just let in two at a time. People were waiting there in line at 7 this morning when I drove over, I got in line until I found out that they weren't going to open until 9. Normally it is a 24 hour store. I am sure that they are having trouble getting workers there and deliveries. Nice that they open at all though. Now the rain has picked up again, adding to the 30 plus inches we have gotten so far. Now there are widespread reports of looting, and several people have been caught who were going door to door robbing people at gun point. They got caught, but there are probably more like them. This storm is getting really old!

 

Can't imagine the anxiety related to watching and waiting out the storms.

Besides the flood waters your soil must be saturated to the point of some pretty major hydralic pressure on your foundations.

The main concern is to keep family and freinds safe an out of harms way.

My wife's sister and husband live in the NW part of Houston and are waiting for the release of waters that are backed up on the resevoirs.

Hang in there and know you are in our thoughts !

 

How are you guys doing down there? Fred have you been able to get to your house yet? Hopefully you didn't get the water you thought might come. Our prayers are with you all

 

Barker dam and Addicks dam are both having to release water at rates so fast that there is massive flooding already and much more to come tonight and the next couple of days. Both dams are dirt levees that have been there since the 30's. They are maintained but what has happened is that developers have either paid politicians off or somehow persuaded them over the years to let them build on the areas where the dam waters can build up. Since it never really filled many years ago they allowed it and now with all the concrete streets and home slabs the ground can no longer absorb nearly as much water. This storm isn't the first that has threatened the dams, but this has been the biggest. Now many of those homes are flooding even though they have been letting water out as fast as they can. There is so much water that now the released water is flooding homes and businesses and streets that haven't flooded for years. Many downstream and on the dams collection side are evacuating after sitting through the nastiest hurricane in our history and making it, only to now face further flooding. No fun! I hope Fred and all the others near those dams are OK! I can't even imagine what is going to happen to this city after this storm...

 

We dodged a bullet here in San Antonio. Now we're trying to figure out how best to support the communities that weren't so fortunate. It's going to be along road to recovery and our thoughts, prayers, and support go out to all of you in Houston and the small towns around us.

 

I'm Houstonian living in Houston and was very blessed not to have any problems, my prayers go out to those who have. But I want to also remind everyone in all this mess, that people seem to be forgetting about all those people down the coast in Rockport,Corpus Christi,Port Aransas and other smaller communities who got leveled by Harvey. Please let us not forget that they need help too, thanks to everyone's kind words and prayers, may we all recover swiftly.L8R ZFLASH (Derrick)

 

OK Louisiana, looks like it is your turn with this Harvey beast. A less welcome home wrecker, i cannot imagine. Stay safe 'cause yer gonna be wet.

 

FYI. This may help any one in Harvey storm damage area with an antique auto. Got it from the AACA forum.
Hope no one needs to use the advice.

Bob Wallace of J.C.Taylor antique car insurance will be on to talk about what does an antique car owner need to do when dealing with car damage caused by a disaster such as what is happening in Texas now/

Site-America's Web radio: all contact information is on the website: americaswebradio.com
Date- Sat. September 2
Time 8:am eastern.
Questions- 470 714 6466

All shows are archived so you can hear them anytime, so the 8AM should not be a problem.
Do not know if they repeat on regular basis or delay for west coast.
Just thought it may help in some small way

 

I wish all you guys in Texas and Louisiana safety and heath in dealing with Harvey. I have gone through it with Sandy and others and I feel your pain and insecurity. You're in our prays.

 

Hmmm.... Everybody in Austin decided they better fill up their tanks today..
I just went to put gas in my wife's car at midnight ... Only one gas station has
gas on our end of town with a line a half mile long in the middle of the night..
Hmmmm... Back to the Carter years...

Our Texas state govt. tells us we have plenty of gas - but since everyone went to
fill up today .. not so much. I'm sure it will take some time to come back to normal.
Hang in there in Houston!

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

I just cant believe the pictures I have been seeing of the Houston and surrounding areas, I hope everyone is safe, material things can be replaced.