Hurricane Harvey

[Ras72]

I heard from my family members in HOU and they will attempt a return to their house at some point today. They believe everything is in order with no damage.
So, there's a sliver of good news coming from this mess of a situation.

[davids]

Harris Co. Flood Control District stream gage data: Harris County Flood Warning System
Select the 7-day rainfall totals and then compare them to the 1-year totals. The gage closest to me shows 31.16" in the last 7 days and 77.32" in the last year (including the last 7 days).

This is staggering.

Please take care of yourselves.

[fmbp]

My wife and I lived in Houston from 2005 - 2009. Here is a picture from Sunday of the apartment complex we lived in (as a point of reference, this complex had something like 800 apartments, as many of the the complexes do in the medical center area). When we posted the picture on FB, we were told that the water had later risen another 6 feet! We were in a 2nd floor apartment, as Allison had flooded all the 1st floor apartments in 2001. Yikes. We still have many friends and colleagues in the Houston area. All are safe, as far as I am aware.

I can't really wrap my head around the extent of the damage and fall-out from a storm like this. I think about something as small (in the grand scheme of things) as students who are now working in the lab from which I earned my PhD at the University of Houston. The lab's physical space is in the basement of the Psychology (Heyne, for those familiar) Building. The basement level, from what I understand, has flooded in the past. I can only hope that their data is backed up and all the computers, etc, were moved to upper floors. Again, this is small potatoes in the big picture . . . but for all the people of Houston and the surrounding area, though, these circumstances are having such a dramatic impact on their lives.

[defspace]

Judging from the gage data, I'm guessing the reservoirs are going to be releasing water regardless of anyone's decision - either releasing uncontrolled over the top of the spillway or controlled releases into the channel.

The water behind the Addicks dam is now over the spillway. The Barker gage has failed.

[colker]

This picture is special. From the NYT.

[joosttx]

This is an email from an uncle who is battling cancer and in his 70s. It's horrible:

I am scared -- the only one awake here.  I just packed an overnight bag about 3 a.m.
My aunt Abie, 89, COPD, oxygen 24/7, diabetic, slow, etc. and her cat are with us;
getting her upstairs , is another story and I have taken so much up
there.  But we will still lose things -- furniture I cannot lift.  Doug M. can go upstairs in
his house but Molly will need to get out.

Addicks reservoir is at capacity and even though they started slow release, it is now expected to spill over the top and
around the sides, which will come into Buffalo Bayou  behind us.  This is supposed to happen at daybreak.

I have not heard from Carol and Bobby and am worried about them.  Waiting for
daybreak which can't come soon enough.  It has been raining here for almost 24 hrs. straight --
not hard.  Doug has drained our pool essentially a few inches at a time, several times.  Omni Hotel at 610 and Woodway
evacuated.  Street is clear and just a few pools of water in our yard. Generator does not work but neighbors across the
street just got a portable one and we will have to do something because of Abie's oxygen.  This is all I can say.

[joosttx]

Here is a FB post about a friend from high school. As I recall we were "going" together in 5th grade for about a week. I bought her a Duran Duran poster but never gave it to her....

If you do not get choked up after reading this, we cannot hang.



Update �� We are safe and dry, now.
The last 12 hours have been brutal. Around 11pm we began to slowly take in water but still had power. Dirk and our amazing neighbor friend Austin blew up an air mattress, waded down the street and picked up Kim, their 3 babies and 2 dogs. We then demanded our friends and their 2 furbabies to come stay with us. By 8am we flooded and were all upstairs. We waved white towels and used flash lights, coast guard tried effortlessly to airlift all of us but we do live in The Livable Forest and it wasn't possible. That's when we flagged down the amazing Florida Wildlife Police and Search and Rescue. Between the police boat and airboat they were able to evacuate all 7 adults, 1 being my rockstar mother in law who broke her femur, had surgery and is still rehabbing, 4 champion kiddos, and 6 dogs. Once we made it to dry land we were greeted by an unbelievable group of volunteers that when seeing them I burst into tears. We have lost pretty much everything and while it's beyond overwhelming, because of the amazing men and women helping everyone, we are safe and dry. My hats off to the first responders, volunteers, our ROCKSTAR GaGA, our amazing strong awesome kiddos (Brannon will talk about this for the rest of his life ��) our husbands and our dear dear amazing loving friends.
I'm a bit emotional and overwhelmed.....then I look at that excited twinkle in Brannons eyes and I know we are ok! ����

[Ras72]

Right on Houston. I'm choked. Guess we can hang. Cool?

[Too Tall]

Good grief. Choked up here. Evryone I know is sending money ro Charitable orgs.

That story is heartwarming and affirms some personal beliefs about our core nature.

[monadnocky]

Good grief. Choked up here. Evryone I know is sending money ro Charitable orgs.

That story is heartwarming and affirms some personal beliefs about our core nature.

I've always said - when the sh!t hits the fan - zombie apocalypse, solar flare, what have you - there won't be gangs of people running around with shotguns and stolen loot, rather, they'll have casserole dishes and blankets to hand out.
Heartwarming indeed. We're giving today for sure.

[davids]

I read that and get teary. Then I imagine it happening in my neighborhood. Which could be next - who knows what we're dealing with? - and I just get more verklempt.

...and it's still raining.