Hurricane Harvey

[OTRA15]

More local coverage:

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-we...t-12002985.php

Originally Posted by PeterH-Airstreamer

Just across from Rockport towards the Gulf, is sweet little Port Aransas.
. . .

Check the NWS wind gust link in Post #20 showing Port Aransas at the top of the list on Friday night with a gust of 132 MPH. That scale of wind would act like a giant push broom for the entire low-lying barrier beach IMO. The imagery will be unsettling IMO.

Forget the name of the hurricane that trashed the Florida panhandle in the mid-90's but we drove through there during a winter trip to San Diego, and the entire beach area was still off-limits. We luckily found a campground in Navarre, I think it was, and most of the residents were dislocated folks from the beach area.

The entire region from Port Aransas to Houston will have a lot of rebuilding to do.

Peter

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

. . .
Chances are quite good that the maximum flood waters predicted for tomorrow's crest at 161.4' will be revised upward IMO. The last update to the forecast line was at 2:06 AM CDT early this morning.

Sure enough, the updated forecast at 7:40 AM CDT now calls for a maximum flood crest water level of 165.5' which is an increase of 4.1 feet. The graph's purple line max's out at midnight tonight plus or minus.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by RandyNH

they interviewed the mayor of Corpus Christi and he said he didn't think the government should be telling people what to do...

I agree.
Once the government "knows best", it never stops.
But conversely, when you stay and are sitting on your roof, don't call for help.
America became the world's greatest country by rugged individualism, not by being a nanny state.
I have no problem with the mayor calling for an evacuation, but I draw the line at arresting people who don't listen.
Maybe people living along the Texas coast should build on stilts, my goodness, storms go through there every year!

In my earlier post, about the fifth wheels flipped over, there were no trucks there. If it was me, I'd have hooked up and taken the fifth wheel with me. Maybe they were up on blocks or undriveable. It's not there a tornado where there's no warning.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

If you've never seen a manhole cover flipped in the air like a tiddly-wink by a geyser of stormwater shooting up out of the hole, count yourself lucky. ......

Hi

That process was surprisingly common in Chicago when I lived there. At various points the manholes would turn into 10 to 15' geysers. I always wondered about the people that would go plowing through the still submerged streets in those areas. The results were predictable.

Yes, a bit later they spent billions of dollars fiddling the storm runoff systems ....

====

Just because that road *looks* ok, consider the manhole covers !!!

Bob

[Airtandem]

just had call from son in Vidor/Beaumont (90 mi E Houston) they are getting "slammed" with rain and wind.
1026 AM

[peloroja13]

We left houston for Hillsboro early Friday morning. We have had 25" of rain in our west houston neighborhood so far. It is pouring rain there again right now. They are looking at up to 40" before this is all done. There are only 2 other rigs here at the NTAC Terraport. Both from the coast. Everyone in SE Texas is in our thoughts and prayers.

[OTRA15]

The latest report from Rockport and Port Aransas FYI:

http://www.chron.com/news/local/arti...php?ipid=hpctp

[OTRA15]

The water level charts continue to be updated with ever-increasing data and forecasts, for example this one near the hometown of texasvette:




Post #30 here from last night first reported this chart being at 144.81 on the lower left. The recent verticality of the curve takes one's breath away. Note the newly revised maximum flood crest at 166' for tomorrow morning. The previous forecast called for this to crest late tonight. The pain is being increased, and the duration lengthened, every time we look at these charts.

No need to duplicate what everyone is seeing on the news, this is an historic event.

Sunday prayers for all the folks in Texas.

Peter

[DoublTrouble]

thoughts and prayers......

[Hittenstiehl]

We have family in a RV park in Brazoria on highway 36. Their RV is on high ground but the roads around them were flooding and soon to be impassable. They have headed north toward Waco but had to take a longet round about way due to weather.

[OTRA15]

Brazoria is SSW of Houston, just west of the Brazos River [with RV parks shown]:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/r...6!2d29.0444147

. . . and the Brazos River seems not to have gotten as much rain as closer to Houston. This water level station is near West Columbia [NW of Brazoria on Highway 36], and has not reached flood stage yet, but the forecast line is not reassuring:

https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydr...hgx&gage=wcbt2

Hopefully they can stay put on the higher ground and ride this thing out. The likelihood of going north safely may be quite low IMO, due to many rivers and bayous being saturated from Harvey, with no place for the excess water to go.

The following site has many other water level stations which you can check [See Post #37 here also]:

https://www.weather.gov/wgrfc/

. . . and on a quick glance the situation north and west of Brazoria does not look hopeful, I am sorry to say, with worse flooding already up that way.

Wish the news were better . . . prayers for your family.

Peter

[OTRA15]

The worst rains have moved well east of Houston for now . . .

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/ea...r-radar?play=1

. . . but the Spring Creek water levels linked here continue to rise to all-time records, with higher crests forecast to arrive soon:

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydro...HGX&gage=SPNT2

The Bravos River station added earlier is still not in flood stage yet, but the crest is not expected until Thursday morning, because this area is well to the south, so all the water up north still has to work its way down the Brazos:

https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydr...hgx&gage=wcbt2

Prayers for everyone in Houston, Rockport and the rest of the Gulf Coast. Harvey will require a huge recovery effort.

texasvette, hope you are doing OK, and Hittenstiehl's family members in Brazoria.

Peter

[OTRA15]

PS -- The Tomball link did not make it into the previous post:

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydro...hgx&gage=tmbt2

This station appears to be cresting right now at 166.35' which is an all-time record [by 1.25'] compared to the previous high set in May 2016.

More

[ExStreamin]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

I agree.
Once the government "knows best", it never stops.
But conversely, when you stay and are sitting on your roof, don't call for help.
America became the world's greatest country by rugged individualism, not by being a nanny state.
I have no problem with the mayor calling for an evacuation, but I draw the line at arresting people who don't listen.
Maybe people living along the Texas coast should build on stilts, my goodness, storms go through there every year!

In my earlier post, about the fifth wheels flipped over, there were no trucks there. If it was me, I'd have hooked up and taken the fifth wheel with me. Maybe they were up on blocks or undriveable. It's not there a tornado where there's no warning.

Agree 100%

[slowmover]

Rockport is a nice place. But full of substandard structures. And those fifth wheels likely hadn't been anywhere in years.

[OTRA15]

New article just out on the Brazos River, where some mandatory evacuations have been ordered:

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-we...t-12030244.php

Hoping the RV Park high ground is above the expected flood stage.

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Rockport is a nice place. But full of substandard structures. And those fifth wheels likely hadn't been anywhere in years.

I trust you are not commenting about my friends 5th wheel, nor their house.......
People should consider contributing in any way to the relief effort, instead of making uncalled statements about peoples misfortunes!!
For the record, I made a sizeable contribution to Austin pets alive to help with their tremendous effort of taking in many misplaced animals from the coastal areas.
https://www.austinpetsalive.org/donate/

[tevake]

I'm wishing the best for your friends Peter, and for all of those in the vast areas so heavily impacted by this extreme storm and its aftermath.

How are conditions there in the Austin area? Hopefully there is enough to elevation in the hill country to lift y'all out of the flooding to the south.

It is so good to see the helpful spirits of the people of Texas rising to help out those in the most impacted areas!
Those lucky enough to clear of the worst conditions will no doubt be hosting and assisting displaced folks for some time to come.

My trip thru Texas heading to Fla. is coming up shortly. At this time I'm looking at more northern routes to avoid adding to the strain of the recovery that will be playing out in the south part of the state.

This sort of disaster really showcases the nature of the people affected and so far Texans are demonstrating the helpful, neighborly and self reliant spirits that bring light and hope to a dark challenging situation.

Cheers Richard

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by tevake

How are conditions there in the Austin area? Hopefully there is enough to elevation in the hill country to lift y'all out of the flooding to the south.

Unfortunately, elevation alone doesn't necessarily help with rain-induced flooding. If there is heavy rain upstream, streambank flooding is still a possibility, no matter how high you are above sea level.

I'm reminded of last year's WBCCI International Rally in Lewisburg, WV. West Virginia has the highest average elevation of any state east of the Mississippi, yet many streams flooded due to abnormally heavy rainfall just about the time we arrived for the rally.

[Hittenstiehl]

Thsnks guys, Our family members left when recommend and got to safety.