Hurricane Rita

[Statica]

I hope all of you out there in potentially affected areas are reading the 'Mech were able to get out of there all right and are logged in from safer locations.

It's the weirdest thing though looking at some of the coverage from from pictures of evacuations, I cannot understand why they have all these clogged up roads out of Houston (or wherever) and the inbound lanes are lying empty. They seriously could not open up at least some of those inbound lanes to get people moving? Which moron is directing traffic out here?? Are these people also sitting there watching the car pool lanes to make sure that only vehicles with an appropriate number of occupants are using it?

[doctorgonzo]

I filled up my gas tank yesterday at $2.50 a gallon. I have the feeling that the price of gas is about to skyrocket again.

[SARGE]

Originally Posted by Statica I cannot understand why they have all these clogged up roads out of Houston (or wherever) and the inbound lanes are lying empty. They seriously could not open up at least some of those inbound lanes to get people moving?

Already done. Houston, even at it's best, is a traffic nightmare even in the dead of night.

[mairving]

I was reading about those 100 mile long traffic jams compounded by the fact that people had been in their cars for 14 hours and were running out of gas. Probably about ready to kill someone to. I know I would if I had been sitting in a traffic jam that long.

My nephew and his family was scheduled to fly into Memphis from Mexico City for his dad's birthday on Saturday. He was supposed to fly in on Saturday morning. Well he had a plane change in Houston of all places. My sister called him and he called the airline and they told him that the flight had been cancelled. So he is now flying from Mexico City to Newark, NJ back to Memphis, not exactly the most direct route.

Hopefully this hurricane will wind down a little bit before it hits. It could be pretty bad if it hits Houston head on and who knows what gas prices will do then.

[Tin]

Originally Posted by doctorgonzo I filled up my gas tank yesterday at $2.50 a gallon. I have the feeling that the price of gas is about to skyrocket again.

Roger that...I filled up last night and plan on topping it off on the way home from work today.

[Statica]

Originally Posted by doctorgonzo I filled up my gas tank yesterday at $2.50 a gallon. I have the feeling that the price of gas is about to skyrocket again.

Me too (and the price of gas went down a bit after I did it)... if you think it skyrocketed the last time around, I think we're ready for escape velocity on those prices.

Some small town nearby had a gas station selling gas at $US 5.46/gallon (converted); when the rest of the nearby world had theirs priced at $US 2.78 a gallon .. but am sure that isn't price gouging, I'm sure that they just happened to buy gas at a higher cost and blah blah blah
Statutory disclaimer: the 1.80 you see in the picture there is for Canadian $ for a liter of gas (or about 0.29641 gallons of gas!) No point coming up the border for a tank of gas

[kosova]

pumped my car this morning on the way to school at $2.49--i doubt the price is going to skyrocket..but what the heck is up with all these hurricanes? we need to start focusing on controlling the weather we cannot have this much mayhem..

[Statica]

Originally Posted by SARGE Already done. Houston, even at it's best, is a traffic nightmare even in the dead of night.

Yeah I just read it too, I was watching news channels who had people being interviewed who say that they tried waiting in traffic and then turned around and went back home seeing how there was no progress being made. I feel awful for these people, knowing what's potentially heading towards them. If 1.8million people are to leave the place, you'd think that the authorities would have the wits to plan for it. Can't just tell people to leave when you dont give them the means to leave! This hurricane has been closely watched for so long now, and people have been sitting for 13 hrs to travel 48 miles.

[Force Flow]

You know...I find this interesting...

On the weather map I saw, it looked like the storm went right over Cuba...why don't we hear anything about it?

[David M]

I was hearing on th news that they did open up both lanes to traffic and there is a fleet of trucks supply gas to stranded motorists. But thats just the news saying this which quite often is inaccurate.

[mairving]

Originally Posted by Force Flow You know...I find this interesting... On the weather map I saw, it looked like the storm went right over Cuba...why don't we hear anything about it?

It looks like they missed it.

[lil Jimmie]

Rita was a tropical storm and Cat1 for the most part til it was between Florida and Cuba.

http://www.weather.com/maps/news/atl...ack_large.html

[Floppyman]

I was thinking of topping my care's tank off too, but at slightly over 3/4 full I think I'll just wait and see (don't go many places anyway). I don't know much about weather and hurricanes, but it would seem to me that the warm moist air of the Gulf of Mexico provides perfect conditions for Hurricanes to grow in intensity and it is only before making landfall that they become less severe. Can anyone tell me why that is (Hurricane's generally becoming less intense before making landfall)? TIA.

[bailey]

its caused by the temp of the water below it.
warm water and deep water it will grow in strength,
colder water will weaken it some.

[lil Jimmie]

Floppy, It's my understanding that gulf water temps drop the closer you get to the coast. Warm waters act like fuel to feed the storm.

My wife and I as well as all our friends all filled up yesterday morning @ $2.69 a gal. Its rumored that the prices will hit $4.69 a gal. today.

I just heard a bit of a story (on Fox news) that said a bus filled with evacuees had exploded in Dallas.

[Redfallon]

Correct, Jimmie, it's unfortunate. It was full of evacuees from a retirement home. Their oxygen tanks contributed to the explosion after the bus caught fire due to a mechanical problem. 24 ot 25 believed dead. Very sad.

[Litespeed]

Drove over I-45 last night and it was packed. More and More people are coming here to Dallas. I have several friends from Houston and I called them to ask if they were stuck in traffic they said they have not moved for 4 hours. I asked why they did not cross over to I-35. One friend and his family were stuck in traffic for hours trying to get to Dallas I told them the alternate route they got to our house in about an hour as opposed to 9-10 hours. My other friend said she stayed in traffic for seven hours. I really don't understand why people aren't using I-35. Some coworkers drive it every day and said there is no traffic.
The thing that drives me crazy is the sense of paranoia that takes place here. We are suppose to get 20-30 mph winds and rain; and people this moring are in lines around the block to fill up with gas. At the grocery store I saw people buying bulk of water and such supplies. Being prepared for thunder storms in Dallas and freaking out are two different things. There is just a touch of hysteria that goes on here when bad weather occurs.
I hope the people of the coastal areas stay safe and the damage is minimal.
-Matt

[Jaggannath]

Better to be paranoid and wrong than laissez-faire and wrong...

[David M]

A hurricane is nothng more than heat being released from the water into the atmosphere and into space. Think of it as a massive HSF. It even has its own fan.

[doctorgonzo]

Originally Posted by David M A hurricane is nothng more than heat being released from the water into the atmosphere and into space. Think of it as a massive HSF. It even has its own fan.

It's the ultimate water-cooling setup! </bad taste>

I hope that everybody gets out before landfall. Sitting in cars parked on the freeway in the middle of a hurricane is a recipe for disaster.

Edit: The levee has been breached in New Orleans once again.

[Litespeed]

Originally Posted by Jaggannath Better to be paranoid and wrong than laissez-faire and wrong...

You are so correct Jaggannath. But similar to people rushing out of a burning building; most of the dead and injured are due to panic and people being trampled.

Therefore a city that is 290 miles away and will only receive heavy winds and rain I see no need to go out and buy crates of water, ATM out money, unplug electrical items, and wrap aluminum foil around my head while I sit in my bath tub.

I don't know if people that actually live in Dallas believe that the Hurricane is going to travel almost 300 miles up land and wipe out our city. Now, if you live in Houston prepare and be worried.

[David M]

Hah...I think its funny Gonzo. Sometimes you just have to be able to laugh at something as serious as a hurricane in order to keeps ones sanity. (no, im not making light of the victims)

[bailey]

I kinda feel that this is just the calm before the storm.
if you think its bad now, just wait till after the storm hits and see how bad thing will be, for everyone across this country.
is's very sad to see this happenning in our own country.

[CaptTuna]

Get ready for higher gas prices. Four refineries in Louisiana are still off line.
Exxon-Mobil in Chalmette, Murphy Oil in Mereaux, Chevron Oak Point, and Conoco-Phillips in Alliance. Add to that Chevron Bayou Cassotte in MS. I think it was said that equals 15% of gasoline capacity. Now BP Texas City and Exxon-Mobil Baytown, TX will be off line for the next few days. Those last 2 refineries account for another 10% for gasoline.
I spent 20 days in one of the hardest hit areas supplying fuel to the relief effort in areas where Katrina totally destroyed everything. The national media hasen't been to these areas. I've seen dead cows in trees 12 feet off the ground, piles of rubble that were once homes miles from their foundations.
The storm surge in the Mississippi River 150 miles up river was over 8 feet. New Orleans was bad, but St. Bernard Parish was Ground Zero.

[SARGE]

Originally Posted by Litespeed The thing that drives me crazy is the sense of paranoia that takes place here. We are suppose to get 20-30 mph winds and rain; and people this moring are in lines around the block to fill up with gas. At the grocery store I saw people buying bulk of water and such supplies. Being prepared for thunder storms in Dallas and freaking out are two different things. There is just a touch of hysteria that goes on here when bad weather occurs. I hope the people of the coastal areas stay safe and the damage is minimal. -Matt

I'm in Dallas also and am witnessing the same thing. Home Depot out of batteries, grocery stores packed and out of water, 7-11 out of ice, etc. One reason perhaps is this area (Garland Rd. and Buckner) has power outages just from everyday storms so we stay prepared. I always have 6 cases of water on hand anyway plus non-perishables and use them daily with some to spare. Gal bud is at work and asked me to get bags of ice for our beer just in case. Her priorities are in order.

[bailey]

right on dude, sarge
LOL

[Litespeed]

Originally Posted by SARGE Gal bud is at work and asked me to get bags of ice for our beer just in case. Her priorities are in order.

Thanks for the reminder. I am out of beer. I gotta' run.

[Statica]

Interesting article Blast a hurricane away?.

[mairving]

Hehe.

Surfer Arrested Off Shore Of Galveston As Rita Approaches.

Dude might have waited until the hurricane had passed by at least.

[SARGE]

If it continues on course, Port Arthur/Beaumont will catch the brunt which will spell not only disaster for them but the rest of the country as well. Major pipelines reach from there to the north, so not only will gas prices rise, we'll all be lucky to even have the supply. 99% of the Gulf's refineries already shut down. Sheeesh...