Rita

[D.R. Cattle]

The worst part of these things is when the storm is past. Yeah it's pretty scary to feel your house rumbling and thinking any minute the roof will head to heaven. To hear all the wierd noises outside and not know what it is. Very spooky. But the worst for me was when the news cameras are gone and the world seems to have gone back to business as usual. Takes a long time and a hard struggle to try and put things back to the way they were.

 

[memanpa]

to all in rita's path and or close to her
be safe and god bless :heart:

 

[msscamp]

DR, I don't doubt that for a moment. I cannot begin to imagine what being hit by any hurricane, let alone a Cat 5 would be like.

 

[ollie']

How would like to be an old sailor caught in a storm like this before they had radio and such.

Yoooooo Hoooo blow the man down.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Our area of the coast is called the "Treasure Coast" for good reason. Entire Spanish armatas were wiped from the sea by canes. The Spanish Plate Fleet of 1715 is famous here and salvors have leased the entire coast in the quest. I found a mast and a sea anchor from the Riomar wreck a few years back and found a cannon sticking out of the John's Island reef. Surely the salvors had already found it and just didn't want to mess with it and left it there. I've seen illustrations and often pondered what these guys went through. I figure they were cruisin and lovin life. Just passed through the Keys after plundering the Mayan indians of booty. A dozen or more of the Queen's vessels were heading back to Spain. Rum flowed endlessly. Plenty of Cuban tobacco on board. First the waves started getting bigger and bigger and the wind gradually climbed. Next thing they know they're sailing a 120 knot wind and getting blown like a kite into the reef of our coast. Maybe 1 in 50 managed to make it to shore alive at which time they were already figuring out how to smuggle the loot for themselves. We've got a Spanish fort still here built solely for the purpose of shelter while they tried to salvage what they could from the wrecks. Mosquitos probably ate em alive and the local indians might have cannibalized them. We know some of the livestock made it to shore. Supposedly that's where our wild hogs came from. And it's rumored that the Crown Jewels to the throne are still out there somewhere waiting to be uncovered.

 

[samm]

the news said rita is now a cat. 5..big and bad...hope she slows down..they closed my sons school untill monday....so far. and let out classes at 3 oclock which is 5 hours ahead of schedule...he just called and said he was back in town..(sigh of relief) he said traffic was pretty slow on 45 coming north..
txcountryboy you stay safe, along with everyone down yonder...my prayers are with all...

 

[ollie']

Weather.com says Rita is the 3rd most intense hurricane in the Atlantic Basin ever recorded. She is pouring the coal to it and blowing smoke out the stack. Ya'll better come see me and Bez'.

 

[Beefy]

They are describing Rita as "a tornado the size of the state of georgia." if i were you i'd get the hell out of dodge.

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

Update from Houston

Harris County has issued a mandatory evacuation for certain areas of Houston. Rita is a whopping 175 mph Category 5 Hurricane. Traffic is hell. Beltway 8 is backed up from 290 all the way past 59 with very little movement. 45 is backed up from Galveston to Huntsville, reported that traffic is moving under 20 mph in between. Some are reporting that it is taking up to 15 hours to get from Houston to Huntsville. Very few gas stations have any gas left, and the ones that do have raised prices to well over $3.00 per gallon. Lines at the few gas stations with gas are typically at least 20 cars per pump. Lines are out the parking lots and Ive seen lines almost a block away. The nations biggest oil refineries are on the Texas coast, and are shut down. Rita is finishing what Katrina started as far as shutting down oil production. Nearly all of the countries refineries are on the Gulf Coast, and are shut down. Current projections have winds in Galveston at 140+ mph, winds throughout the city of Houston up to 120 mph. Winds all the way up to College Station up to 100 mph. Storm surge in Houston will have much of east Houston under water. Over 700,000 homes under water just from the storm surge. Some are predicting that Rita will be more catostrophic than Katrina, depending on where it lands and how it hits Houston. The potential is definately there and as time passes, the storm seems to be creeping closer to Houston. Rita should be a tropical storm all the way up to Dallas.

It is 2:30am right now, I just got home from evacuating my cattle. It was hard to leave them, knowing that I have well over $10,000 invested in them and more importantly they are like pets. We took them up to Montgomery in a small pasture. Still in danger, but have a lot more chance than in the barn. Im getting ready to head out to College Station after I pack up some stuff. I can access my brothers computer to give updates. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have and Ill try to answer them.

 

[flaboy]

You all be careful out there and get out if you are in flood prone areas. The only saving grace is they expect it to drop back to a 4 before coming ashore. Also as it hits the shoreline it will start to slow down some more. God be with you all.

 

[Caustic Burno']

Looks like the girl has backed up and heading more east now with a bullseye on Galveston.
I still think it should hit New Orleans again place is still tore up from the first one.

 

[flaboy]

When it gets to us, they say we should expect 2-4 inches of rain per hour. They said to also expect tornados from all the wind. Right now I am glad I have insurance on our calves. My barn still hasn't been fixed from the last storm that came through a couple of months ago.

What sould I do? Leave them in the barn or turn them out?

Barns blow down trapping livestock inside. Paint your address and last name if ya can and turn them out.

 

[Crowderfarms]

For all you good People in Texas, and any other places Rita may affect, you all have our prayers, may the good Lord protect you and your families.

 

[Medic24]

Wow, No need to add to what has already been said....but it looks like the mother of all hurricanes..... near record setting, and I worry for my fellow cattle producers.

Prayers are being said ! :heart:

Remember this also....NC may be a long ways from TX, but here, we do have pastures, and hay for anyone who may need it. And that offer will remain open for however long, or until we get OUR hurricane that is sure to come again this year. :cboy:

 

[samm]

the way the news looked its coming straight up highway 45 to dallas..
flaboy that is a great idea , the spray painting your numbers on the cattle, i would have probably been to frazzley to think of it

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Looks like Rita will indeed be the worst sorm we've had in Houston-Galveston in many decades. And it's size is so massive that even if it changes course a fair amount (which doesn't seem likely) it will still wreak great havoc. Galveston is virtually completely abandoned as of 10 PM last night, as are a lot of other areas close to the coast. Houston and surrounding cities are having the mother of all traffic jams. Folks started leaving plenty early enough, but it's just hard to evacuate about one or two million people in a few days with the existing roadways, even after converting all lanes on some roads to only north or west bound. I have family members that left Rosenberg yesterday, heading for San Antonio. Rosenberg is way out in the suburbs about 25 miles southwest of Houston and seemingly away from the major population areas. They left at 6 PM and by 10 PM that had only gone about 25 miles.

Most gas stations are out of gas, but I passed a few on the way to work this morning that still had some and the posted price was "normal". Didn't see any signs of gouging, just long lines. The main problem with supply is that the tanker trucks can't readily get to the stations due to all the roads being clogged .

Sure wish I had a spare generator --- I've got a freezer full of Choice steaks and ribeyes and loads of deer chili and sausage. Lots of potentially good eating is going to spoil. But if that's the worst that happens to me and my family I guess it won't be too bad.

I sure hope all of you folks in Rita's path stay safe and come though the storm without any major damage and certainly without injury or loss of life.

 

[frenchie]

Been thinking about you folks alot..in our prayers.

 

[Anonymous]

Wish everyone the best and our prayers are with you. We made it thru Katrina with minor damage. With out power for 9 days gave up on freezer after 6 days and spread food around to everyone who needed it. Realized how soft we have become with all the conveniences we have. Again Everyone in our prayers.

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

UPDATE

Have great news for people in Houston, not so good for people more east. Rita is slowly shifting to the east more. They are now looking at a hit more towards Beaumont, and expect the storm to shift more east depending on the high pressure system moving. We have decided to stay here in Houston, unless it shifts back towards us. As of now, we are expecting tropical storm winds possibly weak Cat 1 winds. Been through that before, just as long as its no 100 mph winds here. Either way, we probably couldnt get anywhere before tomorrow with traffic. on 45, traffic is moving less than 1 mph. Taking 11 hours to get from the 610 loop to Beltway 8. Last night when taking cattle out, it took over 2 hours to get from 610 to the Beltway on 290. Gotten a lot worse. TXDOT is beginning to open up all major highways to only outbound lanes. I think this should have been done yesterday when traffic began gotting extreme. Gas is an extreme problem. On TV, you can see hundreds and hundreds of people parked in grass off the highway all out of gas. Federal assistance has been called in to bring in gas and lots of it.

Just heard on TV, we may not be out of the woods yet. They said the jump to the north that Rita made could have just been because the storm is so powerful it is unstable. When they become so powerful they often become unstable and dont keep a steady track and bounce around.

As of right now, the way traffic is, it is probably best to be at home.

 

[flaboy]

Thanks for the update TxCoUnTrYbOy. Yeah, we have seen those things wobble around quite a bit. I wouldn't let my guard down. Be safe all.