Stay safe and well my Texan friends.....Ya all are in my prayers...

not2fun

Keep those prayers moving north gang!

What's left of Ike is battering Arkansas tonight (my brother and SIL live near Little Rock) and will be dumping even more rain around here tomorrow some time. So far in the past 3 days we've had about 8 inches in the Chicago area and the rivers are already over their banks. And Ike hasn't even been here yet...

Tonight the DuPage, DesPlaines and Kankakee are all over their banks. All three meet in the town where I live (The name of our village is supposedly from the Iroquois for "Where the waters meet") to form the Illinois which is at the bank right now. The North Branch of the Chicago River topped it's banks tonight for the first time in many years.

The water at our church was within a foot of the parking lot at noon today. (It is on the banks of the DuPage).

Keep praying for Texas and Louisiana, but don't stop there!

Mark

Sounds good to me, I would like to provide a list of things I love but I can't seem to make at home.

I spoke too soon, we got some rain... and I left the lawn mower out with the gas cap off... brilliant!

I didnt meet my lawnmowers EN for the rule of safety

We fared well in our little town which is 50m west of Houston. The most damage I had was the meter outside. It was already loose, though. The wind loosened it some more. That's about it.

I went to bed around 2am after double checking the wind speeds. A loud noise woke me around 6am and I wasn't sure what it was at first but then I realized it was the critters that live beneath my house. It was so loud I thought that giant oak tree was going and I'd have to bug out of there!

Nope. All is well.

I feel so bad for all the people who have lost their homes all over the place. And I saw a report on San Leone, not even a town left, there. It's awful.

I'm sure there's more to come since the reporters aren't even able to get into some areas yet.

Friends from Bridge City have most likely lost their home, too. They are staying at my grandma's right now. They have been told that their house was submerged but haven't yet been able to confirm it with their own eyes. And they are still paying the government back for money loaned after Rita went through there.

Well, have a good night, Everyone. The best night you can, anyway!

Take care, All!!

Charlotte

hi All from down the bayou...water's starting to go down, thank God...

The boys and I are doing well...actually went to the grocery store to put food back in the frig today...I'm about tired of MRE's but grateful we had them to begin with...

I don't know how many of our schools were flooded, and then we have six that had major damage from Gustav...I really can't see school starting Tues but I have to be to work tomorrow so that's great...

I was truly blessed with these two...talked to BC, he lost a few more shingles and a few fence boards but he's okay too...

I feel bad for all that was hit in TX, I feel the pain...the heartache and completely understand how ready everyone's going to feel to get life back to norm...I'll keep all of you in my prayers...we did have 2 deaths as a result of Ike...one was a 16 yr old boy who drown, fell off of a rescue boat...so sad...

God bless...

Glad for the update. Haven't heard from many people. I guess they have no power. Hang in there and let us know what you need.

Just an update from Texas. Still no power, no gas, no ice. Most businesses are closed. FEMA has comandeered the cell phone towers so cell phone usage is minimal. this is crimping my style!

Mel<----reporting from the truck on DH's satellite internet card

Does that mean NO STARBUCKS?????

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh MB withdrawal AND coffee withdrawal at the same time!!



POOR Mr Lane!!

San Antonio never gets any good weather! At least we've had some rain. All my northern business contacts ask me about these hurricanes. Er, I'll put out my potted plants for some water??

Only thing Ike brought to San Antonio was cooler weather! Mid to high 80's today!! I just hope to hear from the houston area soon!

Glad you are ok Mel.

How goes it, Mel? Are you still in the pickup truck? Any cell service? Coffee??

Mel's in the truck, Cathy's in the closet.......

Is Betrayed Cajun still in the garage drinking beer???????

Hope y'all get some fast help.

Any more Hurricanes and I'm gonna need a new liver

I'm pretty much 100% back to normal. I'm high and dry so I didn't have to worry about storm surge. I did loose a few more shingles and a board off of the fence. Nothing to even speak of really. I never even lost power for this one.

The coastal areas are another story. Flooding was worse than Rita, which at the time was the worst flood in South Louisiana recorded history. My field office I'm sure had about 4 feet in it, which means it's destroyed. I brought the office equipment to my house, so that's safe and sound, but there's plenty that got left behind. So tomorrow I'm gonna try to make it to the port to assess the damage. I think the water will be down by then. It's gonna be ugly around here for awhile. Our office adminstrator's trapped in her home. She's dry, but surrounded by flood water. Hopefully, she can get out tomorrow. A cold front's passing through and the north wind should push the water out.

I also have some co-workers that lost their homes. I have one that went to check on her house and it is surrounded by dead cows. They were fighting the snakes for the mound her house is on and lost. I have another that we're flying in from Boston right now because there's 4 feet of water in his house, that he just finished rebuilding after Rita. His house is on a slab and he didn't get enough money to raise it.

So I'm perfectly fine, and for the most part in good spirits, I'm just sick of all this.

We could always use a good Cajun cook in Colorado.

Or in California.......

The sad thing is the area just starting recovery from the last hurricane.

no power, no ice, no gas, no Starbucks, no patience!! I did get 2 bags of ice this morning from a FEMA truck but they ran out quickly. I am running low on gas so the internet in the truck thang is not going to last long. And my PANSY company did not open today!! [except our truck drivers]

MEL, I feel your pain sweetie...I hope that things get back to norm soon...

BC, good to hear from you...I'm exhausted from all this crap...first day back at work and I'm having trouble getting into the swing of things...we're missing staff, their homes are flooded and/or have other damage...student population sucks big time...

Hoping to hear from some others in TX, I did make a new friend there, he's north of houston in Porter...said that he lost part of his roof and ceiling...house isn't even stable enough to turn on the power if they had it...

Another co-worker here said that it would be 5 or 6 months before construction was finished on her house...she's in Baton Rouge about two hours north of houma for those that aren't familiar with the area...

It's just going to be a long process forward recovery for so many...

I am praying that all is well for our Texans. On Saturday, I talked to a friend from my area who moved to Spring 3 years ago. She said that Ike was the scariest weather experience she has ever had.

She said it sounded like a beast roaring over the top of their house and she was sure the windows would rattle right out of the walls.

A bit of humor from her. She said that she put a grill and a bench in her backyard shed to keep them safe. Well....in the light of day the grill and bench were safe....but the shed was gone.

Blessings to all of you,
WH2LE

RMX talked with Mogrod earlyer today. They do not have electricity but ok. He sent WW and son to Austin so they are safe as well.