South Texas getting ready for the Big Flush?

[Mikey]

Apparently most of the illegals are more afraid of La Migra than they are of Ike.

Hurricane Ike takes aim at South Texas
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer
35 minutes ago

With Hurricane Ike steaming into the Gulf of Mexico, Texas emergency officials Tuesday stood ready to order 1 million people evacuated from the impoverished Rio Grande Valley and tried to convince tens of thousands of illegal immigrants that they have less to fear from the Border Patrol than from the storm.

Emergency planning officials were meeting all day to decide if and when to announce a mandatory evacuation for coastal counties close to the Mexican border.

With forecasts showing Ike blowing ashore this weekend, authorities lined up nearly 1,000 buses in case they are needed to move out the many poor and elderly people who have no cars.

Federal authorities gave assurances they would not check people's immigration status at evacuation loading zones or inland checkpoints. But residents were skeptical, and there were worries that many illegal immigrants would refuse to board buses and go to shelters for fear of getting arrested and deported.

"People are nervous," said the Rev. Michael Seifert, a Roman Catholic priest and immigrant advocate. "The message that was given to me was that it's going to be a real problem."

One reason for the skepticism: Back in May, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the Border Patrol would do nothing to impede an evacuation in the event of a hurricane. But when Hurricane Dolly struck the Rio Grande Valley in late July, no mandatory evacuation was ordered, and as a result the Border Patrol kept its checkpoints open. Agents soon caught a van load of illegal immigrants.

It would be the first mandatory large-scale evacuation in South Texas history. State and county officials let people decide for themselves whether to leave a hurricane area until just before Hurricane Rita struck the Gulf Coast in 2005. Now county officials can order people out of harm's way.

Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas said if an evacuation is ordered this time, county officials will visit immigrant neighborhoods and forcefully urge people to clear out.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav, "there were a lot of immigrants who said, `I'm not going to go,'" said Salinas, the county's top elected official. "It's going to be hard."

In Washington, Rear Adm. W. Craig Vanderwagen, assistant U.S. health secretary for preparedness and response, told reporters: "In storm events, if people are trapped it doesn't particularly matter to those of us in the humanitarian assistance world which side of that border they come from. We will do what we need to do to evacuate the people who need to be evacuated."

At 5 p.m. EDT, Ike was about 90 miles southwest of Havana, Cuba, moving northwest at 10 mph with sustained winds near 75 mph. It was expected to cross the Gulf of Mexico, strengthening to a Category 3 with winds of up to 130 mph.

Forecasters said that it could hit on Saturday morning just about anywhere along the Texas coast, with the most likely spot close to the Corpus Christi area.

Areas from Matagorda Bay to Corpus Christi and south to Brownsville — about 250 miles of coastline — were told to prepare for possible mandatory evacuation.

On Tuesday, Ike roared across Cuba, ravaging homes, killing at least four people and forcing 1.2 million to evacuate.

The Rio Grande Valley is still soggy from Dolly, which flooded the region, damaging hundreds of homes but killing no one. Many homes still have blue tarps on their roofs.

The Rio Grande Valley's residents are among those least equipped to handle hurricane flooding. It is one of the poorest parts of the country, with one-third of all families living below the poverty line, compared with 10 percent nationally.

Colonias, or ramshackle communities often lacking sewer systems and paved streets, dot the Valley. Even an ordinary rainstorm can fill yards with disease-ridden sewage from flooded septic tanks. Many of the poor lack health insurance.

Mexican officials said more than a dozen dams in the northern state of Chihuahua were at capacity or spilling over, heightening fears of flooding on the American side of the border.

Gov. Rick Perry declared 88 coastal counties disaster areas Monday to start the flow of state aid, and began preparing for an evacuation, lining up "buses rather than body bags."

The Dallas-Fort Worth area sheltered about 3,000 Hurricane Gustav evacuees last week and is prepared for up to about 20,000 people this time, said Steve Griggs, a county official. The downtown convention center would again serve as the main shelter.

[Imus]

This would be the golden opportunity to line 'em all up and march them into the sea.

But nobody has balls to do it in our government.

[War Wagon]

This would be the golden opportunity to line 'em all up and march them into the sea.

Predictable.

Why bother with all that trouble? Let's just line them all up and machine gun 'em down like the vermin they are.

[Wolfman]

We are quite aways from Ike and got a lot of rain and wind from it. Look out Texas !

[Left Seater]

We live about 40 miles inland from the Gulf and are about 40 mins south of Houston. Prep is underway in a huge way here. Coastal counties have already issued voluntary evacuation orders, and mandatory goes into effect tonight at 8. Flew down to my mom's house outside of Rockport yesterday and then flew her and the pets out to a friends house outside of Uvalde.

Storm will hit somewhere between Corpus Christi and Freeport. Problem is if it hits Freeport that puts Galveston and their bay in the worst section of the storm.

Look for a PET about the strom and the aftermath as long as we have power. My wife and I have to stay because she is an executive with an insurance company and she will be counted on to get money in the hands of policy holders ASAP after the storm. Good thing non of you guys know where we live cause she recieved 10,000 AMEX gift cards that are in our home safe.

I know we will do a much better job no matter where the storm hits since we don't have a Nagan.

God Bless Texas

[Mikey]

Good luck LS.

With your OL there, I know you're in good hands...

[Mikey]

Be safe, Lefty.



Galveston has the nastiest, filthiest beaches I've ever seen. Brown water. Can't get much worse.

A few dead, bloated bodies floating ashore, ripened by a couple of days exposure to sun and water would prolly bring it down even a few notches farther.

[Left Seater]

Agreed, horrible beaches in Galveston. Really all of Texas, but that has to due with location to Mexico and being on the closed end of the gulf.

We have taken all the precautions that are practical and should be just fine. We even have a generator as our house could become the office for my wife's company if the power is out for an extended period of time. Storm surge is not a worry, winds and flooding are the minor issues, extended power outages are the major concern. Not sure about y'all but I like my air to be conditioned when the temps are in the 90s and the humidity is in the 80s.

All HS sporting events have been canceled for Friday, Saturday, and Sun in the coastal areas of the state. There will be triple headers in some areas tomorrow with many double headers.

[Left Seater]

Agreed on the HS sports, but since I am a part of that thought I would report.

What with my wife in the insurance business we have an extensive hurricane plan. We also have an extensive hurricane supply list. There are currently 50 cases of water in our garage, should things get horrible, she would be able to provide some to policy holders. Her company also has an agreement with 7 local stations and the City of Sugar Land, Ft Bend County, and others for gas. Considering insurance people need to be working we have access to gas even if the authorities take over the station.

Bottom line is we are as prepared as we are going to get and now we are in position to help those along the coast get to safer location in Central Texas. The deep freezer has plenty of Halibut and steaks that we will cook up for the 'hood should the power go out. We also have about 10 bags of ice in there.

[Rack Fu]

I'm definitely not digging that the projected path keeps creeping more towards the north with each hourly update. I'm about 70 miles inland out in northwest Harris County. Not as worried as I would be if I were on the south or east side but still keeping a very close eye (pun intended) on the storm.

[RadioFan]

The blown grass clippings are gonna be murder.



Be safe, Fu, Lefty.

[War Wagon]

Look for a PET about the strom and the aftermath as long as we have power.

I did a PET about Gustav: link.

I'm afraid that this storm is going to be a very bad one for Texas, and that it will hit closer to the Louisiana boarder than the Mexico boarder. I hope I'm wrong.

Nice PET. Glad that you got your power back sooner than expected. That tree damage is unreal, kinda' like a Midwest ice storm in December without the foliage... but 10 times worse. You'll be months cleaning that mess up.

And counselor dude, let's hope Ike stays away from the Louisiana border... you French hicks have had enough.

[Left Seater]

Maybe it is wishcasting on my part but I think this is a LA/TX border storm. Get ready Lake Charles.

[rozy]

Maybe it is wishcasting on my part but I think this is a LA/TX border storm. Get ready Lake Charles.

Possible, but it is quite a ways south and did finally take the predicted west/northwest turn overnight. If it goes where they are saying, though, and strengthens like they are predicting, a very large number has waited too long to react, including county leaders.

[rozy]

Nice site someone showed me yesterday.

http://www.stormpulse.com/

[poptart]

Maybe it is wishcasting on my part but I think this is a LA/TX border storm. Get ready Lake Charles.

Simililar to Rita.

They've been gradually moving the cone further and further east ... so me hopes you're right, 'Seater.

I've got a home sittin' not far from Rack Fu.

Hatches barrened, I hope.


PrimeX is a homo, imo.

[Left Seater]

Still possible I guess, but the center line of the cone has been over Freeport Texas for about 12 hours now. Further the strom is taking more of the forecated track than at anytime in the last 72 hours.

Looks like it is focusing in on us.

Updates as long as there is power starting tomorrow.

[RumpleForeskin]

We're hunkering down.

Got the bottled water, frozen water filled pitchers in the freezers, a full propane tank, full tank of gas in both cars, and enough flashlights and batteries to run a small business. I fucked up and didn't buy a generator though. Oh well.

[stuckinia]

Fasten all seatbelts, seal all entrances and exits, close all shops in the mall, cancel the three ring circus, secure all animals in the zoo!

[BSmack]

Dr. Peter Venkman: This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Mayor: What do you mean, "biblical"?
Dr Ray Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath of God type stuff.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Exactly.
Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...
Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave!
Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

[Left Seater]

Fill all your vehicles with gas, wash all of your clothes and change the sheets on your bed, get lots of cash in small bills, clean your guns and get ammo, get a chainsaw and gas, get tarps for your roof, get ropes and tools, get battery operated radios and tvs, get battery operated fans, get your camera ready to document things for your insurance company, have everyone's contact numbers and have a plan to evacuate, get food and drinks and ice, dry ice if it is available, look at your yard and the area and realize all that stuff will be projectiles. Prepare for being out of power for awhile, unfortunately this will not be a small or short event. We have friends in Houston who are now on I-10 headed to Baton Rouge, they are not going back until the electricity is back on.

Godspeed.

Uh, you do realize that this is Texas! We keep plenty of ammo on hand and after every hunt the guns get a complete cleaning.

Local Home Depots and Lowes are now closing their doors and only allowing 10 people in at a time. Things were getting out of hand and there were arguements about the limit of 15 sheets of plywood per person.

[RumpleForeskin]

Yeah, it's a fucking mess around here too.

I'm going through all of our disaster recovery procedures right now. Lots of crap we have to go through since we are a financial investment firm.

[Mikey]

I never realized Texans were such pussies.

Loosianians, maybe, but Texans are supposed to be all macho and self-reliant and stuff.
Tie mom down and open a bottle of tequila or something.

Is this pussification a post-Dubya thing, or what?

[BSmack]

Those macho, self reliant Texans will be the first to que up for Federal disaster relief handouts.

[Left Seater]

Hell yeah we will line up for federal monies. Damn time that all that money we send to Washington comes back to Texas. We get back much less than we send up.