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These diaries are intended to provide an up-to-date emergency information and references for our many Gulf Coast/eastern Texas Kossacks. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those about to be affected by the hurricane. If you are trying to reach someone in the area of the storm, try text messaging. It often works when cell phones do not.
Hurricane Preparedness TIPS
More tips from Lady Libertine, from Crashing Vor, and
from Alphageek
STATUS REPORTS:
National Hurricane Center update as of 4:00 a.m. CDT:
...IKE GETS A LITTLE STRONGER...FORECAST TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE...
...COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF UP TO 20 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER OF IKE MAKES LANDFALL...EXTENDING A GREATER THAN USUAL DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER DUE TO THE LARGE SIZE OF THE CYCLONE. SURGE FLOODING OF UP TO 25 FEET...AND POSSIBLY HIGHER...COULD OCCUR AT THE HEADS OF BAYS. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED WITHIN THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREA ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST. . . .
Please check the latest hurricane warning for area specific information and mandatory evacuation orders. Yes, the "certain death" warning is still posted:
. . . LIFE THREATENING INUNDATION LIKELY!
ALL NEIGHBORHOODS...AND POSSIBLY ENTIRE COASTAL COMMUNITIES...WILL BE INUNDATED DURING THE PERIOD OF PEAK STORM TIDE. PERSONS NOT HEEDING EVACUATION ORDERS IN SINGLE FAMILY ONE OR TWO STORY HOMES WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH. MANY RESIDENCES OF AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION DIRECTLY ON THE COAST WILL BE DESTROYED.
LIVEBLOG VOLUNTEERS
Current Mothership Updaters: jlms_qkw, joanneleon, donnamarie, ReallyEvilCanine, exmearden, Stranded Wind, noweasels, gchuacer2
Child Diarist Line-Up:
- Timroff Liveblog # 1
- bottles Liveblog # 2
- mem from somerville Liveblog # 3
- jlynne (you are here)
- Auntie Neo Kawn
- TiaRachel
- Pluto
- Over the Edge
WEATHER & NEWS UPDATES
National:
Weather Underground
NOAA
stormpulse.com
StormJunkie - h/t Auntie Neo Kawn
Storm2k - h/t Safi
Online NOAA audio feeds from Houston and Corpus Christi - h/t PerfectStormer
Local:
KHOU -- Houston
KTXA --
Dallas Fort Worth
Frank Billingsly on Click2Houston
4 live News Feeds - Houston h/t JasperJohns
City of Houston Wind Warning Page
Don't miss our resident hurricane expert's reports: Weather Diaries by millwx
RADIO LINKS
Radio Links for Houston/South Texas stations - h/t Omir the Storyteller
EVACUATION INFORMATION - TEXAS
Texas Emergency Management
People evacuating to Austin should call (512) 974-1110 (h/t anotherdemocrat)
Map of Evacuation Areas and routes
Houston traffic maps
Per the NWS public advisory:
(for Matagorda County) IF YOU HAVE NO MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION OR CANNOT FIND ANYONE TO
HELP YOU EVACUATE AND NEED ASSISTANCE...YOU CAN CONTACT
979-245-3056 OR 979-244-5318. YOU SHOULD COME TO THE BAY CITY
SERVICE CENTER OR KC HALL IN PALACIOS.
FOR RESIDENTS IN THE MANDATORY EVACUATION ZIP ZONES WHO HAVE
SPECIAL NEEDS AND ARE NOT REGISTERED...PLEASE CALL 311.
BUSES ARE AVAILABLE FOR FOR CITIZENS THAT NEED ASSISTANCE WITH
EVACUATIONS. BUSES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING PICKUP POINTS:
BACLIFF COMMUNITY CENTER: 4500 10TH STREET...BACLIFF...77518
DICKINSON COMMUNITY CENTER: 2417 HWY 3...DICKINSON...77539
HITCHCOCK LIBRARY...8005 BARRY AVENUE...HITCHCOCK...77563
CRYSTAL BEACH ANNEX...941 NOBLE CARL DRIVE...CRYSTAL BEACH...
77650
EVACUATION INFORMATION -- LOUISIANA
LINK Vermilion — mandatory south of the Intracoastal Waterway, south of Louisiana 14 and Erath and Delcambre.
St. Mary — Mandatory for mobile homes and travel trailers in Baldwin and mandatory in Franklin, south of the railroad tracks.
Iberia — recommend for low-lying areas and mandatory south of U.S. 90 and east of Louisiana 94.
St. Martin — voluntary for Belle River, Stephensville, low-lying areas and mobile homes.
Calcasieu — mandatory for low-lying area, mobile homes in Cameron — full mandatory in Terrebonne — southern part of the parish.
HOUSING INFORMATION
Austin Shelter Info Here
alkalinesky's Housing Assistance Diary
ankey has an extra room for someone in downtown Austin
HELP FOR PETS
Pet friendly hotels
AustinCynic has tips on available boarding kennels
Houston ASPCA HELP FOR ANIMALS
Houston Humane Society Donation Page (The Houston ASPCA and Houston Humane Society really helped with animals rescued in New Orleans after Katrina. These are good people.)
Texas Animal Health Commission
h/t to noweasels for links
WEATHERCAMS, IMAGES and ANIMATIONS
KHOU
Corpus Christi bayfront cam
KRGV
Lots of other webcams and tons of info here h/t to DCBlue
Image links to surge animations, etc. - h/t Safi
Western Gulf Weather Buoys - h/t Anderson Scooper
Colorized IR Loop - h/t peacemon
Webcams, Texas, Galveston one is called "flagship"
RED CROSS AND OTHER AID ORGANIZATIONS - please donate if you can:
Red Cross Main Site
Houston Area Red Cross - Click here to donate
Corpus Christi Red Cross - Click here to donate
Other Texas Red Cross Chapters
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ON THE GROUND
Dallas/Fort Worth Area:
Desperate Need for Volunteers