Betty & Nancy,

Please do report, keep us informed. We will be worried.

Betty

Several years ago, we had a horrible hailstorm in the middle of the night. We were in the middle of remodeling the upstairs bathroom, so all three cars were out of the garage (had materials stored in there, and didn't want my cars scratched up). We have our insurance as an all-in-one with house, cars, boat, excess liability.

By sundown that day, I had the personal extension number of the insurance person who would be dealing with the damage to the house. By sundown the next day, I had the personal extension number of the person who would be dealing with the damage to the cars. We had a check in hand within a couple of weeks, and some of our neighbors were still fighting with their insurance companies a year later. We have since changed companies (for totally different reasons) and I could only hope for the same kind of results if it happened again.

Will try to keep everyone posted, provided we have electricity. I am on my 2nd glass of wine!!! Like Betty mentioned, no water to buy or d batteries. Fortunately, we didn't need those items. We are still doing things around the house and it's so hot out right now. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Nancy

Oh gosh, the newscaster just said that Rita might become the most powerful hurricane in history. My emotions are being wrenched, I can't imagine how the NOLA evacuees in Texas are feeling right now.

Rita is a BIG nasty storm. We have had heavy, heavy rains, off and on, all day here, and we are over 400 miles from the eye of the storm.

Betty

Nancy and Betty, please stay safe. This is a huge storm and I will be thinking about you and praying for the best.

Ditto Karen. These traumatized folks are going to be uprooted once again for parts unknown. The children, especially, must be stressed to the max, the poor things! It makes me feel like a normal, average day is the most wonderful thing in the world.

My prayers are with everyone in the path of this horrible storm. Please be safe and please consider getting out of town...too much damage can happen even 50 miles inland.

Nancy and Betty please keep us informed...and please call someone from this board to let us know you're safe after the storm passes.

Nancy & Betty,

My heart goes out to you and anyone else in the path of Rita. I can't imagine how hard it must be to make the decision of whether to go or stay. Please, please do whatever it takes to stay safe. We'll all be on pins & needles waiting to hear that you are O.K.

Take care,

To our LCT friends in Texas and anywhere else in the path of Rita - Keeping you in our prayers that you remain safe. I echo what Cyndi said. I can't imagine making such a decision to remain or go. However, nothing is worth staying for. Your lives are your most precious valuables.

Please let us know how you're doing. Hoping the worst can be averted.

Denise & Alan

The decision to go or stay has sort of been made for us. All roads out of town in total gridlock. The storm path has moved slightly east - now if it will move just a little more east, it will be better for Clay & I on the west side of town. Nancy, I don't know where you live & hope you are not stuck in traffic. But stay safe.
Today will be another 100+ degree day but all I have left to do is a few errands this morning. Then, home for the duration.
We will not lose power until sometime tomorrow so can keep you updated from a local point of view until then.
Stay away flood waters & to my roof - don't you dare decide to blow away. I need you. LOL

Hi all. Here in the Bahamas, I'm finally able to get back online via the condo office again & sometimes from my laptop inside our condo. Rita messed things up but we're recovering fast down here.....I've been trying to get calls in to my sister who lives very close to Betty in Houston. The cells have been taken over by the emergency officials. (She doesn't have email at her house.) I was able to speak to my sister this morning & she said the roads are "impossible". Total gridlock. She was scheduled to fly to Dallas this afternoon but says it's impossible to get to the airport. My heart is pounding worrying. Betty, I'll try again to get an email to you. Thanks for staying online. Please take care! The Bahamians are sending prayers. - Michele

Michele, I will be praying for your sister and everyone else in Rita's way.

Betty & Michele,

This all sounds really scary. I've been watching the news and see all the gridlock in Houston. They just said it is being described as the worst traffic jam in U.S. history!!!

Michele - I hope your sister stays safe and sound. I know you are so worried about her.

Betty - I sure hope it doesn't come to you having to ride it out on your roof!!! Very, very scary thought.

Nancy - Hope you are O.K. too!!!

My thoughts and prayers are with ALL of you and the loved ones worrying about you.

Betty, we live by Rice University. We are staying since we didn't flood during Allison. However, we are very concerned about the wind since we have lots of big old trees here. Take care of yourself. Nancy

Sending good wishes your way to all in Rita's path. Have been through the worst of hurricanes the last 20 years and they are fierce and surprising in their destruction, as we all saw with Katrina. If you can evacuate, do it now.

Betty I'm listening to CNN and they're saying there's now a mandatory evacuation order for Houson.

They can make it mandatory all day long, but they can't fix the traffic problems. I have an online acquaintance who began her evacuation last night with her husband and five boys. Twelve hours later, they still weren't out of Houston yet. Hopefully, they will turn the major interstates around soon.

Mandatory evacuation for Houston? Oh my!
Like Pam pointed out, what are people supposed to do if the roads aren't moving? Having lived down that way, I recall Houston traffic as not moving in good times. I just cannot imagine how bad this is - nor can I conceive of being asked to evacuate. Such a horror.
I have a few family members in Houston & its Burbs. One lives up by the airport - are they evacuating that far north? My cousin is a Dr - are they asking Dr's to stay so they will have medical professionals after the storm hits (But we all hope & pray that it doesn't in its present form)?

There isn't a mandatory evacutation of Houston. If you live near a bayou or in an area that is prone to flooding then it's mandatory. Right now, the roads are backed up, I45 is backed up for 100 miles! Many of the people on the road are the ones that had to leave the Galveston area and other low lying areas. It' a mess. HOwever, the storm is headed slightly to the east of where it was originally suppose to go, hope this will help us. Nancy

Gil, just spoke to my friend that's a Dr at the med center, of course he is staying. We are so close to there.

I hadn't heard the mandatory Houston evacuation. Don't think this is correct. If it is, good luck. They can't get the freeways to move right now & people are out of gas. The governor has said they are sending fuel to these people, but not even the local news people can figure out how to begin to get it to them. And Gil is so right. Traffic on a good day is a nightmare. At least it is still sunny, but it is also 100 degrees.
I think this traffic thing will probably turn into Houston's version of the SuperDome/Convention Center.
Unlike Florida, they have never used both sides of a freeway to go one direction for hurricane evacuations. It has been ordered, but of course they can't get all the jerks who are trying to drive into town to get off. Some people seem to feel that laws are for everyone but them. Hopefully this is my only vent of the day.

Betty, we love your venting here. Keep posting.
Too bad we don't have magic to send you a helicopter to the airport and a ticket to LA. We LCT'ers would be happy to put you and Clay up while the storm passes!

Betty, please, please keep venting right here. That way, we know you are still safe and able to be irritated. I'd love to have you and Clay right here in my upstairs guestroom if you could get here!

Betty -
Vent Away!!!

We will be especially thrilled to see your vents this weekend. How wonderful that will be, for then we will be sure you are safe & sound.

Betty, Nancy, and everyone in Rita's path - you are in our prayers!

Betty I'm with Gil and Pam - vent all you want so we know you're safe!

Thinking about all of you and hope you come through this unscathed

I did hear it on CNN but apparently according to the mayor about two hours ago, it wasn't true. Good luck to you all.

My friend has gone to another friend's house. She spent 18 hours on the road with her five boys in the vehicle with her (two of them are 3 & 5) and her husband behind in his truck. They managed to get an hour away from home in that time.

Oh, please be safe, and may the powers that be keep you safe.

Stay in touch.

Betty and Nancy - stay safe!!! Hope it continues to weaken somewhat! (heard it was downgraded at least to cat. 4?)

Masaki

I just heard from my Houston cousins. Their daughters live in Austin, so thay are now at the daughters' apartments. Said it took "only" 5 hours for the drive.

Still hoping & praying for Rita to fall apart.

Just got an e-mail that New Orleans is already starting to flood. Damn it! Please everyone stay safe!

Betty and Nancy - please be safe, we will be thinking about you. Betty, you just vent all you want, LCT'ers are there for you.

Michele - hope all goes well with your sister, we were so worried about Frank's sister in Biloxi during Katrina and it was days before we got any word on them, will think about her too and send prayers to her as well as to Betty and Nancy and everyone in that area.

Stay safe, and we are all thinking of you!

WE're still waiting!!! Betty, I don't know about you but I'm bored out of my mind and can't relax. We've taken our dog for 3 long walks already. It's still so hot out but the wind is starting to pick up. I'm glad we didn't leave because we'd probably would be stuck on the road somewhere in an overheated car or one with no gas! I'll try and keep you all posted. Once again, everyone, thanks for your thoughts and prayers. Nancy

Nancy
I am like you. I seem to flit from nothing to another nothing. Clay has just gone out to look for some place to buy a bar of soap. Now why didn't I think of that!!!! Have no idea where he plans on using it if we lose water, but it is giving him something to do. And he only likes Tome soap. Not a big seller anywhere. At least it has given me a chuckle for the day after the heart breaking news about the people from the Bellaire home. Sent my son an email saying, whatever the cost, when I am in "the home" & this happens again, hire a private ambulance plane to get me out.
Hope you trees remain standing and hope my roof remains in tack. Our street is like a ghost town. Very eerie.
Stay safe.

Editing to add: Clay has returned. He was the last person they let in the store. No Tome (I'm shocked!), so he will have to suffer with Irish Spring. I still haven't asked where he plans on using it. Oh well, another good cocktail party hurricane survival story and another chuckle.

I'm saying prayers for you Betty and Nancy.

I also saw she's down to a 3---let's keep it going down. Now they say New Orleans is flooding again in the Ninth Ward.

Trish

Betty & Nancy

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=DG25962351

I just checked all the news sites and it looks like there are three levee breaches in New Orleans. Gads!

I got an email earlier this week from my host at Harrah's in New Orleans; she wanted to let me know that she had transferred to the Rio in Vegas. I was so glad to hear from her because I was worried. I did ask her about the New Orleans casino and the new hotel they are building, and she said neither got structural damage. She didn't say if she plans to transfer back in the future. I'm pretty sure she isn't a New Orleans native, so she may very well stay in Vegas.

Betty and Nancy, hang on! My other friend made it 60 miles in 20 hours and stopped at a friend's. She and her family are back on the road to Dallas now. This is all so tragic.

Golly, Betty and Nancy - Houston is deserted!