hey aj
glad you got back to us. keep us posted.
100,000 people??????? is there that many people left on the island???? watching the weather channel it looks emtpy.
don`t try and kite surf in thoses winds like that guy in FLA did.
stay safe

Hey Glenn

Just let me know about the 8 meter.

Susan (npw goddess)

We have over 200,000 homes located in the surge zone and less than 50% left, you do the math...............aj

I talked with Tinker and he and his family will ride the storm out, but he says that he will be all good. The worst case for him sounded like maybe loose power. Hopefully everybody is safe and rides this mother of a storm out. I see the locals are keeping the POOP DECK weighted down. I think every tv station has showed that crazy folks at the poop deck.
Be Safe

Big John

To everyone in South Texas are in my prayers and stay safe especially with Galveston. Keep us posted ASAP

AJ,

I can't even imagine why the number of folks wouldn't evacuate the Galveston Is / Galveston Area! Have they never been in, or close to, a true strong storm???

Wow! I only hope your estimate is way, way wrong, but I fear you will be very close to correct. Soon, there will be no rescue for them. How sad....It's avoidable. Good luck in all you do to help folks down there. Please stay as safe as you can.

Lobo :wow:

I still have communications, winds 30 gusting to over 50, power is out but we have a eight day supply of fuel for generator. Had a friend call me from his boat, convinced him that he need to try to get out and self rescue to tower in marina. hope he makes it out . will have coastie pluck him after if he survives. His cell phone is dead now. Hope he made it. I am west of downtown, building on total lock down but me Am out in my truck. This is a weird storm. Next issue is everyone coming out in the eye searching for new shelters.I have been up since 4am with only 10 hrs of sleep in 3 days. Thank god for redbull and the 24 pack i brought with me. 2cartons of cigs is only going to last a few more days.............aj

Gusting close to 60 now at my location, sky is lite with blue flashes as tranformers blow everywhere. Its going to be a long cleanup. shoud be at least 5 feet of glass covering downtown.Please never try to experience this for yourself. I got my kite out but left the buggys behind. Still hoping that i can get out in 2 weeks to make it to niagra kite fest...........aj

HOW'S IT GOING?

READING ONLINE STUFF ISN'T AS REAL AS YOUR REPORTS...

HOW MUCH LONGER WILL THE BEATINGS CONTINUE?

AJ said that it might be a few days before we hear from him. So now it is the waiting game.

Susan (npw goddess)

I will have a full report later but the city is fair and the coastal area is trashed. My boat surivied and has a little damage. I will be living at work and my brothers for several months till the marina can re-connect to the outside world. Hope everyone else is ok................aj

Good news AJ.

Steve M. (taper123) sent me an e-mail and said that his house got hit by 3 trees.

Susan (npw goddess)

Glad y'all are ok. I hope things get back to normal sooner than expected.

Heavy rains today! Wide spread flooding reported throughout the area this not what we need................aj

ggggggggggggggggggggggggggooooooooooooooooooodddddddddddddddddd to hear!!!!

http://www.accuweather.com/video-on-demand.asp?partner=adcal...

New video in from the west end. You can see SLP in the middle of the West End video. It looks like the dunes are gone and the beach is right in front of the first row of houses now. It looks very bad.

http://www.khou.com/video/

Thanks for posting that Steve. Here's a more direct link to the West End video. SLP starts at 3.00.

http://www.khou.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=282766

The worst of the damage looks to be further north around Jamaica Beach. Not much beach left but maybe the tides are still running high? dunno.

We still haven't heard from Rick, Sarah, and Chris who rode the storm out in Houston. I imagine they're fine but many phone lines are still down. They may even have bugged out at the last minute and gone to folks in Austin or Huntsville.

Also haven't heard from Charles Huckabbe (Kroc). No answer on either home or cell phone.

Keep the prayers coming folks.

hey aj
glad you made it out fairly ok.
hope the rest of the gang reports in soon.
i watched the weather channel all night firday.
they were reporting from the st louis hotel. i watched the waves crashing over the sea wall.

hey gang
pictures are coming in now on the web. it doesn`t look good.
why would anybody want to stay there is beyond me.
the whole island looks like a war zone.

Spent an hour with rick sarah and chris last nite, they came out good and chris place in galveston came out fine with NO damage. R&s lost several large trees...........aj

Kroc just called. They still don't have cell phone service at the house but he's driving around and got my voicemail notification. They are also without power and now the news is saying the sewage is backing up so don't use it. They are out of food too and are having to wait in line for 6 hours to get mre's.

They only lost a fence and a few shingles since they didn't have any large trees, but everyone else in their area that had large pines suffered serious damage.

At least they are ok! That accounts for everyone.

Dave

Quote:

Originally posted by kitemaker4 Good news AJ. Steve M. (taper123) sent me an e-mail and said that his house got hit by 3 trees. Susan (npw goddess)

Not just hit by trees, but destroyed. One split the house in half and landed 1 foot from Linda. Her foot was injured but since the hospital is on emergency power they are only taking critical patients. They've been sleeping in a tent for the last 2 nights, but Terry Crumpler is taking his trailer to them right now.

Have internet on my blackberry. Thanks for all the help and calls of support from everyone. The insurance guy came and went in five minutes, said the house was un-inhabitable. We have just pretended to be camping out in the front yard while we pull out all the wet carpet and box things up. Have to wait for the next level of inspectors who the giuyu said will decide wether to total it or remove the entire roof structure. Snapped 2x6 and 2x12's like twigs. We joke with everyone who stops about our new skylight and indoor arboreum. Still have about a ten foot limb lying on the floor of another room I have yet to get to. At least are food was saved, just kitchen cabinets with all spices and things got soaked... But neighbors have fixed that. Have to get a tree service/crane to get the tree out. Had to run outside to turn off the gas since it ruptured the line. Stuff was flying everywhere and you coulkd hear trees snapping. But the important thing is... Everyone is still here and alive. Once again, thanks for everything and all the support you guys have given us.

Steve I'm so glad you are OK. sorry about the house but it seems your are dealing with it well considering the circumstances. It's amazing you how folks can pull together.

AJ, glad to hear that both you and the boat are OK. Good luck with the recovery.

Not sure about the boat now. I have only now been able to go thru the boat and start looking. It looks like the boat might have some stucter problems. Cracks in the ribs and no electrical system. Remember that this thing took a beating for 10 hrs of 90mph winds. I am off for the next 24 hrs. I have been working from 27hr to 18 hr shifts since last wednesday. I been oly able to sleep 2 hrs at a time. Just woke up from my first 6 hr sleep since Gustav.Hoping for the best, planning for the worst..........................aj:alien:

Here ia link to my marina and area.............aj
http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/action967/?special_tr...

hey aj
sounds like you have been working your ass off.
go rest up for what sounds like many weeks of work for you.
now i just heard that many of the houses on the island might not be rebuilt.

I am back at it today, had to take 36 hrs off due to stomach flu. 56% still without power, dusk to dawn curfews, lots of clean-up. Still have not made it to galveston. I really need to fly, but our bay is full of sewage due to all cities dumping into it. Need to cut myself down to only 12hr shifts for health reasons. Saw a 100ft mega yatch park between houses yesterday. Take care.............aj

It does sound like you need to slow down AJ. Take care. Hope you are better.

Susan (npw goddess)