^^^For real...this could stop now. It's too big, too fast, too much.

If anything though, I hope it hits at night. The last real threat we had in our neck was in the day and it was so annoying to be sitting up listening to the wind howl. Usually we sleep through most of them when they are in the evenings.

Seems like most of the gulf coast is feeling some effect already. Here in Tampa Bay we have had strong gusts of winds, rain, and cloud cover for the last two days! Amazing considering we are no where near the center.

we have a cell headed our way now with 60+ mph winds...it's not raining yet here in panama city, but i can definitely see the wind is starting to pick up. i'm trying to figure out whether or not i should leave for tallahassee now and risk going through the bad cell, or wait until the rain begins...either way i'm in for an eventful hour and a half drive.

George Bush's buddy Mike Brown, aka "Brownie" who was in charge of FEMA back in '05, when it was exposed that he had no prior emergency relief experience. He had the nerve to go on CNN today and say that FEMA is doing an excellent job executing its emergency plan. Like we need his assurance! :mad:

So right now there's Gustav and Hanna.....

Everyone say hello to Tropical Storm Ike!

http://www.weather.com/newscenter/hu.../2008/ike.html

And another storm behind him that may develop into something.

I think 'Ike' is a hilarious name for a storm. These storm names crack me up.:)

The East Coast is due for a storm, definitely. I just hope by the time it gets here it isn't a cat 3!! ugh.. I lived through Hugo.. and now they are comparing this storm to Floyd- OUCH! Especially true for the lower lying areas, and poor Wilmington!!
My parents said they'd leave from Charlotte around Thurs. when they know if the storm is going to impact South Carolina. We have a couple of beach condos down there, so they are going to help with boarding and making sandbags. AHH
It's still in the prediction stage, so I guess that's a good thing...

Now Joesphine is behind Ike. :(

It looks like we have Josephine on developing as well.

...and they just keep coming! :eek:

September is typically the busiest time of the hurricane season.

I am in Charleston, Sc. We are suppose to get the eye of hannah or atleast the tight back end which is much worse. I dont know If I will evacuate or not, but everyone is stocking up and preparing for the worse. I don't think it will be bad as Hugo, and I really don't want to leave. Rrrg, I hope this doesn't turn into much.

I feel like beating my head against a wall as I'm watching them line up. Maybe I'll just have hubby put up the hurricane shutters and leave them until this is all through. I've got to get a clear panel though or otherwise the house will be a cave. :o

They are calling Hanna, Ike, and Josephine the Atlantic Triple Threat. Not to make light, but that sounds like wrestling tag team or something.

Be safe guys!

Hahaha, that is funny. I hope everyone stays safe during these next few storms. I'm interested to see where Ike and Josephine end up. We've been pretty lucky so far, with only Fay having done any sort of damage.

LOL...yeah the weather channel yesterday referred to them as the Atlantic Trifecta

Hey, those hurricane shutters will be a wise investment . . .and yes, you need the clear panels!

I hate to say this, but we need rain so badly - I'd like something along the lines of a catergory 1, or a mere tropical storm - to come here!

My best friend and I are supposed to be flying into Jacksonville, FL tomorrow to go to the Florida-Miami game. Just as Hanna is supposed to be hitting the area. Great.

Just checked weather.com again. Showing Hanna as being further out from JAX. Yeah!

The hurricane shutters are great! It's now law in the state of Florida that all new construction homes come with a set-- but we have no clear panels. Luckily hubby's best friend puts up shutters for a living, so we should be able to get some when he gets time-- of course who knows when that will be!

We were saying the same thing about needing rain in May-- but after Fay, I'll never wish a tropical storm on anyone. Nor will I say "oh, it's no big deal just a tropical storm." *LOL*

Hey, Texans - how are you doing? I'm hunkered down west of Houston - traffic on I-10 is bumper to bumper heading to San Antonio.

I'm here in Houston. I'm not evacuating. :cool:

You thinking an Ike Turner kind of thing?

My first thought is always "I like Ike" We need campaign slogans like that again. Who could even tell you the campaign slogans of recent elections? But "I like Ike" stands a test of time, even for people who weren't born yet during that election!

A ten year old was killed by a tree his father was cutting down in anticipation of the storm.:( As I was up on the roof with my father covering the 2nd story windows with plywood it occurred to me I did NOT want to be a storm-related fatality. Luckily, I survived.

Winds are picking up - rain should be coming soon.

I don't understand anyone who would stay in Galveston, especially after hearing this:

quote from the chief of Dept. of Homeland Security...

Chertoff also urged people not to succumb to "hurricane fatigue," referring to concerns that authorities were overestimating Ike's potential impact.

"Unless you're fatigued with living, I suggest you want to take seriously a storm of this size and scale," he said Thursday.

:eek: Seriously be careful people!

I was very young for Alicia- but I remember it. And we weathered it just fine.

Tonight I am worried. I am not worried about the wind and the rain- this looks very much like my recollection of Alicia.

What I am worried about is the storm surge and its placement. It looks possible that Galveston will have the worst flooding and literally "wipeout" in 100 years- and estimates are that 11,000 people stayed behind. The seawall built in the early 1900s has never been breached, but tonight could be the night.

Additionally, on current trajectory- the storm surge will drive right up the Houston ship channel which is going to flood over 100,000 homes.

You never know what will happen, but all afternoon and evening this storm is keeping on that track and even leaving out all the media hype crap- this could be very, very bad.

I cannot count the friends and family I have in Houston and Galveston- and in areas in between. I am safe here in Austin, but I won't be going to bed tonight.

Prayers and well wishes for everyone in the path of Ike.

Just got an email from my Mom down in Houston with all the family gathered at the main family home there. They are okay and do not expect they will get hit bad being on the west side- but there is a sense of silent dread about all the Galveston residents who stayed behind and also for southeast houston along the ship channel.

This is not good.

I've been glued to the weather channel all night, and I can't imagine being stuck in some of the homes they've shown, completely flooded with no help coming for at least 12 hours. I bet they're kicking themselves for not evacuating....

I really want to hear from some Texans. Everyone in the area okay?

(I wonder how long until power and GreekChatting resumes in the area.)

I too am glued to the Weather Channel because my whole family is right in the middle of Ike. Houston, Conroe, Sugar Land...mother, brothers, sister, aunts and uncles, including 2 elderly uncles who have refused to leave their houses. I can't even get anyone on their cell phones and we keep seeing devastated buildings that are close to them all. I can't believe that Brennan's burned down.

I'm back - probably one of the first to get power back on. Phone service is spotty - texting seems to work better than actual calls. Lots of wind damage here on the west side of Houston - trees down and the like. We, however, were on the "clean" side. Those on the dirty side got much more in the way of rain, leading to lots of flooding. We have a tornado warning northeast of the city - Kingwood to Clark. Flash flood warnings are still posted for low-lying areas and those downstream of some rivers and creeks.

I'm worried about Galveston, too. We are waiting for official word about possible fatalities. My crazy uncle in Seabrook left at literally the last possible minute, so he's okay. My big sis from Kemah is in San Antonio - am trying to find out about my cousin in Seabrook.

I'm happy you are okay.

SWTXBelle and carnation- I have checked in with most everyone with good results so far. I hope the same goes for you. I am going to start a thread in Chit Chat now with the status I have and also a couple of tips for anyone with family down there. The area is still in complete shutdown- and many people may not know how to get the latest news. Hopefully what I and others can post will be helpful info to convey to friends and loved ones.

I'm glad to learn your good news.

I hope things turn out as well for everyone.

Sh##. Crystal Beach, where we built our family beach house after Hurricane Carla destroyed another one, is reported as being gone. They say that Bolivar is just not there from the ferry to Gilchrist.

No word from the Houstonians yet. Somebody please fix the cell phone towers.

ArmyWife'79 sent me this link that helps you track neighborhoods:

http://www.khou.com/forums/index.php...0a1fd4552d2b84

EE-BO and UGaAlum94, thanks for the good wishes-- and I hope y'all in Houston are able to function normally soon.

Carnation, have you tried texting? For some reason, I could text even when I couldn't get calls through. If I can help you contact anyone, just let me know.

And yes, it doesn't look good for Crystal Beach.:(

I'm concerned about Kevlar281, he's a Houston boy and hasn't posted.

Sorry about other Houstonians I may have omitted, he's the only one I can think of who hasn't posted.

Maybe he evacuated - let's hope he's okay.

eta - And he could be here, but in a house without electricity. They are predicting some areas will take days, maybe a week or more, to have their power restored.

Most of my relatives are fine with only tree and fence damage but...my sister managed to get across Houston to my uncle's house and he was having a heart attack. She got him to a hospital, which was under lockdown, and the doctor has told her not to bother with lifesaving measures...that they would only be cruel. I don't understand that. Anyway, he has only hours to live. I am thankful that she got to him and he didn't have to suffer alone.