Looks Like Texas' Number Is Up - Page 8

carnation · #**106** 09-22-2005, 08:35 PM

I can't reach any of our relatives. There are at least 30 in the path. I hope this means they got out.

Many years ago, Hurricane Carla took out our 5000 square foot beach house in Port Bolivar. A witness said that a tornado came out of the storm and just picked up a whole row of houses and dumped them in the Gulf. We rebuilt in another neighborhood and that house has stood for 40 years but I bet it won't survive this. We may never know, it was sold a couple of years ago.

Anyway--I am praying so hard for our relatives--

texas*princess · #**107** 09-22-2005, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by peanutttu
My b/f's friend's dad works for Shell. He said that Dallas will probably be out of gas by the end of tonight. I'm not sure how true this is, but I do know I sat in line last night for gas in Lewisville (15 miles north of Dallas). I spoke to my little brother who lives in Tyler (90 miles east of Dallas) and he said that a few towns out there were already out of gas.

Run out of gas/!?!?! How do you run out of gas? How long will the gas outage be?

That's super crazy!

I guess I'm glad I filled up yesterday.

I guess that also explains the hordes of people at Walmart today buying those gas containers.

BTW: Walmart was NUTS. I just went in to get a few neccessities, and I got the last of the bottled water. The stock guy said they didn't have any left in the back.

AKA_Monet · #**108** 09-22-2005, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by texas*princess
Run out of gas/!?!?! How do you run out of gas? How long will the gas outage be?

That's super crazy!

I guess I'm glad I filled up yesterday.

I guess that also explains the hordes of people at Walmart today buying those gas containers.

BTW: Walmart was NUTS. I just went in to get a few neccessities, and I got the last of the bottled water. The stock guy said they didn't have any left in the back.

Yeah, how in the HAYLE does "God Bless Texas" run out of gas... Isn't that like THE GAS STATE???

I mean, I know I only lived in Dallas for a year, but gas was not a problem to obtain... Especially since you have Kroger Gas--that bullisht that jacks up your engine... But at least your car might get somewhere...

Now a gas outage in California--that I can believe...

A gas outage in Nevada--that I can believe...

Maybe a gas outage in Washington State--maybe--but we have Anacortes refineries and starting to do biodiesel up here...

But a gas outage in the whole state of Texas--I'd have a hard time buying that concept... I do think they would price gouge the chit outta folks after Rita runs amuck, though...

Lindz928 · #**109** 09-22-2005, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA_Monet
I do think they would price gouge the chit outta folks after Rita runs amuck, though...

The TX government has already put people in charge of keeping an eye out for price gouging in several different things including gasonline for during and after the hurricane.

I don't have the rest of the information with me on what the state already has set up.... it is on my work e-mail. I will try to post some more information about it tomorrow.

I honestly do not think the government is going to mess this up. They seem to me to already be well on the ball with this one.

DeltAlum · #**110** 09-22-2005, 09:40 PM

You run out of gas when everyone tries to fill up on the same day. Usually, gas is purchased by a much smaller percentage of the population, seven days a week.

The tanks at the stations are only so big.

Energy managers in other states were asking people not to "top off" their tanks until this mess is over.

If there is gouging (and I think there already has been -- for the past couple of weeks), it won't just be a Texas problem. In fact, a couple of states in the East already have state investigations going to see if there is price fixing by the oil companies.

AGDee · #**111** 09-22-2005, 10:04 PM

Michigan is one of the states investigating, because prices rose so high so quickly and they said that crude oil would have to be $92 a barrel for the gas to cost as much as they were charging.

I love how people say not to top off the tank, and then the next story on the news is that one week from today, expect gas prices to be $5 a gallon and that we might not be able to get gas at all. It seems like that only magnifies the problem, doesn't it? Sends everybody into a panic and buying gas like crazy before the price doubles. It was back down to $2.53 yesterday and you better believe that I topped it off! I have to be able to get to work next week.

Dee

winnieb · #**112** 09-22-2005, 10:07 PM

Just wanted to add that the local news is reporting several gas stations in Kansas City are already out of "regular unleaded" and diesel.

I really hope the gov't has learned a lesson and gets it together before this storm hits---- good luck to you all in TX.

-w

texas*princess · #**113** 09-22-2005, 10:37 PM

I just spoke w/ a friend who lives in Cleburne (small town south of Ft. Worth)

Apparently the lines at gas stations are HUGE, and some pumps are out of gas

This is seriously too crazy and out of control. Someone needs to step up and do something !

Honeykiss1974 · #**114** 09-22-2005, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by winnieb
Just wanted to add that the local news is reporting several gas stations in Kansas City are already out of "regular unleaded" and diesel.

I really hope the gov't has learned a lesson and gets it together before this storm hits---- good luck to you all in TX.

-w

Kansas City!?!

What on earth....

People here in Wichita are in no hurry to get any gas, thank goodness.

lifesaver · #**115** 09-23-2005, 02:04 AM

KPRC TV (at www.click2houston.com) the NBC affilliate there in Houston is interviewing people who ran out of gas and have just decided to camp it in the mall parking lots until more gas shows up or the storm hits.

They interviewed a family in a parking lot 5 miles from my family's home. They just gave up, but cant go back to Beaumont, because thats now the expected landfall.

If I can play armchair quarterback for a moment, there are/were so many things that have gone with this evacuation:

1) When they only ordered evacuations of the low lying areas, they expected everyone else to stay put...but told them to 'run from the water, hide from the wind. Expect winds of an approximately F3 Tornado. Just hide (no one in Houston has basements). If you knew there was an F3 tornado coming in three days, would you stay put?

2) They are not offering any shelters there in Houston. That forces people to get on the road if they dont trust the structural integerity of their houses.

3) They dictated where people could evacuate to, regardless of where they wanted to go or had friends or family, or could even find a place to go.

4) TxDOT's (Texas Department of Transportation) REFUSAL to open contraflow until 1PM this afternoon, some 22 Hours after the freeways were first gridlocked.

5) There was no method for making sure gas stations had fuel. They were relying on market forces alone to do the job. In emergency situations, the govmt needs to step in to insure that provisions are made available.

6) The freeway system sucks in houston. Its not from a lack of funding either. They receive 35% of the states entire construction budget each year. Its always been notoriusly bad, but as I said earlier, you have a situation simular to NOLA where you have a large number of people needing to get out of town, but only four freeways that dont put people into harms way. There would have been a fifth direction, but that leads to New Orleans and you can only get so far. Again, you have 2 million people needing to get through a city of 4 million for an evacuation.

7) They are still trying to figure out what to do with the people out of gas on the side of the road and they are quickly running out of time to craft a solution. The first rains are supposed to drop in downtown Houston at 3PM, so that leaves 14 hours to come to a decision and rescue these people or supply them with fuel.

8) Why didnt the airlines bring in extra planes and crews when they openly tell people that they have an excess capacity of planes and crews due to the limited service to NOLA. (Specifically, SWA). They could make a good chunk of change. There are people who want to leave and would pay to do so. Also, did they not expect lots of the TSA people to bail? They have families too.

9) the simple knowledge that 2 million plus people cant leave a city in 48 hours.

I am glad there were lots of lessons learned after Katrina. Can ya'll imagine what this would be like if this was before Katrina?

It does look like the contraflow plan is working. traffic in some areas has dramatically improved. However this does not help the people who are out of fuel or who's cars died.

lifesaver · #**116** 09-23-2005, 02:35 AM

From the Houston Chronicle at www.chron.com

Storm evacuees stand on the side of Highway 290 which has become a parking lot as people attempt to flee Hurricane Rita.

Charles Garner, 8, of New Orleans, waits with his family outside the closed Greyhound terminal in Houston on Thursday. Garner and his family had been evacuated from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit and have been living in the Reliant Astrodome since.

Jorge Vaca walks with his two-year-old son, Christian, to find shade under an overpass while their car was stuck in traffic on I-10 in Houston. Vaca and thousands of Houstonians tried to flee the path of Hurricane Rita on Thursday.

Motorists wait in line for fuel at one of the few open gas stations in Pasadena, Texas, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005. Residents were evacuating the area west of Houston due to a mandatory evacuation prior to Hurricane Rite arriving.

Stalled cars sit in the center median of Interstate 45 in The Woodlands, Texas Thursday afternoon as area residents evacuate in advance of Hurricane Rita. The powerful storm is predicted to make landfall this weekend.

Don and Barbara Rushe of The Woodlands give water to evacuees on Interstate 45 fleeing Hurricane Rita.

Lindz928 · #**117** 09-23-2005, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lifesaver

Don and Barbara Rushe of The Woodlands give water to evacuees on Interstate 45 fleeing Hurricane Rita.

THIS is what I like to see. Very nice to see people helping people.

One of my friend's family was driving in from Lake Jackson yesterday. Apparently he had to go out and find them somewhere on 290 around 2 in the morning to take them gas and water. I haven't heard yet if they have gotten here or not.

CrimsonTide4 · #**118** 09-23-2005, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by winnieb
Just wanted to add that the local news is reporting several gas stations in Kansas City are already out of "regular unleaded" and diesel.

I really hope the gov't has learned a lesson and gets it together before this storm hits---- good luck to you all in TX.

-w

I saw two stations in Charlotte with unleaded and the next one up from unleaded out of gas this morning.

(

CrimsonTide4 · #**119** 09-23-2005, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lifesaver
8) Why didnt the airlines bring in extra planes and crews when they openly tell people that they have an excess capacity of planes and crews due to the limited service to NOLA. (Specifically, SWA). They could make a good chunk of change. There are people who want to leave and would pay to do so. Also, did they not expect lots of the TSA people to bail? They have families too.

I agree. There should have been flights, reduced cost to fly, to get people out of the area much faster.

Honeykiss1974 · #**120** 09-23-2005, 09:52 AM

My friend from Kemah described exactly what's going on in those pictures. She said they turned around and came back and decided to try again today (although I don't know how sensible that was).

Anyway, I saw this on the news this morning.

Bus carrying evacuees catches fire
Posted on Fri, Sep. 23, 2005

A bus carrying evacuees from Hurricane Rita caught fire near Dallas this morning, as traffic crawled to a standstill leaving Houston. As many as 20 people are reported dead.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/12722270.htm