Houston Flood

have reports of people getting into attic to escape floodwater do not do so unless you have an ax or means to break through onto your roof

— Chief Art Acevedo (@ArtAcevedo) August 27, 2017

This could reach Katrina proportions.

Just looking at some webcams

http://www.houstontranstar.org/snapshots/cctv/651.jpg?arg=1503836991650

ah, sorry didn't mean to post a live image thought it was a still jpg

friend mentioned her mother in Houston has 5 inches of water in her house

Our CBS affiliate has flooded, and is currently broadcasting from their second floor.

My last look at the KHOU Channel 11 lobby before it was flooded by Harvey. #khou11 pic.twitter.com/08lDHaKrEA

— The Bishop (@BillBishopKHOU) August 27, 2017

4 days from now, Harvey is forecast to be in the same spot that it is right now with Houston in the crosshairs for extreme rainfall each day pic.twitter.com/lceBcIGgfP

— Taylor Trogdon (@TTrogdon) August 27, 2017

I don't think this will be as bad in terms of loss of life as Katrina, it's not happening nearly as quickly. There is time to call for help and escape rising water. Going to ruin a lot of people's lives though.

Looking at pics on Facebook is shocking. You see Houston's freeways underwater all the time, but I'm seeing lakes instead of places I know really well.

goes to prove not to just focus on the winds. storms that remain stationary are extremely destructive.

Groups on the ground doing street-level work:

We are working on providing aid to those affected by #Harvey.

If you wish to donate, please go to https://t.co/CMsOmSz78F

Please retweet! pic.twitter.com/T2fxfHCIok

— Houston DSA (@HoustonDSA) August 27, 2017

Texans told to write their names on their arms so bodies can be identified

Also, the prospect from Europe:

http://i.imgur.com/Sl1UocI.gifv

Looks like the 500 year floodplain (Chinatown West, Sharpstown, Bellaire, West U., Fifth Ward, and Clear Lake/LBJ Space Center) are all well and truly fucked.

The prospect from Europe, redux:

http://i.imgur.com/Sl1UocI.gif

How much agreement for that track from other models?

"The floodwaters themselves are a hideous, toxic brew, with reports of alligators and swarming fire ants in the water."

https://scontent.fbed1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21150426_1723618457943696_5597052710109165633_n.jpg?oh=cc0ca812f515a40333dbbeadf09784e3&oe=5A1B3CE6

https://scontent.fbed1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21150233_1723588154613393_2901439905083666067_n.jpg?oh=6f3d1293119cf884d0b026111dfa574c&oe=5A17309B

Good thread listing a slew of local/state organizations able to help on the ground.

Houston is a sprawling, underestimated, bewilderingly huge city with a lot of really vulnerable populations & a scrappy, wonderful heart

— Jia Tolentino (@jiatolentino) August 27, 2017

“Floodwaters will not drown fire ants. Instead, their colonies emerge from the soil, form a loose ball, float, and flow with the water until they reach a dry area or object they can crawl up on,” explains Paul R. Nester, a specialist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. “Floating fire ant colonies can look like ribbons, streamers, mats, rafts, or an actual “ball” of ants floating on the water.”

If you have to get in flood waters, make sure you’re dressed for it: cuffed gloves, rubber boots, any protective rain gear that will prevent ants from getting on your skin. “If you are in a row boat, do not touch the ants with the oars since they can ‘climb aboard’ via the oars,” warns Nester.

omg!

Also, please don't pet the water moccasins

http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/128/590x/secondary/Water-Moccasin-297998.jpg

this propublica piece from last year explaining the politics and geography of houstons flood situation is great essential journalism https://projects.propublica.org/houston-cypress/

great web design too

That NWS statement is terrifying, they're traditionally conservative with language, taking pains to avoid hyperbole.

We don't have any safe routes to tell you. Our crews aren't able to get around either. Officials ask that you not leave your home. https://t.co/xMmVw89nJo

— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) August 27, 2017

the governor who has no authority to issue official evacuations advising people to evacuate while the local politicians who are in charge of evacuations told people to stay in place is going to in retrospect look extremely fucked

they had time to do orderly evacuations too this was predicted days out

this is a highway i guess

My friend and neighbor, Raul Ramos, sent me this stunning pic: This is I-45 near downtown Houston pic.twitter.com/KSvUgMO5PG

— Manny Fernandez (@mannyNYT) August 27, 2017

Remember that during Hurricane Rita in 2005 they did a mass evacuation from Houston and it was a total clusterfuck. A lot of people remember that and would have refused to evacuate anyway, preferring (as is the natural tendency anyway) to shelter in place.

Some Houstonians are prepared for the long haul. Consider this evacuee with his bag of food.

https://i.imgur.com/hs0c6ct.jpg

Used to travel this road to get to the Ft. Bend library.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIP4NBnVoAAp_qX.jpg

Friend some of us talked into evacuating up here would have been sheltering in his first floor apartment. Not sure of the area but it sounds like there aren't many places I'd have expected that to be safe.

Remember that during Hurricane Rita in 2005 they did a mass evacuation from Houston and it was a total clusterfuck. A lot of people remember that and would have refused to evacuate anyway, preferring (as is the natural tendency anyway) to shelter in place.

― erry red flag (f. hazel), Sunday, August 27, 2017 2:32 PM (fourteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah ppl are saying that factored into the decision, but the reason that was so fucked in the first place was they made the call only hours ahead of the storm, seems like the government took the wrong lesson

If people had attempted evacuation, they'd have the same problems running out of gasoline in the traffic jam on I-45

Honestly, if you have access to a canoe & friendly neighbors on higher land, sheltering in place can make sense. My sister probably saved mementos and thousands in property during Katrina by working through the night moving photos/clothing/electronics/books/tools to her attic. She slept out on my father's deck a few blocks away. Power was out for a month, and heat indoors was unbearable. I joined her two weeks later to help gut her house and rebuild.

Its safer than driving around through floods, as the families of 8 Houstonians can attest to from last year. You don't want to be this person (NSFL?).

god thats fucking stupid

like maybe consider a plan for evacuation that has a longer timeline than telling people to flee hours ahead of the storm

getting caught in a flood is the best option is seriously perfectly where were at as a country

extreme internalized incompetence and nihilism

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/galvnews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/0a/d0a26bdc-ec0b-50ff-af7e-a06aa603b48a/59a2fe27b730c.image.jpg

15 rescued from Dickinson nursing home

How the hell did they allow the water to get that high?!

And still have them sitting there I mean

that is heartbreaking.

I have friends in The Heights/Timbergrove who report no problems -- yet.

Nursing homes were the worst situations in Katrina, as well. 32 drowned in place at St. Rita's, 22 died at Lafon. On the other hand, 24 nursing home residents burned to death evacuating from Rita. It's rough being old in a society that cherishes the nuclear family above all.

You'd think a place called The Heights would avoid flooding. I guess if it goes under, all Houston would, too.

Surreal, but a lot of boats in action:

Astounding video shows numerous boats maneuvering around stranded vehicles on flooded street in Dickinson, Texas. https://t.co/YGP3fEVW8t pic.twitter.com/LHM5SbVftF

— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) August 27, 2017

like maybe consider a plan for evacuation that has a longer timeline than telling people to flee hours ahead of the storm

The problem was there wasn't much more of a lead on this storm. It didn't become a thing until mid-week, and even then for Houston all that was expected was feeder band rain that was somewhat less than what was ultimately delivered. This storm really blew up at the last possible minutes.

The Heights actually are higher in elevation than downtown Houston, just... not by much.

As for evacuation, I don't trust my opinions on whether that should have been done or not. The Houston metro area has about six million residents... an evacuation order there is a kind of man-made disaster that will also cause a lot of death and destruction. It's not a matter of "evacuate everyone just to be safe". Officials are choosing between two different kinds of disasters, one of which is an unpredictable storm. Back on Wednesday, when an evacuation order would have been effective, Harvey just didn't look like it looks now. It wasn't even a tropical storm at that point.

NY Times photographer making sure to stay aspirational:

The scene right now in Houston's Galleria neighborhood. #Harvey pic.twitter.com/gxQLL1DP6B

— julieturkewitz (@julieturkewitz) August 27, 2017

The problem was there wasn't much more of a lead on this storm. It didn't become a thing until mid-week, and even then for Houston all that was expected was feeder band rain that was somewhat less than what was ultimately delivered. This storm really blew up at the last possible minutes.

― to fly across the city and find Aerosmith's car (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, August 27, 2017 3:54 PM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this does not at all square with a lot of predictions i was seeing

also mid week is many days ago

i mean how long do you need 24 hours 48 hours do they have a plan even

Well, they're both right!

"It's not arson - it's all because of that guy who lit all the oily rags on fire and ran away!"

another one of those "I told you so "moments for someone with no feeling of pleasure

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/08/why-cities-flood/538251/

well drown the federal government in a bathtub, this one's gonna be $$$$$$$$

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2017/08/what_it_means_for_the_economy_when_a_city_like_houston_shuts_down.html

"At the conclusion of his brief remarks, Mr. Trump thanked Abbott, promised to get Texas "back and operating immediately"..."

https://scontent.fbed1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21192934_10156199513727137_7049456761141816261_n.jpg?oh=f1c3cface581260357b48c37fd65e26a&oe=5A129F4A

if not sooner!

Back and operating as a port.

Trump Hotels for Everyone!

I'm kind of boggled by seeing traffic on the I-610 webcam that Ste posted three days ago when it was covered in water halfway up the highway signs.

CEO of @Arkema_Inc says no way to prevent explosion at its Crosby, TX chemical plant because of massive flooding. #TexasFlood

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) August 30, 2017

They lost electricity and their generators failed, which will cause some must be refrigerated chemicals to get hot and go boom.

Texas Man Uses Massive Inflatable Dam to Save House

national guard guy on the news says its the largest deployment since world war one.

I heard they were literally all deployed.

That inflatable dam story is from 2016 - I wonder if it wouldve held back this years waters?

Those things usually do better when the water's creeping in on you, not pouring directly out of the sky four inches every hour.

xp thanks for factcheck and sorry!

Eh its easy to miss these things I do all the time.

Either way it is a neat idea! (and expensive i would imagine)

awesome emergency plan

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-harvey/harvey-danger-major-chemical-plant-near-houston-likely-explode-facility-n797581

are these just robots posting this stuff? also, why?

https://scontent.fbed1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21230758_10212833830614248_5910740196543957452_n.jpg?oh=7a003f75df086fb5ad9c90a6d5400f1d&oe=5A19A380

three words: "trump tower moscow"

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2017/08/obama_trump_harvey_katrina.html

Lol scott, I had the same reaction over in the politics thread. Yeah, I still don't get it.

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a57276/harvey-longterm-effects/

Pierce referencing the many long-term environmental problems:

Houston, part of the "Chemical Coast," presents a huge challenge in a major flooding event, said Mathy Stanislaus, who oversaw the federal Superfund program throughout the Obama administration. Typically the EPA tries to identify Superfund sites in a major storm's path to "shore up the active operations" and "minimize seepage from sites," Stanislaus said. "This is not the time to dictate; it's the time to work together well with state and local officials to think about needs that need to be met."

....Item: Repeatedly over the past 15 years, the Texas legislature refused to pass any plan to adapt the affected infrastructure as long as that legislation contained any reference to climate change. (The climate crisis, of course, is the thing that makes storms like Harvey the most predictable of all)

jfc

Oh great, plague is in the fucking mix now?

(Re that link)

v Planet of the Apes

http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2017/08/galveston_lab_that_houses_dead.html

Thx

http://usa360-tv.com/breaking-news-usain-bolt-donates-150-million-dollars-to-hurricane-harvey-victims/

wow dude

fuck's sake

Not sure that's legit.

Kinda shocked he even has that much money.

it's been debunked already

Ok - sorry!

It would be pretty funny if he just casually whomped JJ Watt's big fundraising push with a massive donation though.

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2017/08/obama_trump_harvey_katrina.html

― Glengarry Glen Marshall (Old Lunch), Thursday, August 31, 2017

I had to take this screenshot when I followed this link earlier today. The juxtaposition of ads against the text is - the right word escapes me

http://i.imgur.com/tntPQgU.jpg

lol iphone screengrab is hueg

Have eyes on the Galleria Zone D'Erotica rn.

So Imelda...many North & Eastside suburbs and communities are getting continuing rains that have already lapped what they got in Harvey.

Seems like a bad place for a city, in the post polar vortex world.

Got a river running outside my window rn. Rain has slowed down significantly tho.

i had to take shelter at my brother’s place on my way home. lots and lots of stranded cars and people who are leaving cars on curbs and medians to find a place to wait it out

Stuck at work. Kids are stuck at school. It is a weird feeling when children are inaccessible.

my friends are all sending pics of their sandbagged front doors... this sure happened quickly! be safe Houstonian ILXors

yeah, kids in remote locations is unnerving. i don’t have any of my own but the nephews and niece are all accounted for and in good hands.

HISD is deservedly gonna catch hell for not cancelling classes today.