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2005-09-21 -Short Attention Span Theater-
Rantburg Storm Center - Rita Cat FIVE - 165 MPH
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Posted by Steve 2005-09-21 08:39|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 I'm not in Texas, but can you define "near"?

Is 20, 40, 60 miles inland "near"? How far in is safe?
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2005-09-21 08:58||   2005-09-21 08:58|| Front Page Top

#2 Sea,

That is a function of Hurricane strength and topography. There were reports of major damage from Katrina as far as sixty miles inland. So if I were a betting man I would put 100 miles between myself and the point of probable landfall and at least ten miles from the water.
Posted by DanNY 2005-09-21 09:24||   2005-09-21 09:24|| Front Page Top

#3 Meanwhile, those smart reporters are all in Nawlins, well to the east of the storm track, fighting the last war providing invaluable help to the emergency managers there.
Sea, postpone your vacation to South Padre Island for a while.
Posted by GK 2005-09-21 10:13||   2005-09-21 10:13|| Front Page Top

#4 One thing I noticed is the Mayor of Galveston is not too proud to use school busses
Posted by Cheaderhead 2005-09-21 11:00||   2005-09-21 11:00|| Front Page Top

#5 I'm near the Texas coast. About 20mi. as the crow flies. I just hope Rita isn't a moody bitch and sticks to her models like a good girl. Otherwise I'm toast.

I think it's neat. Galveston island called for a voluntary evac YESTERDAY. I think the Mandatory evac order goes in today.

Something I just realized today, was that GWBush does know hurricanes. He dealt with 2 that I can remember during his term as governor of Texas.
Posted by Anon4021 2005-09-21 11:39||   2005-09-21 11:39|| Front Page Top

#6 Our hotels in Austin are already maxed out with Corpus/Gaveston evacuees. We are 200+ miles from the coast and are expecting to get 40-70 mile an hour winds.
Posted by Mr.Bill 2005-09-21 12:09||   2005-09-21 12:09|| Front Page Top

#7 It seems Texas is just a little bit too ready for Rita:

Democratic critics said the preparation for Rita seemed to exceed those for Katrina, and called anew for an independent panel to investigate why.
"It's nice to have the Bush administration recognize the importance of a federal response to Rita, but why weren't they proactively mobilizing and organizing like this for Katrina?" said Rebecca Kirszner, a spokeswoman for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada. "These are the questions that need to be asked by an independent commission," Kirszner said.

Oh, I don't know, may be because adults are running things in Texas?
Posted by Steve">Steve  2005-09-21 12:28||   2005-09-21 12:28|| Front Page Top

#8  Gov of Texas orders evacuation to begin from Port Arthur to Corpus Christi
Posted by 3dc 2005-09-21 12:29||   2005-09-21 12:29|| Front Page Top

#9 Steve, that's unbelievably petty. I'm not happy with the GOP on a number of issues, but hearing the Senate minority leader's staff say something that awful will keep me out of the Dem tent for a very very long time.

[Cue the sour grapes pic that we use for MMA & company as they waddle out of Paki Parliament for the 122nd day in a row...]
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2005-09-21 12:39||   2005-09-21 12:39|| Front Page Top

#10 "It's nice to have the Bush administration recognize the importance of a federal response to Rita, but why weren't they proactively mobilizing and organizing like this for Katrina?" said Rebecca Kirszner, a spokeswoman for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Because, unlike Democrats, maybe they learned from their mistakes?
Posted by tu3031 2005-09-21 12:40||   2005-09-21 12:40|| Front Page Top

#11 *sigh*

timen lern to bord up em windows...:(
Posted by muck4doo 2005-09-21 12:59|| http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/]">[http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/]  2005-09-21 12:59|| Front Page Top

#12 Oct. 05, 2004
Gov. Perry Asks for State Assessment of Hurricane Preparedness

Says Florida's Experience Demonstrates Need to Review Texas' Evacuation Abilities

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today notified legislators from coastal areas across the state that he has directed Homeland Security Director Steve McCraw to assess Texas’ ability to handle large scale evacuations in the event of a catastrophic hurricane.

“Over the last several weeks we have been reminded of the substantial threat hurricanes can pose to the safety of our citizens who reside and/or work in the coastal areas of our state,” Perry wrote in a letter sent today to legislators.

“There are significant challenges associated with the large scale evacuation of citizens from coastal areas of Texas, and I want to ensure that we are optimally prepared in the event of a catastrophic hurricane.”

Perry said he is particularly concerned about local communities’ ability to quickly evacuate major population centers in the coastal areas of Beaumont-Port Arthur, Houston-Galveston, Corpus Christi and Brownsville-Harlingen.

The assessment will include a review of existing evacuation routes, traffic control plans and intergovernmental coordination needed to manage such evacuations.

The assessment also will include a review of the state’s role in coordinating state resources needed at the local level.

Perry has directed McCraw to gather input from local community leaders along the coastal area of the state and from Texas legislators, as well as officials in Florida, as part of his assessment.

Perry told legislators he would make recommendations based on the assessment and would share results of the study with them. He has asked for the report no later than Feb. 15.

And then a plan was developed and is now being executed. None of this happened overnight -- including drills. You can be sure, the MSM will never figure out, there just might have been a plan to activate!
Posted by Sherry 2005-09-21 13:13||   2005-09-21 13:13|| Front Page Top

#13 Muck4doo, true story. The 6 years I lived in Miami were mostly hurricane free. From time to time a TS would form and threaten, but veer away and go wack North Carolina or elsewhere. The standard South Florida hurricane drill was to buy batteries, water, and put big masking tape x's on all the windows.

After Andrew, no more masking tape. Plywood or steel shutters all 'round. Good luck.
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2005-09-21 13:17||   2005-09-21 13:17|| Front Page Top

#14 well. ima theenk im got some good prepare. got bottled water, can food, candels, flashlite, battries.

jus need to get sum plywood for em windows an a good shoppin cart for when teh lootin starts.
Posted by muck4doo 2005-09-21 13:40|| http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/]">[http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/]  2005-09-21 13:40|| Front Page Top

#15 A note about batteries...when Isabel came to DC a couple years back, all the stores ran out of size C & D batteries. I worked around that with a little Walkman radio and a pair of plug-in speakers I picked up at Radio Shack for ten bucks. The stores had PLENTY of AA batteries...
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2005-09-21 13:50||   2005-09-21 13:50|| Front Page Top

#16 And remember your Poulan can double as a fine close-combat weapon.
Posted by Shipman 2005-09-21 13:51||   2005-09-21 13:51|| Front Page Top

#17 Sheer Democrat stupidity. I remember organizations lining up near the LA border waiting to be invited in.
Posted by trailing wife 2005-09-21 14:14||   2005-09-21 14:14|| Front Page Top

#18 Note to self: Get beer, ammo, ice, beer, candles, beer.....I think that's it.
Posted by Steve">Steve  2005-09-21 14:14||   2005-09-21 14:14|| Front Page Top

#19 And remember your Poulan can double as a fine close-combat weapon.
I would assume you mean the chain saw, and not the town in Georgia?
Posted by trailing wife 2005-09-21 14:16||   2005-09-21 14:16|| Front Page Top

#20 Steve: matches in waterproof container. Bottle opener if the beer isn't in cans ..... chips???
Posted by lotp 2005-09-21 14:29||   2005-09-21 14:29|| Front Page Top

#21 itsa cat5 now

http://www.weatherunderground.com/blog/SteveGregory/show.html
Posted by muck4doo 2005-09-21 14:31|| http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/]">[http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/]  2005-09-21 14:31|| Front Page Top

#22 Right about those batteries! I just got back from Sam's in south Austin, and the stock of the C's & D's was low! And Sam's is busy!

For the first time I've seen, they had folks all over that warehouse, asking if they could help me find something! Go WalMart! Capitalism at it's findest!
Posted by Sherry 2005-09-21 14:32||   2005-09-21 14:32|| Front Page Top

#23 Another item I found very handy during 17 electicity- free hours... those goofy "As Seen On TV" tap lights. I got a bunch of them at the dollar store. They were great in the bathroom, stairs, hallways, etc. and no fear of burning the house down. They also use the AA batteries.
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2005-09-21 14:40||   2005-09-21 14:40|| Front Page Top

#24 Dr. Jeff Masters Blog:
The 1:53 eye report from the hurricane hunters found a 920 mb pressure and flight level winds of 153 knots (176 mph). These numbers plus the satellite intensity estimates would ordinarily support upgrading Rita to a Category 5 hurricane, but NHC is being conservative, and calling Rita a strong Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph surface winds.

There are two hurricane hunter aircraft in Rita this afternoon. The NOAA hurricane hunters found a central pressure of 934 mb at 11:17 am, and the Air Force hurricane hunters found a central pressure of 923 mb at 1:02pm. This incredible drop of 11 mb in 105 minutes is the fastest pressure fall I can ever recall seeing in a hurricane, and exceeds the 10 mb drop in 100 minutes we saw in Hurricane Charley last year. With an eye diameter of 25 miles, an eyewall replacement cycle is not likely today, and Rita may intensify to a level close to Katrina's strongest point--902 mb.

Steve Gregory Blog:
SEP 21 2005 - 1:20PM CDT: The latest RECON reports confirm RITA is now a CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY 5 Hurricane.
Center Pressure is down to 920mb, and MAX Sustained winds of 153KTs at Flight level -- implying 155mph surface winds. with gusts to 175mph.
Posted by Steve">Steve  2005-09-21 14:58||   2005-09-21 14:58|| Front Page Top

#25 I hope it doesn't turn out like 1900's Galveston Hurricane. That was the deadliest in US history and the second deadliest on record for the Atlantic basin. The biggest was in 1780 and killed more than 20,000.
Posted by eLarson 2005-09-21 15:18|| http://larsonian.blogspot.com]">[http://larsonian.blogspot.com]  2005-09-21 15:18|| Front Page Top

#26 Going back to my high skool civics classes, the Galveston storm swept the city government out and they started over with a new form of city management.

From Wikipedia:

The Galveston city government was reorganized into a commission government, a newly devised structure where the government is made of a small group of commissioners, each responsible for one aspect of governance. This was prompted by fears that the existing city council would be unable to handle the problem of rebuilding the city.



I find myself wondering if New Orleans will be willing to reorganize its gov't. Storms cull the weak, and that includes politicians too.
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2005-09-21 15:32||   2005-09-21 15:32|| Front Page Top

#27 Mysterious 'Ball Of Fire' Seen In Fla. Skies

Ruh-roh!

Dozens of people from Jacksonville to Ft. Pierce flooded the U.S. Coast Guard late Tuesday with calls about a mysterious ball of fire seen flying in the sky, according to a Local 6 News report.

Callers flooded the newsroom of Local 6 News partner Florida Today after they saw the object over the Space Coast Tuesday night.

"Starting at about 7:30 last night, we started receiving calls here in the newsroom," Florida Today online news editor Dave Larimer said. "In fact, the Coast Guard station in Port Canaveral got more than two dozen reports of people seeing a bright light in the sky over the ocean."

Yates said one caller who was walking his dog near the Sebastian Inlet described the object as "huge, like a giant fireball."

(Link) It's them damn North Koreans again... Better find that chick from the X-men!
Posted by Rory B. Bellows 2005-09-21 15:41||   2005-09-21 15:41|| Front Page Top

#28 prolly a '57 Chevy converted into a refugee rocket from Cuba
Posted by Frank G">Frank G  2005-09-21 15:57||   2005-09-21 15:57|| Front Page Top

#29 Or (use Dr Evil quote motions here) "the sun".
Posted by .com 2005-09-21 16:05||   2005-09-21 16:05|| Front Page Top

#30 Sustained winds of 165 mph, now.
Posted by .com 2005-09-21 16:06||   2005-09-21 16:06|| Front Page Top

#31 ima beter go buy em umbrela
Posted by muck4doo 2005-09-21 16:16|| http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/]">[http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/]  2005-09-21 16:16|| Front Page Top

#32 I recall Mayor Nagan bought a house in Houston. Is it on the storm track? Is it under sea level?
Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-09-21 16:38||   2005-09-21 16:38|| Front Page Top

#33 Dallas. He bought his new casa in Dallas.
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2005-09-21 16:41||   2005-09-21 16:41|| Front Page Top

#34 Nagan bought a house in Dallas. I think he needs to explain how he knew about Rita weeks in advance and didn't warn anyone.
Posted by Steve">Steve  2005-09-21 16:42||   2005-09-21 16:42|| Front Page Top

#35 lol steve
Posted by Uninetle Hupating2229 2005-09-21 16:42||   2005-09-21 16:42|| Front Page Top

#36 Good luck to everybody down there. Just make sure those Poulan's aren't electric.
Posted by tu3031 2005-09-21 16:47||   2005-09-21 16:47|| Front Page Top

#37 Engineer type question.
Hotter in the eye or edge?
Would adding heat to the eye slow it down or speed it up?
Posted by 3dc 2005-09-21 17:04||   2005-09-21 17:04|| Front Page Top

#38 3dc - Ya thinking about nuking it? :)
Posted by Laurence of the Rats">Laurence of the Rats  2005-09-21 17:20|| http://www.punictreachery.com/]">[http://www.punictreachery.com/]  2005-09-21 17:20|| Front Page Top

#39 Don't forget the AMMO

I only have a box of .40s&w.
Need to expand the stocks.
Posted by Anon4021 2005-09-21 17:24||   2005-09-21 17:24|| Front Page Top

#40 Hurricane mechanisms - indicates that the eye zone is where the action is.

I'd save any seeding / strengthening efforts for the next big one that appears headed for Baltimore DC NYC Taxachussetts another Big Blue Nanny State - and nationalize the Guard, declare martial law, and begin active Ops in CW-II. I think of it as SQ* cleansing regards the gene pool, a large dose of Moonbat Chlorine, very similar to the Darwin Award Thingy writ large.

*SQ = Survival Quotient
Posted by .com 2005-09-21 17:33||   2005-09-21 17:33|| Front Page Top

#41 "It" being Nagin's house or the storm?
Posted by Matt 2005-09-21 17:34||   2005-09-21 17:34|| Front Page Top

#42 or lasers or something but it would need to quit slow down not speed up the heat engine - EXCPEPT the storm is equal to a nuke every min or so - the most you could do is slow it down.... Cloud seeding where it would be counter productive to the heat engine might be a better idea.

Posted by 3dc 2005-09-21 17:36||   2005-09-21 17:36|| Front Page Top

#43 Oh - you want to weaken or moderate it. My bad.
Posted by .com 2005-09-21 17:38||   2005-09-21 17:38|| Front Page Top

#44 Re: the Great Ball Of Fire... if I knew what direction it was going in I could say whether it was prograde or retrograde, and maybe guess as to whether it was space junk or a meteor... ouch.

Mucki: Don't forget to stock up on drinking water and duck tape... and if you're in one of the hillier parts of Austin, you may want to make sure it's a place that isn't going to landslide or something.

(Shit, I hadn't thought of that before).
Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-09-21 18:08||   2005-09-21 18:08|| Front Page Top

#45 hadnt thawt of that neether
Posted by muck4doo 2005-09-21 18:25|| http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/]">[http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/]  2005-09-21 18:25|| Front Page Top

#46 FoxNews says storm surge expected at Galveston is 35 to 40 feet but surge walls only can deal with 17 feet.
Posted by 3dc 2005-09-21 19:07||   2005-09-21 19:07|| Front Page Top

#47 Muck, do you live out on the west side or near farwest or anything like that?
Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-09-21 19:16||   2005-09-21 19:16|| Front Page Top

#48 185 mph sustained. Geez.
Posted by .com 2005-09-21 19:24||   2005-09-21 19:24|| Front Page Top

#49 Close your bathtub drain and tape over it with duct tape. Then fill the tub. If nothing else, it's good for flushing the toilet for a few days when there's no running water. Also, remember that you water heater probably holds about 50 gallons of perfectly good drinking water -- if you flush the the muck out of the bottom before the storm hits and the water supply stops.
Posted by Darrell 2005-09-21 19:32||   2005-09-21 19:32|| Front Page Top

#50 good tips Darrell. Even the bath water is drinkable if ya scrub it down good and bleach it a bit...rinse well too, dammit
Posted by Frank G">Frank G  2005-09-21 19:42||   2005-09-21 19:42|| Front Page Top

#51 Shhhh, Frank. The "rinse" part is reserved for the elite people... who are watching from The Mansion on Turtle Creek - with Mayor Nugget.
Posted by .com 2005-09-21 19:45||   2005-09-21 19:45|| Front Page Top

#52 898 milbars so 3rd worst ever
Posted by 3dc 2005-09-21 19:50||   2005-09-21 19:50|| Front Page Top

#53 I'm thinking its gonna hit further south, maybe Mexico.
Posted by phil_b 2005-09-21 19:52||   2005-09-21 19:52|| Front Page Top

#54 sparkly white teeth on the ill, huh, .com? LOL
Posted by Frank G">Frank G  2005-09-21 19:52||   2005-09-21 19:52|| Front Page Top

#55 OK, Muck, I talked to my b-i-l who lived in Austin for something like 2 decades; he said that it's mainly downtown and the low lying areas that flood, but that the hilly bits have enough limestone that they don't tend to slide or anything like that.

I'm still checking, though.
Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-09-21 20:36||   2005-09-21 20:36|| Front Page Top

#56 Gentlemen,When you hit the Wal Mart, get two or more propane mantle lanterns, the gasoline ones are very good, the propane ones are better, get at least 1 spare package of mantles (they're delicate) and at least 3 propane bottles per lamp.One bottle will give you the equivelent of a 40-60 watt bulb for about 8 hours.

Go to sporting goods and buy the "Portable Shower" it's a 5 gallon heavy plastic bag for storing and heating water from the sun, and can be used both as clean water storage and as a shower when you can't stand yourself any longer, simply fill, and hang somewhere in the sun, it gets warm enough for a comfortable shower and comes with a spigot, hose and showerhead, it folds up into a 14X14X3 package when not being used.

One of the most important things is some kind of working fan, without it sleep is near impossible, I made do with a very small oscilating fan plugged into my computer's UPS, but it lasted only about 4 hours, so I strongly recomend one(Several) of those small battery "Personal" fans, the ones with the soft blades.

Now I have one of those 12 volt fans that truckers use in their cabs, and a huge 12 volt "Marine/Deep Cycle" Battery to run it..

While I'm on the subject, the battery can be recharged by connecting it to your car with jumper cables Like you're trying to jump start the car, but you're charging the big battery not using it, run your car AT IDLE about 4 hours to charge the big battery, get a cheap digital voltmeter, a fully charged automotive battery shows 12.7 volts, a discharged one 12.2.

It's very important to NOT run the engine faster than at idle, you can destroy the alternator , it's trying to pump out a huge load, and racing the engine can burn it out, at idle you're safe.

While idling the voltage should be between 14 1/2 and 16 1/2 volts, that's normal charging and running voltage, it will drop back when the engine is stopped and the battery disconnected.

Do not forget a coil of 1'4 inch nylon rope, the best rope is "Braided" and flexible,

If you don't smoke, get a "Windproof" refillable Cigarette Lighter, (butane) and a small refill bottle (Aluminum Pressure Container) about 1 inch diameter and about 6 inches long. If used for nothing else, it should be used to sear the ends of your nylon rope each time you cut some off.
Posted by Redneck Jim 2005-09-21 20:39||   2005-09-21 20:39|| Front Page Top

#57 All good advice, Redneck Jim... I'd add, though, that there's an old wives' tale/old mechanics' tale that you don't want to leave a battery directly in contact with cement or concrete, so you'll want a little wooden thing to put it on while you charge it.

(I have Kerosene lamps myself. And flashlights, and a carbide lamp. I don't have a propane lantern, but I have some propane cylinders...)
Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-09-21 21:25||   2005-09-21 21:25|| Front Page Top

#58 
The latest runs of two key computer models, the GFS and GFDL, now indicate that the trough of low pressure that was expected to pick up Rita and pull her rapidly northward through Texas will not be strong enough to do so. Instead, these models forecast that Rita will make landfall near Galveston, penetrate inland between 50 and 200 miles, then slowly drift southwestward for nearly two days, as a high pressure ridge will build in to her north. Finally, a second trough is forecast to lift Rita out of Texas on Tuesday. If this scenario develops, not only will the coast receive catastrophic damage from the storm surge, but interior Texas, including the Dallas/Fort Worth area, might see a deluge of 15 - 30 inches of rain. A huge portion of Texas would be a disaster area. The models are not suggesting this at all, but is also possible that Rita may not make landfall on Saturday as expected, but pull up just short of the Texas coast and pound it for days as it waits for the next trough to pick her up. We'll have to wait for the next set of model runs due out by tomorrow morning to know better.

The 7:09 pm eye report from the hurricane hunters found a 904 mb pressure and flight level winds of 161 knots (186 mph). This pressure makes Rita the 3rd strongest Atlantic hurricane of all time. Tonight, Rita will be passing over the Loop Current, a warm eddy of water in the Gulf that aided Katrina's growth to a Category 5 hurricane. Fueled by this pool of deep warm water and an almost ideal upper level wind environment, Rita should continue to intensify until Thursday morning, when she will pass beyond the Loop Current. The eye has shrunk to 20 nm diameter from 25 nm earlier this afternoon. By the time the eye shrinks down to 10 nm, the eyewall will collapse and an eyewall replacement cycle begin, putting an end to this intensification cycle. With potentially another 12 hours to go before this happens, Rita could challenge Gilbert's 888 mb pressure record.

The list of strongest hurricanes of all time now reads:

Hurricane Gilbert (888 mb, 1988)

The Great Labor Day Hurricane (892 mb, 1935)

Hurricane Rita (898 mb, 2005)

Hurricane Allen (899 mb, 1980)

Hurricane Katrina (902 mb, 2005)

Hurricane Camille (905 mb, 1969)

I expect to rewrite this list when the next reconnaissance aircraft reaches Rita about 9pm tonight. How low can Rita go?

Jeff Masters

The Link
Posted by 3dc 2005-09-21 21:30||   2005-09-21 21:30|| Front Page Top

#59 If this scenario develops, not only will the coast receive catastrophic damage from the storm surge, but interior Texas, including the Dallas/Fort Worth area, might see a deluge of 15 - 30 inches of rain.

OMG... it's homing in on Ray Nagin!
Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-09-21 21:38||   2005-09-21 21:38|| Front Page Top

#60 If Al Capp was around, he'd have a name for Nugget...
Posted by .com 2005-09-21 21:40||   2005-09-21 21:40|| Front Page Top

#61 phil, muck - The hills around Austin and Central Texas are limestone, stacked like a birthday cake. They would look like steps if there was no dirt. The "steps" are covered in dirt, but the sides have very little. Not much California-style mudsliding in these parts (I'm just north of Austin in Round Rock).
Posted by Laurence of the Rats">Laurence of the Rats  2005-09-21 21:44||   2005-09-21 21:44|| Front Page Top

#62 Thanks, Laurence, I just wanted to make sure.
Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-09-21 21:52||   2005-09-21 21:52|| Front Page Top

#63 #57: All good advice, Redneck Jim... I'd add, though, that there's an old wives' tale/old mechanics' tale that you don't want to leave a battery directly in contact with cement or concrete, so you'll want a little wooden thing to put it on while you charge it.

Sorry, that's not true, what really happens is folks forget to check the battery and when needed it's dead as a doornail, and if left dead cannot be recharged, (A sulphur-lead reaction that's usualy fatal to a lead-acid battery) Concrete has absolutely nothing to do with it, but it's still a very good idea to put the battery in a polypropolene case, simply to keep from getting battery acid on your floor if spilled or turned over, they're available in most hardware/boat/hardware/wally worlld, but get one after you get your battery, then you can fit it to the battery's size without guessing.

I have a 1200 watt inverter on order, it can use the battery to keep the "Fridge" running until I either have line power back, or run out of gasoline.

By the way, use whatever vehicle you own that has the smallest engine, but do not use a motorcycle, it' has a very small alternator and the engine will quickly overheat without wind cooling it, even if water cooled, do not use a motorcycle of any make, you'll burn out the alternator quickly.
Posted by Redneck Jim 2005-09-21 22:14||   2005-09-21 22:14|| Front Page Top

#64 As an aside, I AM "The Old Mechanic"
Been a "Master Mechanic" for about 30 years now.
Posted by Redneck Jim 2005-09-21 22:22||   2005-09-21 22:22|| Front Page Top

#65 thx - always wondered about why the hell I'm supposed to insulate an insulated case from concrete
Posted by Frank G">Frank G  2005-09-21 22:23||   2005-09-21 22:23|| Front Page Top

#66 Ah. I didn't know that. I stand corrected. Thanks.
Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-09-21 22:27||   2005-09-21 22:27|| Front Page Top

#67 BTW, Jim, Wheryaat?
Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-09-21 22:28||   2005-09-21 22:28|| Front Page Top

#68 Currently Mobile, Alabama, but I'm really a Lifetime Montgomery resident that moved south about 9 years ago.
Posted by Redneck Jim 2005-09-21 22:55||   2005-09-21 22:55|| Front Page Top

#69 OK... I'm in Don'tLaughYet... sitting here trying to call friends in Texas, and failing because the phone system is clogged.

This is starting to look bad; as wide as that thing is they're going to get storm surge in Trinity Bay.
Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-09-21 23:03||   2005-09-21 23:03|| Front Page Top

#70 Yeah, we can't reach friends in Houston either, the cell and landline both say "Overloaded, try again later"
Posted by Redneck Jim 2005-09-21 23:09||   2005-09-21 23:09|| Front Page Top

#71 After posting we just this minute heard from our Houston friends, Bt E-Mail, I'm posting so others will know to try this method, it seems to work better than trying to telephone.
Posted by Redneck Jim 2005-09-21 23:13||   2005-09-21 23:13|| Front Page Top

#72 Time to pray and prepare yourself carefully down there folks. Take care and remember to help those who can't fend for themselves. The rest of the nation will be there for you whether it means feet on the ground or donations, come what may when Rita makes landfall.
Posted by MunkarKat 2005-09-21 23:28||   2005-09-21 23:28|| Front Page Top

#73 If the low pressure system stalls before landfall and/or the storm veers east, what kind of rainfall is possible for southern LA?
***

"...why weren't they proactively mobilizing and organizing like this for Katrina?"...

Some Dems just make me want to pull their hair out. Their operating principle: forget what we've learned, forget that we human beings just had a sobriety call-we can't allow ourselves to do a better job saving lives in Rita because we didn't do it for Katrina. I guess they'll only be satisfied if just as many people die-and they'd better be all white ones. Then I guess they'll think all is put right.
Posted by jules 2 2005-09-21 23:42||   2005-09-21 23:42|| Front Page Top

#74 If the low pressure system stalls before landfall and/or the storm veers east, what kind of rainfall is possible for southern LA?
***

"...why weren't they proactively mobilizing and organizing like this for Katrina?"...

Some Dems just make me want to pull their hair out. Their operating principle: forget what we've learned, forget that we human beings just had a sobriety call-we can't allow ourselves to do a better job saving lives in Rita because we didn't do it for Katrina. I guess they'll only be satisfied if just as many people die-and they'd better be all white ones. Then I guess they'll think all is put right.
Posted by jules 2 2005-09-21 23:43||   2005-09-21 23:43|| Front Page Top

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