Hurricane Harvey

[cowgirl836]

I think the problem here was time. Given enough time you can move the people (I think there's something like 2.4 million in Houston proper, closer to 6 with the whole metro). The logistics are staggering, would require a huge amount of manpower, clear communications between all groups, etc. Incident Command Structure (ICS) is how it's done, but time was the enemy here.

If they had attempted to implement an evacuation, but didn't get people off the highways by the time the flooding hit, the carnage would likely have been worse. Although, it's hard to say how bad it's going to get.

It's the fourth largest city. Harvey wasn't a hurricane until Thursday afternoon. I don't know how confident the models were by Wednesday, but I just can't see how they could have possibly gotten people out by Friday afternoon. Especially when you add in the coastal people who were told to get out.

 

[Entropy]

It's the fourth largest city. Harvey wasn't a hurricane until Thursday afternoon. I don't know how confident the models were by Wednesday, but I just can't see how they could have possibly gotten people out by Friday afternoon. Especially when you add in the coastal people who were told to get out.

I won't link the whole thread here due to language, but Kam Franklin has a thread on Twitter that doesn't pull any punches. She evacuated for Rita in 2005 and ended up in her car on the highway for 23 hours. The tweet below is pretty telling what the damage could have been.

 

[CloneLawman]

don't forget floating fire ant colonies. Just read about that. How lovely.

Ugghhhhh! I stepped in a nest of those in the dark once. I can't imagine having a giant pissed off ball of them float onto me.

 

[Scott34]

Been watching Fox News for the last hour or so. I think it's going both ways as far as people being upset an evacuation wasn't given by the Mayor. I don't think there is a right or wrong with this situation. As stated, if he would of ordered an evacuation, who knows what would of happened. The Mayor of Houston was in a lose/lose situation, with him having to make a decision on what would cause the least amount of harm to the people in the city.

 

[scyclonekid]

That alone makes this storm underhyped

Those damn things hurt like hell

 

[Entropy]

Been watching Fox News for the last hour or so. I think it's going both ways as far as people being upset an evacuation wasn't given by the Mayor. I don't think there is a right or wrong with this situation. As stated, if he would of ordered an evacuation, who knows what would of happened. The Mayor of Houston was in a lose/lose situation, with him having to make a decision on what would cause the least amount of harm to the people in the city.

It's an incredibly difficult call. I would not have wanted to be in his shoes.

Here's a thread that does a pretty awesome job at explaining some of the information that likely led to the decision to hunker down.


The key part of the thread that struck me was that the roads have been built into becoming part of the flood system.

 

[cyclones500]

What I can't wrap my head around is, they have another week of rain coming.

That blows my mind in itself. Withstanding a hurricane must be bad enough, then the flooding aftermath. If I were living there, I'd think, "What next?!"

 

[bawbie]

I wonder if this is real?

 

[3TrueFans]

I wonder if this is real?

It's not, but it'd be awesome if it was.

 

[cowgirl836]

I'd have to think sharks would have gotten out of the way. Plus, Houston is all rain, not storm surge.

Displaced alligators though, now that could be a thing.

 

[CtownCyclone]

We moved from the Houston area last October. Glad we did. Talking to my former neighbors, they still have power and no flooding concerns (our neighborhood was a newer one with great drainage and two huge flood retention ponds).

One thing to note, this storm is surpassing 500-year flood levels - even worse than the Tax Day flooding a few years back. Plenty of places that never flooded before would be underwater.

 

[bawbie]

I'd have to think sharks would have gotten out of the way. Plus, Houston is all rain, not storm surge.

Displaced alligators though, now that could be a thing.

also, as mentioned last night:

 

[Cyfan1965]

Fake news right?

 

[cowgirl836]

Getting dangerously close to the tops of the spillways, even with the releases going on.

 

[cyclonedave25]

Getting dangerously close to the tops of the spillways, even with the releases going on.

Have any pics of vids?

 

[CtownCyclone]

Getting dangerously close to the tops of the spillways, even with the releases going on.

Assuming this is Barker and Addicks reservoirs.

Statuses:
Barker
https://www.harriscountyfws.org/GageDetail/Index/2010?span=24 Hours&v=surfaceBox

Addicks
https://www.harriscountyfws.org/GageDetail/Index/2110?span=24 Hours&v=surfaceBox

 

[cowgirl836]

Assuming this is Barker and Addicks reservoirs.

Statuses:
Barker
https://www.harriscountyfws.org/GageDetail/Index/2010?span=24 Hours&v=surfaceBox

Addicks
https://www.harriscountyfws.org/GageDetail/Index/2110?span=24 Hours&v=surfaceBox

yes. Sounds like they are going to about double the rate of increase on Addicks because it was filling faster than they are letting it out.

 

[cowgirl836]

Have any pics of vids?

haven't seen any

 

[ImJustKCClone]

I wonder if this is real?

Nope. Too clear to be flood water. But funny nonetheless!

From my nephew in law in Spring, TX, this evening:
Power is BACK on. Went do a drive and water is rising towards the back of the neighborhood. Still think and pray that we won't flood but we are preparing by getting anything valuable off the floor and up high. Will unplug electric and electronic things before going to bed. All I can do but pray. As of now there is no egress from our area.

 

[cyclonedave25]

Nope. Too clear to be flood water. But funny nonetheless!

From my nephew in law in Spring, TX, this evening:
Power is BACK on. Went do a drive and water is rising towards the back of the neighborhood. Still think and pray that we won't flood but we are preparing by getting anything valuable off the floor and up high. Will unplug electric and electronic things before going to bed. All I can do but pray. As of now there is no egress from our area.

I have a friend that also lives in Spring, TX.
He posted this pic on facebook.
Not sure how much higher the water is supposed to rise there, but I would assume its going to go over that levee.