September 21, 2005
Rita graduates to Category 5 Hurricane
By Katie Naranjo
Mayor Bill White asks citizens in at risk areas to evacuate now, because Rita has winds ranging 165mph and the storm surge will flood low areas. The storm will most likely not directly hit Houston, but rather South-East in Corpus Christi. However, Galveston is under a state of emergency and is busing/flying people out.
For additional info on the Texas coast and evacuations see here.
Posted by Katie Naranjo at September 21, 2005 03:52 PM
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The models all indicate it will strike Matagorda Bay or to the northeast of Matagorda Bay which will put Houston on the "dirty side" of the storm with heavy rains, as much as 20 inches, and very high winds. It is expected to hit in the general area that Hurricane Carla hit in 1961. Ask anyone old enough to remember Carla and you will realize how dangerous the "dirty side" can be. Even though the eye is 100 miles away. If you live in Houston and flooded during Tropical Storm Allison you should expect to be flooded again. As it is in New Orleans, our enemy is subsidence. That is reality. The difference between Allison and Rita is that there was no storm surge in Allison to block the bayous from draining.
The problem is waiting until the last minute. The last minute may be too late. Even in Houston. Make plans now. Or get out. Now.
Even if it fools everyone and hits Brownsville, it is better to be safe than sorry.
I just got home. Lots of traffic on I-10. Most of it just sitting there. Surprising that so many have to evacuate out of the city. We should have safe shelters in Houston. And yet we don't. The hotels wouldn't have been able to handle it all even if they were not already occupied by New Orleanians who must be horrified to have fled one hurricane only to be confronted with another one.
You can hope the politicians learn finally what "public interest" means. It means development that is wise and takes into consideration flood plains and drainage systems and the reality of subsidence. And it means taking into consideration that everyone once in awhile, that "will probably never happen" in fact happens. The time to address the "will probably never happen" is before it does. Not afterwards.
Please put pictures of Orange Texas after drift of Hurricane Rita on Gardenia Street and Oilla Road.
looking for my sister, cathy mooneyham, who lives in orange texas.
Please give us any information about the condition of houses on Gardenia in Orange, TX. We had to leave cats behind. If you find them, they are Bitsy, Callie, Orka and Jimmie (cream with brown spots, callico, black/white, and gray stripe. We would appreciate if you could feed them if hungry (we left lots of food) and give them some love till we can return. If you have pictures of Gardenia houses, please post. We need to come back asap.
