Houblog

From the Chronicle:

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff pledged on Sunday that his team was “working feverishly” to get the centers open, even as Mayor Bill White expressed concern over how long the process was taking.

“If they fulfill these commitments in the coming week, on a reasonable timetable and not a bureaucratic timetable, then they’ll get high marks,” White said. “And if they don’t, they’ll get low marks.”

FEMA officials responded that setting up the centers was contingent on assurances that city workers would be on hand to staff them.

They just went around my office looking for volunteers to work 6-8 hour shifts handing out food and water, meaning the city is trying to find the people to staff those centers. Probably a third of our staff is missing; many of those here today do not have electricity at home yet. Not finding many takers. (No word on whether it’s paid city time or a true volunteer work. For reasons of physical limitations, I declined. I’m one of the lucky ones, and we are taking care of friends/family who need to wash clothes etc.)

FEMA, as was repeated endlessely after Katrina, is a managment agency. It’s j0b is to coordinate everyone else; it’s not a primary responder itself. In other words, by the intent of the design, it’s the city that has fallen through here. Given that city employees are among the lowest paid, and therefore have fewer personal resources to meet this great of a challenge (I’m a major exception in terms of preparedness, but then, I have no expensive children), they are natrually more likely to be among those needing help and support rather than those able to give it.

Just another way that shortchanging city employees shortchanges their city.

The city’s 311 service line this morning was back in operation, with at least 40 lines up and running.

Not exactly. The truth is, 311 calls been diverted to Utility Customer Service, whose employees are not trained (or were, once for a few hours, two years ag0) in the software used by 311. It’s not easy or intuitive, and they have no experience in it. Expect problems — and why the hell isn’t the actual 311 center up? It was supposed to be disaster-hardened.

I notice a trend in the viewer comments at the Chronicle: whiners get voted down, positive and sensible messages are getting voted up. Bush-bashing is only 40-60 thumbs-down, but then BDS is a chronic disease…

The press is going out of it’s way to pick fights with Centerpoint, Governor Perry, FEMA, and whomever else they can over the most trivial stuff. And what’s with Lampson bloviating over random glitches? Get real, people. There’s probably 20 or 30 agencies out there; the Army, Navy, Air Force recon, Coast Guard, FEMA, EPA, Tx DPS, other state agencies, local agencies, groups on loan from other states… you know, I might be a little conservative with that count if I toss in Centerpoint/utilities, Red Cross…

Glitches? It’s a miracle of organization that anyone even knows who all the players are. The press is trying to dig themselves a hole…or pander to the useless drones who just want to sit around and whine… but what the hey, we elected those drones.

Then there’s the people wanting to know when they’re going to get an express delivery of ice or water to their door.

Praise Centerpoint and press the power switch! Electricity restored about 9:30 am at my house. Still the odd million or so without power out there so I’m very lucky. No damage to the house, everyone’s fine, Redneck Guy & family came through too.

Exhausted. Fixing lunch, more thoughts and recap of experiences later.

Update: Hurricanes are exhausting. Centerpoint just become my favorite company ever by getting power back on here this morning. I’m fortunate, in that this area was first built out about 35 years ago, and then underwent a recent growth spurt; it has mostly underground power and communications lines. The older neighborhoods in town are not so fortunate; they’ll be a long time getting power.

Random impressions and what not: All of Galveston island went under water from what I’ve heard. Several historic buildings damaged or demolished. The Strand; a historic district with 1890’s era buildings (and a tourist site), went under several feet of water. Heard some tales of harrowing escapes from flooded houses; there is no doubt bodies will be found. (SAR people working on rescue now, recovery later.) Across the bay to the north, the Bolivar Peninsula, Crystal Beach, and High Island…. everythings gone. Not damaged, gone. There were once dozens of beach houses on stilts there, and the area had several canals dug so that even houses 3 and 4 rows back from the beach could have docks for their boats. The occasional lonely piling is still sticking up, plus one very incongruous house that somehow survived. Other than that, water and the occasional bit of greenery. It appears that a historic “iron lighthouse” is gone; the media chopper couldn’t find it.

Memorial Hermman hospital system had 9 of 12 hospitals on generators. Downtown is closed; there doesn’t appear to be a building left with windows (well, if there were, the media choppers didn’t show them, but then they wouldn’t, would they?). Before the hurricane hit, the word was “oh, all the damage from Alicia was due to gravel roofs, but we changed the building codes there, so it’s not a problem this time.” I just laughed. Sure, the new buildings didn’t have gravel roofs. City employees working for the 311 system were supposed to report at 6am this morning. As of 11 a.m, the system still wasn’t up; supposedly a hardware system. The mayor foolishly said for emergency out of water situations, call 911. He didn’t make that clear enough, so of course the 911 system then got jammed. At least one lady called in to a local TV station to report flooding in her neighborhood and ask for help, since she couldn’t get through to 911. Later Mayor White came back on and explained that only assisted living facilities that had no water should use 911; everyone else wait on 311 to come up. Note that there are 1200 OTHER water districts in Harris County — so what happened was that residents from all those districts were calling the city’s 911. People’s grasp of the basics, or lack thereof, never ceases to amaze me. And the mayor’s grasp of people is about the same, it seems.

8-10″ of rain from Ike’s long tail this morning; a few bayous came out of bank and some freeways flooded, catching people unexpectedly. Very, very, very few stores open, all had long lines of people wanting ice or water. Few reports of fatalities yet, but 30+ people treated for carbon monoxide poisoning due to lack of common sense with their generators. One fatality from a fire started from a candle. Some looting; an HISD officer was quoted as saying some of the schools were suffering break-ins; thieves going after computers. Several hundred rescues since yesterday, but nothing like the thousands after Katrina.

Lots of roof damage (shingles & tar paper) to all the new condo’s near downtown. Why does a major city sitting on a hurricane-prone coast NOT have better building codes for roofing? This stuff often pulls loose with nails, which then become hazards in the street.

Football on TV? It’s Sunday? Weird. I remember Thursday, and sorta Friday, then it gets kinda blurry.

Clear Creek at I-45, out of bank.

Can’t stay up long enough to post much info. Should have gotten a UPS.

Out of power and back in again somehow. Media reports are constant that transformers are popping. Hope Bumblebee and the rest are fine…

Channel 13 is practically begging it’s field reporters to find some debris to put on camera. Constantly asking “have you seen any debris?” So disappointed by the “no” answers.

Report of a fire in downtown Houston: Brennan’s restaurant. 2 injuries. Update: 4 y.o. and 26 y.o; another transformer.

Still here. Lost power several times, but it keeps coming back. Can hear the wind sometimes, despite heavy wood on the windows.

A dozen houses burned in Galveston. The eye wall is hitting Galveston now.

Update: Eyewall estimated to get here between 3:30 to 4 a.m.

The rips in Ike disappeared (Can’t believe I said “rips in Rita” earlier. Definitely a brain fart.) The eye is tightening up on radar. Galveston getting winds of 60-80mph. The Transtar traffic cameras that are still working are giving some great live shots. Unfortunately, we can only get fuzzy stills on the web.

Update: Webster is without power now.

Accidental double post due to power glitch. Losing it for 20-30 seconds at a time. Edit: Dickinson and League City without power.

Update: all Transtar traffic cameras on I45 south down. Baycliffe EMS has lost it’s roof. UTMB in Gaveston first floor flooded; water at 11′ on Galveston island, still rising. Eye still 2 hours offshore.

Now 550,000 people out of power. Blinking constantly here now. Out for a good 25-30 seconds at one point.

Ch. 13 indicates that water is coming over the seawall in Galveston. Just waves, not complete overtopping yet.

Looks like I might lose internet before I lose power; after the last couple of power blinks, my net connection has become extremely unstable. Much more rain and wind now. ABC13 has reporters in worse places than Andy. Good luck to them…

Hope I can post this.

20% of Freeport’s population is riding it out.

Channel 13 needs to pull their guy, Andy, indoors. The wind is pushing him around badly, and he is in danger. Plus this makes it look like it’s not really dangerous.

Another blink. Decided it was time to check the laptop I plan on trying to use after the power was out… and discovered it was completely dead. Power supply wasn’t plugged in, and apparently it wasn’t shut down, so it’s completely drained. Not enough time to charge it, I’d bet. So much for trying to stay online.

It’s raining here now.

From Weather.com:

The Weather Channel’s Julie Martin reports the U.S. Coast Guard made 65 rescues on Texas’ Bolivar peninsula today. But no more rescue attempts will be made until conditions are calmer.

That’s the southern end of the seriously misnamed High Island, which is the next one northeast of Galveston Island.

The Hooters in Galveston appears to have been seriously damaged. That is a tragedy.

Here’s what I’m hoping about evacs: Even if Harris and Galveston County officials blew it, village and town officials in northern Galveston and southern Harris counties carried the day and saved lives.

Galveston Island

Kemah

Tiki Island

Bayou Vista

Omega Bay in La Marque

Bolivar Peninsula

San Leon

Bacliff

Freddiesville

Some Chambers County residents

Some Brazoria County residents—excluding Pearland and Alvin

People in low-lying areas of Dickinson Bayou, Tropical Gardens, the country club area, Bayou Chantilly and any homes that front Dickinson Bayou

Harris County areas in ZIP code areas: 77058, 77059, 77062, 77520, 77546, 77571, 77586 and 77598

Matagorda County

Jackson County

Orange County

Parts of San Patricio County

Why in the name of all that’s holy, would you not evacuate all of Galveston County? Are they that confident that the island will protect the mainland portion?

The only thing new I have to add is that I’m a nervous eater, and at this rate, I will probably put on 25 lbs. tonight.

Power blinked again. I’m sure each of these is another neighborhood dropping off the grid.

Amazed I’m still online. Cheering for Centerpoint Energy (the local transmission company).

Clear Lake buoy info. For non-Houstonians, this is on the west side of the bay, near NASA. Notice the blue line? Tide is supposed to be going OUT.