Thanks everyone for your kind words. I just got through to my Mom on her cell phone, which has been tricky because the circuits are always busy. I’ve also been told people are having trouble getting to my cell which is a Houston number even though I’m on the other side of the country. Anyway she and my father are still in traffic in Houston, after leaving over 15 hours ago. When I drove from Houston to San Francisco 15 hours of driving was about 60% of the way to California. They were extremely lucky to get some of the last gas from a station before it closed, it seems everyone’s cars are dying because none of the gas stations along the evacuation routes have any fuel. They had to wait in line for 2 hours to get gas.
I hope they make it safely to where they are headed. My houston cell is having issues as well, and I’m in Nashville, TN
My thoughts are with you and your folks and relatives, Matt.
What Molly said.
And if it makes you feel better, I’m really loving my wordpress.com blog. Blogging’s never been more fun!
We turned back after 9 hours in traffic going from my in-laws place in Cypress to the Woodlands up 249. We took one look at I-45 and the solid block of traffic, a glance at our fuel gauge and realised that we had to make the decision there and then to carry on, or turn round and head home. We headed home to Katy.
We’ve just got back. There are actually plenty of people in our apartment complex. It looks like a lot of folks are going to be riding this one out. I’d prefer not to. It’s this displaced Brit’s first hurricane. But we don’t have a choice any more. There’s not a drop of gasoline to be had in the area, and I know I’d prefer to be holed up in an apartment during a hurricane than stuck on I-10, or I-45 or the Southwest Freeway when it hits.
I feel for your parents, Matt. I’m sure if they stick it out they’ll get far enough away. In the meantime wish those of us luck who can’t get out any more.
I pray that your relatives make it, Matt. Being so far removed from such occurences makes it difficult to imagine the magnitude. The media does a shoddy job of it.
Curious why cell phone networks would be unable to route around Houston even if you have a Houston area code (but aren’t in the area). Rather sad that our communications systems are so terribly designed. It’s not just aggrevating, but it can cost lives. Imagine if someone could put out a cell phone virus and DoS the cell phone networks. This proves they have no real ability to route around a problem. I’d be curious to know if both you and david have the same provider (or if this is widespread). We had similar problems in the NYC area on 9/11. And it was deemed a problem way back then.
I heard they are deploying fuel trucks on the highway to help refuel the cars stalled out (and hopefully that will ease some of the congestion).
Once again, I wish your parents and family good luck. Do they know where they are evacuating too? Or are they just going “away from here” like so many others?
If there wasn’t the looming danger of the hurricane, I would enjoy it almost like it was an adventure. But as it isn’t, I am sure it must be quite frightening down there. I know they will make it alright! My prayers are with your parents.
Matt, many of my family who evacuated from New Orleans are in Houston now. They tried to evacuate today (again) and went 17 miles in 7 hours before they ran out of gas. They turned around and decided not to evacuate.
This whole thing is a tragic mess. If it goes any more north, Rita is going to be even harder on New Orleans than Katrina because they’ll get the east wall. I think someone is trying to tell us that the Gulf Coast should be uninhabited…
Oops, hit submit too soon. Anyway, my point was, I’m with ya’ man. I hope you’re family is safe. Maybe this thing will come to a halt and turn back out into the Atlantic… There’s always hope…
I echo that, my prayers are with them.
Hopes and thoughts are with everyone in the effected areas. Tip your hat to global warming people! 🙂
Hope your family and friends back in Texas get through the storm ok Matt. Talk to you later…
Matt – I can’t get a hold of you on your phone, but I will text you since that seems to work just fine. Mom and Dad just made it to NB at 7:30am. Thery are fine, they’re just exhausted. In fact, they’re so tired, they might just take up permanent residence!
After they got gas, they got on 1-10, because I was getting calls from folks who had been stuck on 290 for over 24 hours, and hadn’t gotten anywhere. My phone could get a hold of Mom until about 3:30 am, at which point I was calling her every hour, b/c I was napping in between so I could go to work today.
You’ll have to ask Mom if she ever saw the mythical gas tankers. 🙂 Call me if you can get through.
Love, hugs, and miss you, Charleen
p.s. I love WP too!!!
before i read all the comments, i was checking to see if your parents were going to see your sister in Austin. i’m glad they’ve beat all the horrible traffic. still, staying in traffic for 10+ hours is just horrendous. i’m staying at home and riding it out. i think we’ll be fine since we’re prepared.
I have another p.s. – call me soon and we’ll arrange for my visit!!! I am SO ready to get out of this hot and dry weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, Charleen
I came back hoping to see a post of good news that your parents made it to safety… I see from the comments above they have.
Just a wholehearted note wishing the best to your family, relatives and friends. Your contribution to the World Wide Web has transformed the way I work. I am sure the same applies to many people all across the globe, whose heart is now with your loved ones.
Matt
the sun is shining in UpperAustria
and I ‘m sure you also could see the sunbeams …
😉
have a nice day
Monika
My thoughts are with you and with your family! I hope they got out okay and that they are all safe.
I too have been following your posts and am relieved your family is alright.
No doubt, Houston will be feeling the impact of Katrina and Rita for years to come.
All the worry for what? Having just moved to Honolulu from Houston there was a part of me that felt extremely relieved that I was away from the mass panic but another part that felt extremely guilt for not being there to stick it out with my friends and family. So i tried to do my part but planning escape route on google map and being a theropist to all the future rita survivors.
Now that its all over without even a inch of rain, we have to ask ourself why as a nation are we run by fear, why is it only in moments of panic that we stop to tell people that we love them?
All is well in Houston thank God! Rita sucked.
Great news, hope things can go back to normal for a lot of people now.
I can relate to how they were feeling. I took Beltway 8 to 290 to get out of town and it took me 26 hours to make it to Somerville. That’s just north of Brenham. It opened up to 70 MPH just as soon as we passed up the I-35 exit to Austin. Gas sure was a hot commodity that weekend.
Got power back on yesterday, Friday I was in Huntsville, Saturday in Onalaska, Sunday in Lufkin, and in 1961 I was in Deer Park for Carla this is by far worst than I’ve seen. That includes the people. If we are a Christian nation I now see why the Romans feed them to the lions. Too few were offering help and they could have dame well have. They trashed Huntsville, Onalaska, and Lufkin. This is not any level of governments fault it is the people. I was never out of food, ice, water, or gas I was prepared, I was warned, and I stayed put until I knew which way to go. I did see repair trucks from NC [non from France], There was help here on Sunday, our local power company had trucks out by daylight Saturday [it’s a co-op], that means we have helped them and now they are here helping us. It is our fault not the goverments that we act as animals or bitch about a restroom. Next time we will trample a few thosand.
I’ve been in Mississippi with my company on Katrina recovery for the past month. Glad Houston was spared the wrath of Rita. Unfortunately, the folks here didn’t get spared Katrina.
I live in H-town too. Took us 9 hours to bail to Dallas on the Wednesday prior to Rita hitting. So thankful that Rita died out when it did. Should another hurricane come that gets as big as Rita did before dying out, I’ll be heading up to Dallas again.
Glad to hear everything was okay for you and yours, Matt. Scary times, indeed.
Cheers,
Duce