ike at thirty-two miles out and counting

Reporting from Austin, which is not in any kind of danger except possible rain and gusts of wind and the faint possibility of a tornado, but we always live with the faint possibility of a tornado:

It's really hard to stop watching CNN and NOAA visual of the hurricane. Which is pretty much what I've been doing since I got up this morning, because hurricanes, unlike tornados, are something you watch approaching and so it gives the illusion of being, not safer, but a sense of disbelief that something that big and that slow is that much of a danger, because when something is as big as Texas, it just stops being believable. It's just not intuitive to think that the slower it is, the worse it is.

The pictures of the Galveston sea wall alone are breathtaking, and at the same time, the coolness factor kind of overrides the seventeen fucking feet of seawall the water is cheerfully breaking over. And it's a Category 2, which for most of people I know who live in that area isn't something you get out of bed for. I mean, I don't get out of bed for a tornado warning unless I can see objects above twenty pounds flying by with intent, so it's not like I don't understand it.

Everyone in the path, stay safe. I'm still bemused by anyone, anywhere, using the words "hunker down" in an official capacity. But do that.

(Added: there was video of someone walking their dog through the floodwater and if I remember correctly near enough the seawall to get this huge surge of geyser like water on top of them (like, high over them. It was surreal). Yes, the dog is still safe, if thrown somewhat. I'm just boggling that anyone's daily routine was so unbreakable that even floodwaters do not slow them down. Wow.)

Comments

[devin-chain.livejournal.com]

Thanks for saying that about Category 2. A little while ago Mom said, "There's something funny going on. It shouldn't be like this." I asked, "Are you thinking global warming?" "Yes."

People online keep asking why people wouldn't evacuate, but it's like you said -- nothing to get out of bed for. Except now. This makes absolutely no sense.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Yes! I mean, I heard cat2 and was like, oh, lots of rain and don't go to the beach and board up. Not twenty feet of water. It'd be like people saying "An F1 is coming!" and it, you know, takes trees away with your roof. There's no way you can see that coming.

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

This storm is CRAZY. As it turns out, the fact the water started rising so early may have been a blessing, it changed some people's minds. I read an account of one guy, he'd planned to stay and then he woke up in the morning (Friday) and his bed was floating, so he got the hell out.

[manderkitty.livejournal.com]

Hurricanes are weird. We had Fay sitting on top of our beach for almost a week, and just watching the things people are willing to do during a storm is horrifying yet hilarious. (oh, yes, let's go wind-surfing in the 50mph winds! and don't forget to finish off your Florida vacation package by playing in the riptide! and really, you should prep for the storm by turning on 50 or so generators in an enclosed space. Bravo, Florida.)

It is a little scary to watch a storm of that size hit any land mass, but one as large as Texas, especially. We're used to seeing our state disappear under the white swirly stuff on the news, but Texas is a lot bigger. Stay safe.

hunker down

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

At about eleven last night, I lost my temper and hollared at the television, "No one who cannot show me a Tx zip code on a birth certificate is allowed to use the phrase 'Hunker down' ever again."

After he stopped laughing, my husband said that was our cue to go to bed, as clearly, I'd snapped.

Aigh!

Re: hunker down

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

... I love your icon. Craving enchiladas as we speak.

Re: hunker down

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

I've been using it and this one alternately for the last two days. 8-)

I can't claim credit, though, beadslut made it for me after seeing the icons after the London bombing where "a cup of tea" was the response to every calamity, from a rainy afternoon to terorist bombings.

Re: hunker down

[kiranovember.livejournal.com]

I started trying to count the number of times someone said "hunker down" and lost count around 30, including the stupid woman who stayed on the island and said 'hanker in' thus proving herself doubly stupid.

We stayed, even though our zipcode was supposed to evacuate, but we're in the far corner, the one that isn't near the creek or any bayou and we don't flood here. We also don't lose power, not even during Rita.

Re: hunker down

[sobelle.livejournal.com]

HA!! totally agree with you on the "hunker down" =/

And the icon homage to CUP of TEA is awesome!!

Stay safe! (hunkering down in rainy northwest Arkansas =P

Re: hunker down

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

This afternoon we've got winds (And my neighborhood has a twitchy transformer, so yeah, we lost power, but it's not that big a deal) and some rain, but no tornadoes, though we've got ever volume turned low to listen for the sirens. Look like the folks east of here are bearing the brunt of it.

Re: hunker down

[seperis.livejournal.com]

THIS.

Also, now I'm hungry. That looks delicious.

[jenna-thorn.livejournal.com]

crisp corn tortillas make everything better 8-)

[akacat]

Storm surge is one of those weird things that usually scales with the degree of the hurricane -- but not always. It's also affected by the speed it's moving, changes in the water depth along its track, its size, and probably a dozen other things that can be independent of the current category.

The thing is, computers keep getting more powerful and scientists keep getting more data to add to their computer models. So they're starting to pick up the details that aren't reflected in the wind speed.

I *don't* blame people who are used to hurricanes for dismissing the warnings based on their own experience. It's natural to assume that experience > computer model. But when you get within twelve hours of landfall and the warnings haven't changed, it may be time to start listening.

[omglawdork.livejournal.com]

The whole thing is really messing with my head. I just hope all my peeps in the Houston and Beaumont areas are okay. It looks like east Texas is gonna get it pretty bad, too.

The really weird part is that Texas is so big, we're only three hours from the coast, and a hurricane the size of the ENTIRE GULF really isn't going to affect our weather today much, beyond just what you said.

[sobelle.livejournal.com]

"hunker down" bzuh?!

I am SO not appreciating real weather!! I lived in California for the last 36+ years and LIKE that wussy wimpy west coast weather!

I'm not in any danger of flooding here on my hillside? but wind? tornadoes???? they so totally freak me out. and since Ike is rumored to be bringing the rotational? I am NOT a happy camper =( "hunker down", my ass!

Stay safe all you Texans! and Oklahoma too!