Hurricane Harvey: Wish you the best, Houston and coastal area. Be careful!

Focker

One of our patient gifts that was given to us recently at the office states...
"Life isn't about weathering the storm, but learning to dance in the rain."  

Good vybz being sent to all from the QC.
https://youtu.be/pxbj4JcTfQM

20stone

HeavyG said:

This is a stunning before/after comparison:

https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000005394951/before-and-after-harvey.html?smid=tw-share

The opening two clips are about 1 mile from Chez Jonz. Fortunately for us, we are just far enough uphill to have stayed dry so far, with water currently receding.

However, another 10" of rain is in the forecast and the Army Corps of Engineers opening the floodgates upstream (Barker and Addicks reservoirs), we aren't done yet. All of my family is dry as well, though I am sure that everyone is ready for this to pass so everyone can rebuild.

Legume

Austin Egghead said:

Austin Relief Center is a good one here in Austin.  Salvation Army always good.

I think in the Austin area, it would be good to start gathering extra clothes, housewares, linens, etc.  Austin (and other cities) are going to end up hosting a lot of displaced people and they will need stuff.  And winter is coming.

Gulfcoastguy

I hope that a lot of boa constrictor snakes didn't escape into the wild. Some people think of them as pets but they will wipe out the stray cats and dogs then move in on the ones in backyards. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Just had a good cry in a Home Depot parking lot. I met an 80 year old evacuee who lost everything in Rockport. She lived in that mobile home park that you have probably all seen on the news with all the trailers scattered all over the place. She got out safely but everything she owned was in that trailer. A family acquaintance in my area took her in for what she thought was a few days while the storm passed but now she has nothing to go back to and nowhere to go. The lady that took her in posted her story on Facebook and asked for help. I had a couple hundred dollars in Visa and HEB gift cards sitting in a drawer so I figured this was a good a home for them as anything. She was the sweetest lady I have ever met. She hugged me and wouldn't let go. I'm still all emotional over it. 

DoubleEgger

Where's the Love button @The Cen-Tex Smoker

thetrim

God Bless Texas!

The Cen-Tex Smoker

This is her trailer:

Foghorn

Good on you @The Cen-Tex Smoker

The Cen-Tex Smoker

just makes you realize how far we are from being OK down here once this is over. So many people living on the margins that will have nowhere to go, no money to get there if they did, and nothing but what they have on their backs. This didn't cost me a dime- I got the HEB card as part of an egg fest like 2 years ago and forgot I had it. The Visa was a rebate from a pool pump I had to buy a few months ago. Certainly no big sacrifice for me but it meant a lot to her. The lady asked for gift cards and I remembered I had these in a drawer. Glad they are going to good use. I would have probably spent them on booze. 

bgebrent

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

 I would have probably spent them on booze. 

Pretty legit cause as well . Good going man.  

HeavyG

GATraveller

Just spoke with my buddy who owns a business downtown who said the office if underwater but his house is dry for now.  
Everyone pitch in and do what you can to help these folks out.  They need it!!!

YukonRon

I have a garage and basement full of housewares from the passing of our relatives, things they wanted us to have, but with our change in lifestyle, we will never use. Instead of a garage sale, or whateever, I am going to investigate how to get this furniture, kitchen ware and other things down there for those people, to help rebuild their lives. 
Cash donations are great, but if they can get some free necessities to replace what they lost, they will not have to spend the cash to replace it.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

YukonRon said:

I have a garage and basement full of housewares from the passing of our relatives, things they wanted us to have, but with our change in lifestyle, we will never use. Instead of a garage sale, or whateever, I am going to investigate how to get this furniture, kitchen ware and other things down there for those people, to help rebuild their lives. 
Cash donations are great, but if they can get some free necessities to replace what they lost, they will not have to spend the cash to replace it.

Ron- this lady I met today needs everything. Furniture, Plates, silverware, cups, bedding etc. I can hand it right to a person directly in need and know exactly where it's going to help. I'll gladly share the cost of getting it down here with you. 

McStew

We're doing out best to round up clothing to send a trailer full from all of us manufactures in the Los Angeles area.  

kl8ton

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

YukonRon said:

I have a garage and basement full of housewares from the passing of our relatives, things they wanted us to have, but with our change in lifestyle, we will never use. Instead of a garage sale, or whateever, I am going to investigate how to get this furniture, kitchen ware and other things down there for those people, to help rebuild their lives. 
Cash donations are great, but if they can get some free necessities to replace what they lost, they will not have to spend the cash to replace it.

Ron- this lady I met today needs everything. Furniture, Plates, silverware, cups, bedding etc. I can hand it right to a person directly in need and know exactly where it's going to help. I'll gladly share the cost of getting it down here with you. 

So if you can just post your home address, we can just start shipping random household goods down to you? 

Seriously though, does she have any kids?  I have a lot of kids stuff and could ship some down to you/her.  Toys, clothes, etc.  

The Cen-Tex Smoker

McStew said:

We're doing out best to round up clothing to send a trailer full from all of us manufactures in the Los Angeles area.  

Thank you! It will go to people in need. It's going to be a long haul for those people.

YukonRon

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

YukonRon said:

I have a garage and basement full of housewares from the passing of our relatives, things they wanted us to have, but with our change in lifestyle, we will never use. Instead of a garage sale, or whateever, I am going to investigate how to get this furniture, kitchen ware and other things down there for those people, to help rebuild their lives. 
Cash donations are great, but if they can get some free necessities to replace what they lost, they will not have to spend the cash to replace it.

Ron- this lady I met today needs everything. Furniture, Plates, silverware, cups, bedding etc. I can hand it right to a person directly in need and know exactly where it's going to help. I'll gladly share the cost of getting it down here with you. 

Our Public Radio Station, Suzy and I volunteer for, is working on a charity drive to do exactly that. I will give them a couple of weeks to work through the details, and see if it can facilitate this.

I appreciate the offer, and I will get this down there as best we can. 

We also have family on the NW side of Houston, riding this out. We might be making a trip down anyway.

HeavyG

I'll just post this as a reminder that having people from all over the country packing up and shipping stuff isn't always the best approach.

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/09/168946170/thanks-but-no-thanks-when-post-disaster-donations-overwhelm

nolaegghead

HeavyG said:

I'll just post this as a reminder that having people from all over the country packing up and shipping stuff isn't always the best approach.

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/09/168946170/thanks-but-no-thanks-when-post-disaster-donations-overwhelm

Man, what am I gonna do with the 100 Teddy Bears I just bought?!

theyolksonyou

nolaegghead said:

HeavyG said:

I'll just post this as a reminder that having people from all over the country packing up and shipping stuff isn't always the best approach.

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/09/168946170/thanks-but-no-thanks-when-post-disaster-donations-overwhelm

Man, what am I gonna do with the 100 Teddy Bears I just bought?!

I'm sure you could hand them out on Bourbon St pretty quickly. 

caliking

Well, we have power and the house is still dry which unfortunately cannot be said for many many people here. Some of our friends were evacuated from their home in the morning, and have made it to safer homes. 

Freezer diving yielded some pulled pork. Found a head of cabbage in the fridge. Dad brought some Granny Smith apples with him for some reason. Made these since we can't leave the house. 
 


So pulled pork sammiches and green apple coleslaw happened for lunch. Quite the bright spot in the past couple of days.

But I'm out of beer now. So time to move on. I hear we've got another week of this shite. 

HeavyG

The estimated Harvey rainfall over the weekend was 9 trillion gallons. This gives an interesting way to try and visualize that amount:

"If you started at sea level and created a one-mile square column of Harvey water, it would end up towering over 42,000 feet above your head."

Now I'm wondering by weeks end how much taller that column will be.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

glad to see you are safe buddy. I have a friend in Dallas who told me that he wished he had a drone outfitted to carry 6 packs of beer so he could drop care packages to all our friends in Houston. 

theyolksonyou

Got a cousin in the woodlands. Dry so far. Only been to Houston once and drove from the airport straight to Conroe, so not familiar with the geography. I know I passed thru. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

kl8ton said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

YukonRon said:

I have a garage and basement full of housewares from the passing of our relatives, things they wanted us to have, but with our change in lifestyle, we will never use. Instead of a garage sale, or whateever, I am going to investigate how to get this furniture, kitchen ware and other things down there for those people, to help rebuild their lives. 
Cash donations are great, but if they can get some free necessities to replace what they lost, they will not have to spend the cash to replace it.

Ron- this lady I met today needs everything. Furniture, Plates, silverware, cups, bedding etc. I can hand it right to a person directly in need and know exactly where it's going to help. I'll gladly share the cost of getting it down here with you. 

So if you can just post your home address, we can just start shipping random household goods down to you? 

Seriously though, does she have any kids?  I have a lot of kids stuff and could ship some down to you/her.  Toys, clothes, etc.  

She does not. She's 80 and her daughter is deployed in the navy. 

Our neighborhood is having a drive and we have 2 52-foot trailers parked at city hall that will be trucked down there as soon as they are full. If you want to send stuff, I will make sure it gets loaded up and sent down. 

Possumtrot

My oldest daughter lives in the Kingwood area - so far no issues, but she said that people were advised to stay off Kingwood Drive as it may be underwater soon.  My sister and her husband moved to the Greatwood area (near Sugarland) last summer (from Knoxville) to be near their daughter in Richmond.  They are ok so far, but their daughter is evacuating to her parents-in-law.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

theyolksonyou said:

Got a cousin in the woodlands. Dry so far. Only been to Houston once and drove from the airport straight to Conroe, so not familiar with the geography. I know I passed thru. 

BIL and family are in The Woodland. They are in the same boat. They are dry but limited mobility from flooded roads. 

caliking

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

glad to see you are safe buddy. I have a friend in Dallas who told me that he wished he had a drone outfitted to carry 6 packs of beer so he could drop care packages to all our friends in Houston. 

Please sign me up. Now.