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Galveston Evacuates

Frayed Knot Sep 21 2005 11:24 PM

Here we go again. Rita now a Cat-5 heading for the Texas coast somewhere south of Galveston. Now Galveston isn't below sea level like N'Awlins and it's 60,000 peeps instead of half a million ... but still, the city essentially sits on a glorified sand bar and they're on the wrong side of this storm. Galveston, oh Galveston I still hear your sea winds blowing I still see her dark eyes glowing She was twenty-one, when I left Galveston

SwitchHitter Sep 22 2005 12:30 AM

They've been evacuating all day. At 6pm, the freeways were made one-way out of Galveston and for the next few hundred miles. The last traffic report I heard before I went to watch the ballgame had it taking 5 hours to get from Galveston to downtown Houston, plus another couple to get to the north end of the metroplex. I'm sixty miles inland and so we're just holing up here. We'll see some storm action but nothing life- or limb-threatening.

Edgy DC Sep 22 2005 12:57 AM

Galveston had one of these back around 1900 that must've been one of the deadliest in US history if I remember history right. Stupid McKinley. Galveston, oh Galveston I still hear your sea waves crashing While I watch the cannons flashing I clean my gun and dream of Galveston

TheOldMole Sep 22 2005 07:08 AM

I remember one September, When storm winds swept the town; The high tide from the ocean, Lord, Put water all around. cho: Wasn’t that a mighty day, A mighty day A mighty day, Great God, that morning When the storm winds swept the town! There was a sea-wall there in Galveston To keep the waters down, But the high tide from the ocean, Lord, Put water in the town. The trumpets warned the people, ‘You’d better leave this place!’ But they never meant to leave their homes Till death was in their face. The trains they all were loaded With people leaving town; The tracks gave way to the ocean, Lord, And the trains they went on down. The seas began to rolling, The ships they could not land; I heard a Captain crying, ‘God, please save a drowning man!’ The waters, like some river, Came a-rushing to and fro; I saw my father drowning, God, And I watched my mother go! Now death, your hands are icy; You’ve got them on my knee. You took away my mother, Now you’re coming after me!

cooby Sep 22 2005 07:35 AM

SwitchHitter wrote: The last traffic report I heard before I went to watch the ballgame had it taking 5 hours to get from Galveston to downtown Houston, plus another couple to get to the north end of the metroplex. I'm sixty miles inland and so we're just holing up here. We'll see some storm action but nothing life- or limb-threatening. Annie how long does it usually take?

sharpie Sep 22 2005 08:59 AM

I drove it last year. About an hour or so.

cooby Sep 22 2005 09:06 AM

Annie and rpackrat, best of luck to both of you, stay safe and remember we're thinking of you

Yancy Street Gang Sep 22 2005 09:38 AM

I read this book last year. It's about the 1900 hurricane that hit Galveston: Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History Not a great book, but interesting enough, and a quick read. One of the reasons that the 1900 storm was so deadly was that there was virtually no evacuation. Weather forecasting wasn't at all sophisticated back then. The few people who knew that the storm was coming (those who got eyewitness reports from Cuba and Puerto Rico) weren't able to spread the word. Also, if I'm remembering correctly, those who did hear of the storm weren't inclined to believe it was as severe as it actually was. I hope we've learned enough in the last 105 years, not to mention the last few weeks, that Galveston fares much better this time than it did in 1900.

Frayed Knot Sep 22 2005 10:25 AM

Galveston oh Galveston I am so afraid of dying Before I dry the tears she's crying Before I see your sea birds flying in the sun ... at Galveston

MFS62 Sep 22 2005 12:28 PM

Never knew until last night that Galveston is on an island. Later