Ike ... #5

11 am ... I know I said that I would probably start this post after the 1pm official update, but there have been a couple of developments that I thought you might want to know about.

Coastal communities are beginning to cut off their water supplies. All water supplies -- drinking, bath, sewer, etc. This is, of course, to protect their systems from contamination.

Although all coastal communities were under 'mandatory' evacuation orders, it seems that some residents decided to 'ride it out'. Rescues from rooftops are being made as we speak. It won't be long, however, before any such rescues will be simply impossible.

It now looks as tho the storm surge will be much greater than anyone could possibly have anticipated!!


Check back with me later, OK? I'll highlight the time in bold, as I did last post, to try and make it a touch easier for you. I promise to post as often as I can, and certainly when there is something of import to pass along.



11:30 am ... Hurricane-force winds are extending outward from Ike's center, particular on the northeast side, as many as 200 miles!!! They're now talking about a storm surge equaling that of a Cat 4 or a Cat 5. As per usual, I will not be evacuating, but I think it's going to be a very scary several hours tonight!



12:30 pm ... I'm sweatin' like a 'you know what' here. Still have the picnic table to take apart and put in the garage along with the chairs. But, before I did that, of course, 'neatness herself' (Ha!!!) had to first straighten up the garage and sweep it. Heavens to Betsy! Just had to sit down and take a break for a minute. Later ...



12:45 pm ... OK. I've moved everything into the garage from the back yard that I can physically move. Five things are left ... 1) a big old log that I man-handled into the corner where the fence meets the house; 2) the bottom of the bird bath (I just can't get it out of the ground. If Ike wants it, he can have it!); 3) another log (this one long and narrow than I'm just too tired to try and lift) that I was going to chop/saw up into firewood years ago, but I think it'll take a chain saw; 4) a steel or iron wood holder (huge!) that would be impossible for two of us to lift, I think ... then, even if we could, where would we put it?? 5) a large ceramic pot that, again, I'm too tired to try and lift. It's back by the fence and under a large shrub. It might be OK.

I'm going to go and watch the news now, give you the 1 pm update, and get settled in for a nice long bubble bath before I take an extended nap on my clean sheets. Boy, does that sound great!!



1 pm ... OK. The latest update. BTW, DD called while I must have been working either out in the back yard or garage, and left a message asking me if I was comfortable staying here. "You can always come out to our place," she said. "The maximum sustained winds are supposed to be one mph less than at yours!" Ha!! (What she forgot to mention, of course, was that my vehicle would have to be parked out in the open.)


OK (again!), the latest update. A teensy bit of possible 'good news'. The pressure has increased to 957 millibars. That's up from 954. Winds still at 105 mph. At present, Ike's center is located 168 miles southeast of Galveston.


Listen up, guys. I'll be posting later, for sure. Don't look for any more updates under this heading, tho ... just watch for a #6. I'm off to my bubble bath!