topic Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night in Community Chat

Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

ms traditional — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 22:39:06 GMT

From FEMA

FEMA has 400+ search and rescue personnel "working to save lives in south Texas," with 500 more ready to perform rescues this evening.

i know we are all worried about those needing to get to safety with more rain coming in soon. prayers up.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

hyacinth003 — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 22:45:39 GMT

Since we know about hurricanes a week or more in advance, why is there such a need for search and rescue?

The way to be safe is to leave the area before the hurricane hits. The track of it and information is on the airwaves 24/7 for days.

Here in Illinois, we have tornadoes from time to time. If we're lucky, we get a couple of minutes to seek safety.

Why does this happen with every hurricane? Everyone knows it's coming. You can't stop all property damage, but why are lives in danger?

Hyacinth

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

grandma r — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 22:48:38 GMT

Prayers for all of the victims and the rescue teams.

The destruction is horrible. I can't even imagine how the residents are coping.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

AKgirl2 — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 22:50:47 GMT

Prayers everyone is and stays safe. 👼🏼🙏🏻👼🏼

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

momtochloe — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 22:59:34 GMT

I am so heartened reading about the volunteers that are assembling to help rescue those in need alongside our dedicated workers in addition to those that support infrastructure that are mobilized and on their way from neighboring states. Reading their stories just make me sob as it highlights the good that exists in this wonderful nation . . .

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

santorini — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:00:37 GMT

@hyacinth003 wrote:
Since we know about hurricanes a week or more in advance, why is there such a need for search and rescue?

The way to be safe is to leave the area before the hurricane hits. The track of it and information is on the airwaves 24/7 for days.

Here in Illinois, we have tornadoes from time to time. If we're lucky, we get a couple of minutes to seek safety.

Why does this happen with every hurricane? Everyone knows it's coming. You can't stop all property damage, but why are lives in danger?

Hyacinth

I feel like you must be joking, but I'll take a stab at this. Hyacinth, weather forecasts are not exact science. The storm hit way south of us around the Rockport area. We were told we would just get rain. More rain has fallen than was expected and in different areas than originally predicted. If you've never been around a flooding event, the water can rise extremely fast. They call this "flash flooding." Many people are caught in bad situations due to flash flooding.

Some people's homes have never flooded in the 60 or so years they have lived there, so they felt confident they would be okay in this storm too. You can't ask 3 or 4 million people to flee a city every time a storm is expected. We lived through Rita like that and it was a complete disaster. 21-1/2 hours on the road to get out of town in what usually takes 3 hours.

I hope you never have to experience something like this.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

ms traditional — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:07:05 GMT

@momtochloe i'm with you. i have taken heart from all the vignettes of neighbor helping neighbor, serious government efforts to do any and all in coordination with all agencies involved. i especially took heart from the guy who picked up the errant dog, tweeted out his video and drove dog back to reunite with owner, the sight of people being rescued with animals in their arms, scooping them up before possessions - and the news that the women in the senior complex knee deep in water were shuttled to safety by the National Guard. ultimately we are who i thought we were as people - and i am happy about that, at least. now back to helping the people of Texas........

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

Shiloh09 — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:14:16 GMT

Why do people not evacuate? Hard to say...Houston was not hit directly by Harvey. In fact as it was pummeling Rockport and surrounding areas south of here, my neighborhood didn't get a drizzle of rain. We all knew we would get a lot of rain and there would be flooding. The fact is that this storm has moved incredibly slow. The slower it moves the more rain. No one could have predicted this catastrophic amount of water. There was an evacuation ordered ten years ago or so. There were a dozen deaths from accidents and extreme heat on the roads as thousands and thousands of people hit the established evacuation routes. All before the storm even started back then! While new procedures are in place, there are more people living here and more building all the time. This is a 500 year flood which means the possibility of it occurring is .2%----that is point two percent. Finally and unfortunately, not unlike any other places, there are actually people that do not have the means to just leave their home.

Pray for Texas, we have a long recovery ahead not just in Houston, but southeast Texas.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

sassenach1 — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:14:55 GMT

@Hyacinth

This storm was nearly a last-minute one. Until about 72 hours before it made landfall, it was a tropical storm. It grew exponentially quickly.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

momtochloe — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:16:14 GMT

@ms traditional another rescue of furballs after rescuing their families . . .

I truly cannot fathom what Texas is going through right now. Many years ago where I worked we had a very small stream that was pleasant to look at and never bothered anyone. Fast forward to a severe storm that Illinois had that was unusual for the area and suddenly that little stream was rising above all comprehension flooding parking lots and threatening buildings . . . please know there was absolutely no danger of loss of life but man did it impress on me how fast water could overtake areas that usually never experienced flooding.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

DukeBlueNan — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:16:35 GMT

Well said @santorini. We can never, ever know with certainty exactly what could happen weather wise. It's frightening.

My prayers.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

ms traditional — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:20:31 GMT

@momtochloe you are so right about rising waters. as for our furry friends, i am a sucker in that category. extra tears of joy when i see them rescued,i must admit.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

hyacinth003 — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:22:05 GMT

@santorini wrote:
@hyacinth003 wrote:
Since we know about hurricanes a week or more in advance, why is there such a need for search and rescue?

The way to be safe is to leave the area before the hurricane hits. The track of it and information is on the airwaves 24/7 for days.

Here in Illinois, we have tornadoes from time to time. If we're lucky, we get a couple of minutes to seek safety.

Why does this happen with every hurricane? Everyone knows it's coming. You can't stop all property damage, but why are lives in danger?

Hyacinth

I feel like you must be joking, but I'll take a stab at this. Hyacinth, weather forecasts are not exact science. The storm hit way south of us around the Rockport area. We were told we would just get rain. More rain has fallen than was expected and in different areas than originally predicted. If you've never been around a flooding event, the water can rise extremely fast. They call this "flash flooding." Many people are caught in bad situations due to flash flooding.

Some people's homes have never flooded in the 60 or so years they have lived there, so they felt confident they would be okay in this storm too. You can't ask 3 or 4 million people to flee a city every time a storm is expected. We lived through Rita like that and it was a complete disaster. 21-1/2 hours on the road to get out of town in what usually takes 3 hours.

I hope you never have to experience something like this.

I wasn't joking and I'm not trying to be mean. What I think doesn't matter at all. A LOT of people ask the question I do. I understand SOME is not an exact science, but it's pretty good. The whole country heard about this for over a week. I heard so many times that 2 feet of water was expected in many places. And I am not even close.

I understand people will need a lot of help. They should be helped. If they tell you as best they can what is expected, you shouldn't stay and risk your life and the life of others to save you. It is a place that can get terrible hurricanes.

Hyacinth

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

ms traditional — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:26:59 GMT

@hyacinth003 i'm sure some Houstonians remember the evacuation for Rita:

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Hurricane-Rita-anxiety-leads-to-hellish-fatal-6521994.php

it would have been hard to forget.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

SilleeMee — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:31:12 GMT

People will live anywhere. Build it, they will come and it doesn't seem to matter what the risks may come along with it. Houston and the surrounding areas are built right on top of a swampland.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

momtochloe — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:31:52 GMT

@hyacinth003 I know I may be speaking out of turn here but I think many folks that don't evacuate simply cannot afford to. Either they don't have their own means to leave the area or they have jobs that may or may not be impacted with the coming storm based on how the storm ultimately breaks. It's a heartbreaking decision for them as if they leave and the storm decimates their area they made the right decision but if the storm suddenly changes course as they often do and their area is untouched they have left their job behind and quite possibly may not be welcome back as there are others that can quickly take their place. My heart just breaks for all that are impacted by this.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

Shiloh09 — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:31:57 GMT

I will also add that there have been over 250 tornado warnings in the last 36 hours not to mention the hundreds of flash flood warnings all on my cell phone! Of those tornado warnings, I think there were 3 or 4 that touched down and caused damage. All freeways are under water....

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

Marienkaefer2 — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:34:20 GMT

@Shiloh09 wrote:
Why do people not evacuate? Hard to say...Houston was not hit directly by Harvey. In fact as it was pummeling Rockport and surrounding areas south of here, my neighborhood didn't get a drizzle of rain. We all knew we would get a lot of rain and there would be flooding. The fact is that this storm has moved incredibly slow. The slower it moves the more rain. No one could have predicted this catastrophic amount of water. There was an evacuation ordered ten years ago or so. There were a dozen deaths from accidents and extreme heat on the roads as thousands and thousands of people hit the established evacuation routes. All before the storm even started back then! While new procedures are in place, there are more people living here and more building all the time. This is a 500 year flood which means the possibility of it occurring is .2%----that is point two percent. Finally and unfortunately, not unlike any other places, there are actually people that do not have the means to just leave their home.
Pray for Texas, we have a long recovery ahead not just in Houston, but southeast Texas.

Exactly..limited means, fear of the unknown, inability to help oneself without assistance (someone who is poor, sick and/or disabled).

There is a lot of poverty and need and I think most of us aren't aware of it until we see a natural distaster.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

Marienkaefer2 — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:37:00 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
People will live anywhere. Build it, they will come and it doesn't seem to matter what the risks may come along with it. Houston and the surrounding areas are built right on top of a swampland.

I think it would be hard to find any part of our country that is not affected by natural disasters, whether they be hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, wildfires, blizzards, earthquakes, etc.

Re: Search and Rescue/Houston will go on into the night

momtochloe — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:39:47 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
People will live anywhere. Build it, they will come and it doesn't seem to matter what the risks may come along with it. Houston and the surrounding areas are built right on top of a swampland.

@SilleeMee I more than smell what you're cooking but my angst lies with the zoning boards that allows building in areas that are clearly unstable. This not only applies to those in coastal area but also those in high risk of fire like CA that are having dozens of homes lost to fire that were built in areas that previously were never zoned for habitation.