As a native Houstonian, it's hard to even think about football right now. I may be in New York, but my whole family is facing down Hurricane Ike so my mind is elsewhere. I'm sure plenty of you all are going through the same thing, especially if you live in East Texas. For those of you in the storm's path, please be safe and know that the eyes of Texas and the Burnt Orange Nation are upon you. We're watching, hoping, and praying for all of you. For anyone with access to a computer, consider this your Hurricane Ike Open thread. Updates, well-wishes, pictures, general animosity leveled at an act of nature, cleverly re-worded 1950s political slogans, whatever.
For those of us lucky enough to be able to think about things other than Ike this weekend, we will likely have a Saturday games open thread up at some point.
Stay safe, everyone.
1 recs | 32 comments
I don't like Ike?
Hope everyone along the Texas coast stays safe!
Wescott Eberts (GoBR) - September 12, 2008
Maybe I'm just Old-School, or something . . .
. . . but I don’t see what the fuss is about. It’s “just” a hurricane, after all. After “surviving” Betsy, Camille and about 30 other hurricanes, I can’t help but think that all this fuss is a new thing. We never even considered evacuating. Ever. Not once. I played in the ditches during Camille and had bottle rocket wars during at least one other big time blow. I know you all think I’m being crass, but seriously, what has changed since the 1960’s? Are these storms worse than in the past? Or, has our ability to get through them degraded? I don’t remember LSU or USL ever cancelling games, much less LATech or UT because of floods of “refugees”. I don’t get it. Fill me in, blast me if you want, but I really would like to know.
LSMFT - September 12, 2008
I must admit that watching you and your bottle rocket take on
the “22-foot wall of fury” (storm serge) CNN is headlining would appease my guilt for lamenting the postponement of the Arkansas game.
Though like you, I also think our news media has become a little too sensational with their coverage of hurricanes. I think it’s important that people take precaution (I’m sure your “ditch” gave you a great view of Camille) and those who are in imminent danger, evacuate, but making outlandish death and destruction claims without having a real grasp of what’s going to happen seems premature and irresponsible.
I’m not saying UT didn’t do the right thing postponing the game, but no doubt the media coverage played a role. And I do find it amusing that according to the latest storm tracker, Fayetteville will actually feel more of the effects of Ike than Austin will.
54b - September 12, 2008
LSMFT . . . I see your point
To a degree. But comparing 2008 (or 2005, or 1999) to pre-1970 might be a bit like comparing warfare in 1863 and 1943. Times, knowledge, social values, communications change.
Fifty years ago, a lot of our families were in the same town or region; there was “nobody” to evacuate to. Hotels and motels were relatively scarce. And the awareness of the time frame, intensity and conditions of hurricanes was in its infancy. In some cases, WE SHOULD have run but didn’t know enough to do so, or have anywhere to run to.
Mostly, though, just like TV brought the Vietnam war into our living rooms, it has brought Hurricanes Hugo, Ivan, Rita and Katrina to us. Had cable TV and the Internet been available in 1969, Camille would have taught us lessons that weren’t learned until decades later. And we’re talking, in Ike’s case, about a metro population of more than 4 million that’s in the direct path, with the worst-hit sector of folks — those living along the coast — having to pass through the city where most of the rest of the people live.
I just walked through my subdivision (60 miles off the coast in far west Houston). Maybe 1 house in 20 was boarded up. Maybe 1 home in 10 showed no signs of folks being here, meaning the rest are preparing to ride out the storm.
During Rita, just three years ago but just a month after Katrina, this part of the world was a ghost town. Around 20 percent of the families stayed. Rita taught us not to follow like sheep onto the highways. Recently, much of Houston shut down TWO DAYS ahead of the expected arrival of Eduardo, which never came. We learned from that needless evacuation, and the one before Rita, and we’ll learn from this one. In comparison, a missed weekend of football is inconsequential.
edsp - September 12, 2008
Well...
For one thing Camille “killed 259 people and caused $1.42 billion (1969 USD, $9.14 billion 2005 USD) in damages” so I do think that’s kind of serious. If that were a person you would be aghast, but a force of nature and you think theres nothing to worry about?
Most of the fuss is probably due to Katrina, which was the deadliest Hurricane in 80 years, killing around 1800 people and causing 81 billion in damages. Granted the situation in New Orleans could only be topped by a Tsunami hitting Venice, but still, when 1800 people die, and that kind of damage takes place it does raise peoples alertness.
Rarely do Hurricanes directly hit large metropolitan areas, and never has there been such a big storm hitting so directly on a city with the size, and population of Houston. Right now, the projected path is for the hurricane to tear right through the heart of the 4th largest city in the US. Surely there wont be the same damages as Katrina, but the potential for loss of life is surely there.
So if you are honestly asking what the big deal is, no, this doesn’t happen all the time. And as BZ points out, many of us have friends and family that are on a direct path of the storm, which makes it even more personal for a lot of people around the state.
BoddickerIsClutch - September 12, 2008
Hello...?
LSU just cancelled a game a week ago, and McNeese St. cancelled their game with Cal Poly for tomorrow. These decisions aren’t made based on football…they’re based on humanity. No one will ever critize Deloss Dodds & Co. for cancelling…but heaven forbid they don’t cancel and something bad happens.
And, no, it is not a new thing: I’ve been through multiple hurricanes, and have ridden them out when good sense dictated otherwise. Check with the good folks bailing out of High Island about right now…they’ll never roll the dice again.
Horns757 - September 12, 2008
Cancellation of the game was ridiculous
I really thought that UT canceling was a little overboard. Austin is what 250 miles inland, and the only way for the city to be in any kind of danger is if the storm of the millennium came and hit the Texas Coast.
I really believe that media makes every hurricane now as the end of days. Every since Katrina, the media makes every hurricane the second coming. I am not saying that hurricanes need to be taken lightly, but some of these precautions are overboard. Canceling a football came in central Texas? If that isn’t overboard than I don’t what it is. Now, I have no problem with the Astros and Texans delaying/postponing their games because the hurricane is going to hit Houston.
About Katrina, what most people don’t realize about Katrina is that New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen. The city is like 10 feet below sea level and where the Mississippi River enters the Gulf of Mexico. So any kind of hurricane hitting would cause ridiculous damage because of the fact that the city is below sea level. It was inevitable.
A couple of years hurricane Rita was supposed to hit Houston and the Houston media made it seem like the storm of the century and everybody evacuated and it barely caused any damage or loss of life. In fact, more damage and death happened during the evacuation than the hurricane.
If you watch any of the Houston news it is just about hurricanes. FOX, calls itself “Your Gulf Coast Weather Authority” they have something called “the storm seeker”, apparently something better than doppler. The local news stations spend about 15 to 20 minutes of their 30 minutes covering the weather. They go and on. FOX is the worst because they are the only news station in Houston that has news one hour long so they sometime give a half-hour segment on hurricanes and weather weekly.
Also, any hurricane that pops up in the Caribbean, the immediately scare you and talk about that it might be coming to Houston. Even though if you look at the map the Hurricane would have to make a 90 degree left turn to get anywhere near Houston.
Look at the previous two hurricanes this year, Eduard and Gustav and the media made them seem like doomsday even though the damage was only marginal. This is what they do. They scare you so you can live in fear and come back and watch some more news. If they tell this hurricane really isn’t going to hit us, then you wouldn’t come back and watch the news the next night. I personally think that most people don’t watch the local news anymore, just like people don’t really read newspapers anymore. You can just go online and get what you need. So in order to maintain viewership they do this.
longhornboy - September 12, 2008
You should have noticed...
Postponing the game wasn’t about playing conditions; it was about the safety of the thousands of people who would be traveling to and from austin who live in the path of the storm. Also, it wouldn’t be a great idea to tie up traffic on 35/71/290 when other people need it to get away from the storm if they chose to. Evacuation was called for over a million people, and they need the roads. And as much as we dislike the Piggies, they needed to get back to Fayetteville after the game saturday night. That would be impossible til probably monday, as Ike is expected to hit that area with flooding rains.
Plus, it’s always possible Austin could get one of those outer bands of storms that has severe wind, blinding rain, and the occasional tonado.
But all in all, it’s not about football; it’s about public safety.
BigTexBD - September 12, 2008
BigTexBD
You’re so right about the safety. I’d summarize it this way: Calling off the game was the PC thing to do. We live, like it or not, in a PC country, and any large governmental or educational institution is expected, really DEMANDED, to operate the PC way. Not playing the game was the PC way of handling the issue.
More to the point, however, it wasn’t a big deal. CANCEL a game with 98,000 PAYING fans? Not a chance. But since UT and Arkansas had a common open date two weeks hence, it was an easy call.
And the PC one.
edsp - September 12, 2008
Agree with you...
Many outside the South don’t realize that Katrina was so bad because New Orleans was an accident waiting to happen. Terrible location. I talked to friends in downtown Houston this morning – and while there is clearly damage, they saw no need to evacuate to the hills.
Some of the tropical storms that roll through Houston end up doing more damage from flooding than these hurricanes. Anyone remember Tropical Storm Allison in 2001?
PSUhorn - September 13, 2008
That is probably why they did not evacuate Houston
Did you talk to anyone at Surfside beach? Because all of their houses are under 8 ft of water.
Talking to someone in Houston and then deciding Ike was not that bad is like talking to someone who’s house was 3 blocks away from a tornado, him saying his house was fine and then deciding that the the tornado did no damage.
Wells - September 13, 2008
I failed to note
I was referring more to just Houston and the suburbs, not Galveston. I think in most cases where big hurricanes hit a coastal town it would be safe to get out. Surfside Beach is obviously one of those spot. And I never said it wasn’t that bad – simply that many of my friends and family said yesterday and today that they saw no need to evacuate
PSUhorn - September 14, 2008
The people on the coast of Mississippi would disagree, strongly, with your assessment of Katrina. The devestation there was incredible (and still evident), but unfortunately they often didn’t receive as much attention or aid as we did.
learned hand - September 14, 2008
agreed
I’m new to living in Houston and youre right. They act like its the end of the world. Yeah it looks nasty and god only knows but thats all thats been on the news all day and yesterday. Cancelling the game ruined my weekend completely. That was the highlight of my saturday and now its gone. THAT SUCKS…..
vivalonghorns05 - September 12, 2008
Yes
Awful that your weekend was ruined. You should talk to the families of the people who die this weekend.
Wells - September 12, 2008
But you'll get to live out
your weekend fantasy in two weeks. Most of Galveston Co. won’t have homes in two weeks. Or two months.
edsp - September 12, 2008
For that comment
I sentence you to 6 weeks of community service, helping any of the millions of people in the Houston area clean up and make repairs to their homes, cars, lives, etc.
Your comment gives a whole new meaning to ignorant.
Shake - September 14, 2008
Wow, you're a jerk
I’m sorry your weekend was “ruined” by the game being postponed, I’m glad you were lucky enough to not be affected by the hurricane, but I’m sure the people who no longer have houses as a result of the hurricane (some of my neighbors and friends back home) REALLY had a bad weekend. I wish you would have more sense than to say what you did because it’s incredibly insensitive to all the people who were tragically affected by this hurricane. To say your weekend was ruined is ridiculous, considering some people are now homeless. I think that would ruin my weekend more than a postponed football GAME, you ignorant clown.
Katie McBeast - September 14, 2008
Ignorance and wisdom
To vivalonghorns05,
I’ll bet you have a different view right now, seeing that you wrote the comments before the storm… although I doubt you can communicate here on BON about it, since you probably might be one of the 2 Millon people still with out power in the region.
To all other BONers,
I thought this was going to be another hurricane Rita. It wasn’t… this was much worse. God took care of many of us in Harris County. Many just have trees and branches/leaves to clean up , and we are without power, but to the south it looks like a war zone.
HornsFan87 - September 15, 2008
Wish the game hadn’t been postponed, but dem’s de breaks. My father and his wife live in League City, in the Clear Lake area between Galveston and Houston, and he just called to say that everything’s supposed to be okay. He says they’ve put up corrugated steel over all their doors and windows except the bigger garage door, and that the worst-case scenario they’re hearing for their neighborhood is a few inches of water in the house. Not bad, as long as they put what they don’t want damaged up on the second floor. At least Ike’s not a monstrosity of a hurricane.
RE: VY…his mother meant well and all, but she really made a laughingstock out of our boy Vince. I’m sure it’s actually very common for a player who is booed by the home fans and injured to feel kind of down in the dumps, and then for his family to be concerned (especially a mother!), but rarely becomes public. It sucks that this particular mother’s concern became public and that the media have gotten so much effing mileage out of it. What a non-story.
burntorangehorn - September 12, 2008
Overreacting
We’re definitely over-reacting here in Dallas. Our office manager sent an e-mail this afternoon instructing everyone to close their blinds and office doors in case Ike blows out the windows. Also, we were to remove any paper from our desk because it could get sucked out the window.
My brother’s building took it one step further. There will be an assessment Sunday night to determine whether the building will be closed on Monday or not. I guess they’re expecting a lot of damage, despite the fact we’re 300 miles inland…
Lobo89 - September 12, 2008
valuing life > football
And this is coming from a football addict. When the decision to postpone the game was made, there was still a strong chance that Ike could trek inland this way. However, the route it’s taken is even worse as it brought much more immediate harm to a heavier populated area. I’d love for the game to be going today, but in terms of doing what is best for fellow inhabitants of the state, the right choice was made. Hell, how many of the players would’ve had their minds on other things anyway, like family back at home near the coast? I’m sure there are a decent amount of Texas players from H-town and the Golden Triangle.
junglerules - September 13, 2008
agreed
I thought the cancellation was more because of the families of football players that would be affected more than the storm affecting Austin anyway, and I think it was the right thing to do, especially since it’ll happen in 2 weeks anyway
Katie McBeast - September 14, 2008
So here I sit broken hearted
Paid for season tickets
And only farted
What a crappy day, other than its college football day
JCHudson - September 13, 2008
Thoughts and prayers...
for the people of the greater Houston area – especially, obviously, nearest the coast. I feel so lucky down here in Corpus to have avoided the storm completely when a couple of days ago we were directly in Ike’s sites; but, I also feel horrible for those who are suffering today from this hurricane (my brother and sister and their families included). Let’s keep them in our thoughts and prayers today. The Longhorns will play again.
bfaut86 - September 13, 2008
I grew up in Clear Lake. My parents still live in my childhood home. As we have done in the past (Hurricane Rita), they evacuated (mandatory) to my apartment in downtown Houston on Friday morning. I do not scare easily; but, for three hours, we huddled in the hallway while random items continuously struck my windows and made the sounds usually reserved for a shooting range. I have never been more frightened for my safety and the safety of my loved ones. At this point, we do not know the status of my childhood home. I am praying.
As a gigantic Longhorn Football fan, I appreciate The University of Texas recognizing the safety of their fans.
ellelonghorn - September 13, 2008
LSMFT
Chron photos
Yeah, it must be a new thing. What’s all the fuss? These folks can’t breathe underwater with lumber piled on top of their heads? Bunch of pussies.
horndude - September 14, 2008
Checking in
This is my first dance with Internet access since Mr. Ike blew through…I’m in Sugar Land (SW of Houston), so thankfully, we didn’t get hit too badly. The brunt of the damage over here are the trees falling over…mostly non-dangerous, but there were a few that knocked over fences, or worse, roofs and cars. I’ve spent some of the past two days working the rake to clean up the messes. Power and water have been intermittent…my mom picked up power Saturday afternoon but lost it again last night. Water has been pretty good in Sugar Land, but has been spotty at best in most of the greater Houston area. I watched a few hours of straight up news last night, and the devastation was ridiculous. I definitely consider Sugar Land/westside Houston extremely fortunate. Probably the biggest concern right now (aside from lack of power in many residential neighborhoods) is trying to find gas. I’m targeting going into work (downtown) starting Tuesday, which doesn’t really bother me, except for the fact that I fill my tank about once a week. RIght now the lines at gas tanks are ridiculous…there’s car lines going 20 deep. And that’s in the GOOD part of the Houston greater area. Anyways, I just wanted to drop my two cents from one part of Houston. I hope any BONers who were in the more direct path of the storm is doing well.
I was lucky enough to watch the Baylor and Kansas games on Friday (my electricity cut out about an hour after the Kansas game ended). Robert Griffin…wow. He really looks like the second coming of Vince. Simply incredible performance. All kidding aside, I won’t be surprised if A&M is the worst team in the Big XII South for the next few years…Griffin is going to turn that program around. As for Kansas, that Todd Reesing is some quarterback. Tough mistake at the end to lose the game. Their running game is seriously struggling, and their secondary looks worse than ours. They looked good, but beatable. Sad to have missed what seemed like a very interesting Saturday in CFB, but sometimes life gets in the way. Just wanted to get some thoughts off…talking football is a nice distraction after this weekend. Everyone in Houston, stay safe. Signing off.
jc25 - September 14, 2008
Glad you're ok, jc. Good luck this week. nt
whills - September 14, 2008
Appreciate the update
glad y’all are well, all things considered.
learned hand - September 15, 2008
My Mom is in Sugar Land too
and she had her backyard fence blown over and a badly dented garage door, but other than that and the lack of electricity (which finally came back on today), she didn’t get it too bad. Luckily, Sugar Land doesn’t flood too badly, so that’s helpful.
billyzane - September 15, 2008
My heart is back home
I’m up in VA but I’ve been distracted since Thursday about this hurricane. It was originally slated to hit due South of my house in NW Houston with the prediction being the worst hit would be due north of the storm, so I was really worried. My family was very lucky, however, and only had some fence damage and some tree branches blown down. Our neighbors weren’t all so lucky, though, as some lost parts of their roof and the cold front that came through immediately after Ike laid down over 5 inches of rain and flooded their homes. I’m so glad my family is okay, but my heart goes out to all the others (esp. Galveston and coastal areas) who were so badly hit by the storm and all the effects. I hope they are able to rebuild soon and return to their lives, in the meantime, I hope people rally around to help those people out as they did for New Orleans. Also, in sad news, Brennan’s in downtown Htown burned completely to the ground as a result of the storm. I had both my rehearsal dinner for my wedding and Prom dinner there, so lots of great memories! I hope they rebuild it quickly because that place is amazing and special to so many people. Prayers for my hometown!
Katie McBeast - September 14, 2008
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