You people better go buy your gas today and fill up those extra gas cans lying around in your garage. I'm sure by tomorrow the current gas prices wont be so great. We have family in Bridge Port that came in yesterday to the East Texas area. I'm thankful they were able to leave and get out. I just pray that they have a home to go back to. Rita is projected to come straight through East Texas and supposedly still going strong when she blows in. We really need the rain too, very badly, just hope it doesnt flood us as well.

We have 3 banking centers that closed today and the employees moving northward to stay with other fellow bankers.

Randy, I hope you are okay!

Forgot to login, sorry.

-That Girl in Texas

I do not think that Biloxi will be the same, because I talked to the president of Casino Magic when i was in Bay St. Louis with the military and he said they were not going to rebuild unless the state changes the laws of casinos. Right now, casinos can only be on the water. He told me they would rebuild if they could do it farther inland. Mississippi will have to make some kind of changes or it will hurt their economy. The casinos pay about $500,000 a day in taxes. If they do rebuild it won't be the same.

The news just said that she dropped to a level 4.

I heard that too. The sustained winds are "only" 150 mph.

She's still got alot of warm water to go over.

It is freaky for a midwest girl like me, who is used to the cold slap in the face when you jump into a lake up here, to feel the warm, bath-like water of the ocean at this time of year. I mean, the ocean water temps are in the 80s and 90s; I don't beleive Lake Superior ever gets above 65.

But some deep water, cold water channels, that will help dissipate the force. She's also moving to the north/east, which is relatively "good" news for my friends/family. Not so great for Louisiana, though. But it does look like Corpus and DFW are not going to see much of this one, thankfully. Let's hope she continues to slow down and fall apart.

Anyone heard from Randy?

Randy was boarding up his place day before yesterday so he's probably out of town by now EGB. I hope so anyhoo.

They are evacuating our neighborhood now After all that work to get the house ready for sale, now we're in the path of the danged hurricane. I'm not sure if I should pray for total distruction (thus making it an easy sale to the insurance company) or totally avoiding the thing. Because we do like our neighbors, we'll hope it avoids us, but I'm sure glad Jesse flew out of Texas yesterday. He unfortunately didn't know they suggested boarding up until after he was on the plane so we'll just have to pray the neighborhood is spared somewhat because the house is pretty well ripe for distruction otherwise

Good Luck Dawnie. Good luck everyone.

Dawnie--

In the Woodlands, right?

Pretty much surrounded by tall pine trees, right?

My old neighborhood, when I was in high school, is near there! If those tall pine trees start falling, it could be real bad.

Hey Z, why don't you run down there and board up Jesse's windows for him. He would be eternally indebted to you, you may even get to be the baby's goddaddy.

LOL KC what a great idea!!! Yup Z, surrounded by nice tall trees, and he was "fortunate" and purchased a lot that really is surrounded, verses some of the lots that have trees on just one side. We had a guy out today to cut down a few that were leaning towards the house today, but the rest...well I'm not thinking they can withstand that kind of wind

The evacuated because of the trees and some of the surrounding areas that are near water. (We have a lovely gully to wash flood waters next to the house as well). My biggest worry is the place is only partially destroyed, and the gully washes snakes into the joint...fun!

Whew...I was worried that there'd be no more hurricane posts. Thank God for Rita!

lol...
So blue, do you think that Rita sucks too?

LOL, blue!!

Blue those kitties are far too cute I actually tried to use those two pics but each came out too small. Nice work! They're darned funny!

Well, it is Friday morning here in East Texas and people are just going slap crazy. Word around town is that Rita could still be a hurricane when she reaches our area and expected to dump up to 20" of rain on us, if not more. People are scrambling for gasoline, food and water. The grocery stores are empty, the convenient stores are empty, gas stations out of gasoline, the shelters are filling up (both human and animal), Sam's and Lowe's are wiped out of supplies. This seems so surreal to me. We aren't even on the coastline and that's how devastating it is going to be.

Rita is headed striaght for my aunt and uncles house near Port Arthur. I fear they will have nothing to go home to but at least they will have their lives. They know where their children are, however, they have not heard from their granddaughter and she is very worried and trying not to show that she is upset.

I ask everyone for your prayers for all of us here in Texas. May God bless us with the safety of our lives.

that girl - first, I loved your TV show.

Seriously though, you are in my prayers, as is everyone in the path.

Where are you in East Texas, That Girl? My in-laws live on Cedar Creek Lake near Athens. We are encouraging them to leave but they are being stubborn.

That Girl ... don't forget to withdraw some money in case WE gotta hit the high roads. We got our gas, and a few supplies, and money yesterday. Oh my Lord...the stores and such were HORRIBLE!!!! My mom has been going crazy... getting everything lined out... making sure she knows where everyone is and such. Let's just hope.. it's not as bad as they are predicting... Lord knows we need rain.. but not the floods and power outages. I'll never forget the last time we had a power outage.. a week and half seemed like a year. Here in East Texas we really need everyone's prayers.

I just heard that NO is starting to flood again.

That Girl, prayers coming your way, be safe

Just watched the news, St Bernard Parish is once again under water. They said that it was probably the worst hit area from Katrina. The levies are not holding.

Or the one poster could start naming them names of Heavy Metal bands; Hurricane Korn, Hurricane Pantera, Hurricane Ozzy....