Here's some cool satellite (and other) pictures of Rita:

http://www.brianrobak.com/rita.html

It was rather bizarre to watch the news on SVT (Swedish channel) this evening, as they showed a video from Beaumont! I don't think I saw your house though Allen

They also broadcasted live from another town close to Beaumont and let me just say I'm glad we don't have that kind of weather over here Poor reporter!

Stay safe everybody

Hey Allen,

Glad to hear that you're all safe. This sure has been a heck of a summer. I pray that this is our last storm.

Lots of damage here and there, Hazey is checking it out for us - someone else said Tinseltown is demolished (my fave movie theater).

Hey Aleina

Another said I-10 is out between lake charles and orange, so we may have to find another way home, when we can go there.

Yes'm cgreene, how are you guys doing in your new place?

Thanks for asking Allen. We are doing well. I start my new job this Monday. Tim is making some good business connections. It's a good thing that we didn't take you up on your offer to come to Beaumont. Not that we didn't appreciate it. One hurricane was enough for us. I pray that your home has been spared. If not you and your Mel have each other. That is what's really important.

We are hoping to hear from our insurance adjuster this week. We are hoping that they will help us with getting a moving truck to go back and get the rest of our belongings.

Please keep us posted on how things are going. And let us know if you need anything.

Will do, Hazel said there didn't appear to be much damage, but she couldn't see it all for the trees that had fallen on the side street. I cut down quite a bit this summer, hopefully that kept a few off our home

They're talking now like it might be 2 weeks before power is back on in the city So much was supposed to have started on Monday with work, now we're put off until who knows when.

At least Geraldo is pronouncing the area locations right now

sorry, bout Beaumont gang....
Glad posters around here are okay(praisecafe).
thinking of you and praying for you guys often.
nab

Thank you - hazey has been our spy in town.

We're headed back that way, stopping at my cousin's in lafayette for tonight, going through Beaumont to Baytown tomorrow and staying in a la quinta for the next week - hopefully power will be back on in beaumont by then. Right now they're saying electricity, water, and sewage will be off as long as a month - You don't want to hang out with haey right now

Hazel, you're welcome at our hotel in Baytown if you'd like some A/C, a shower and a working toilet. I'ma try to reach Forever and her man today and see where they are holding out. Amy Lou and hers as well. If you need a place for a shower, please give me a call and we'll hook you up - Baytown is about an hour from Beaumont.

people from Dallas Masters Commission have opened their homes to us for the night...the traffic was to bad to chance just to get back in Houston....this is Jusselin signing off....

love you guys

* CLICK HERE


Lord I am so thankful that all there are is a few trees down and things are mere nuisances that I thought were big a few days ago.

Pray for those not so lucky.

A friend checked on our houses, our rent house made it through but our other had minimal damage. A limb came through our utility room taking out the roof peak. Amazing that was the only damgage that we know of so far. We've been so blessed, a sweet friend has taken us in in Austin.
How is everyone doing?

Back in Beaumont - I know some people who know some people who robbed some people

I can see why they say it's gonna take 3-4 weeks - trees and power lines and poles are down everywhere - not a block in the whole city is untouched. Imagine a picture of a place where a tornado went through, then imagine that throughout the city

I've seen convoys of tree service trucks heading out to work, tractors are clearing roads for them to even access neighborhoods. My brother-in-law's home had huge trees laid everywhere but none hit his house - an underground water line in his backyard was broken tho due to a huge tree falling over and the roots pulling the line up.I turned the water off at the street, but no-telling whose line it was.

Anyways, not sure how long we're gonna stay. I'm at my parents right now, we have a large generator running (15k watts), but it sucks gas pretty quickly and it can be difficult to get more. Water pressure is off and on, depending on whether or not they're working on any mains or the pump house is running.

Stay safe, will report back when there's more to say The local posters aren't on much, either they are displaced or they have no electricity.

Hey folks...all is well...I've got some stories to tell...still processing..and I don't think it's sunk in yet what we experienced...but by the Grace of God we made it through..but it was truly an experience I hope never to go through agian...but when all is said and done I felt that I did some good..especially in getting our patients all out of harm's way even though it meant that we were stuck smack in the middle of Rita...there were times when the room ceilings started leaking and caving in, the water and electricity went out...and generators lighted only the halls...the walls were swaying...and metal awnings and trees were flying around everywhere...there was about 2 inches of water in our bathroom from the commode...the wind picked up and kept up for about 6 hours and then stopped for aobut 40 minutes....and it was calm and quiet...we went outside to view the damage..but then it picked up again and started in the opposite direction beating up on what was left....for several more hours...were we scared...well of course...now I'm showered and in AC..came into Houston last night...have worked about 60 hours in the past 4 days...with aobut 4 hours sleep...headed back tomorrow...will be staying at the hospital again...too dark and lonely at my house...I think we got water and AC on at the hospital last night...FEMA came in on Saturday night...what a welcomed relief...about 50 or more of them from Boston and Florida....we got hugs and kisses...umm worth it judging by the docs, nurses and medics there...some lookers..too bad I hadn't showered in days...but umm maybe tomorrow will be more presentable...lol...anyway...only our ER is opened the only hospital in the area..and we're swamped with everything..lots of traumas, heart attacks, respiratory problems, dehydrations...folks don't have water or electricity and no means to get their medications, dialysis, oxygen etc...so we're providing everything...we saw about 400 or more patients yesterday alone...all admissions transferred to Houston, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida...ok enough of that...my house is structurally ok I think...my new fence is gone...and my neighbor's tree fell into my pool..hopefully there's no structural damage...other than that I fared much better than many others...Al's right about the power lines being down...when I was scouting the area..I had to dodge dangling trees and lines...well gotta go get some sleep will update later

My heart, prayers and thoughts are with all of you. Thank you Haze for all you always do for others.

Hey UKC ) helping my dad cleanup and repair at his business (roof blew off) and in the evening on hospice stuff. Beaumont Texas in September isn't any cooler than July

For locals - there's gas stations selling gasoline at the Exxon at College and I-10, the Chevron at washington blvd and I-10, Sam's Wholesale on I-10 and Walmart on Delaware. You can buy necessities at Sam's as well. For FEMA disaster relief info, go to www.fema.gov - they can help with getting information, forms filled out, etc. You can also go to Ford Park and they'll give you ice, water, MRE's (not too bad if you're hungry ) and information. They're offering bussing to San Antonio to shelters there with shelter, food and water and a ride back when the coast is clear.

President Bush was here this morning

Huge C-130 transport planes and helicopters fill the sky, National Guard and their military vehicles fill the roads, with the police and EMS squeezed in between.

My friend's house in Beaumont was barely even touched while the rest of his block got really messed up. W00t for Valerus!

By the way, good luck with the clean up and everything.

Allen, you are such a super great guy. Thanks you so much for going by my parents house and checking on things. i know it was out of your way but it will alleviate lots of problems.

you are my hero

I wanna go home. We went back the night after the storm, but there is no power and very little water. It's so HOT. Everyone is on edge, and the stress level was a little high...but the only damage we really sustained was a limb in the pool and the roof of his carlot is across the street...one of his recently purchased houses has a tree in it, but that house was bad off anyway...

Billy shipped me off to San Antonio to stay with my dad's side of the family...we're headed to Alpine TX in a day or so...Gonna put Celeste in school till we go back home. It's nice to have running water and lights and AIR, but I miss my home and my husband. He stayed behind to help with relief efforts. I'm thankful that everyone is okay...I was worried about my parents who roughed it out and still refuse to leave...but they seem to be okay.

I'm getting a little stir crazy though...not quite sure why.

Just wanted to say howdy and feel like I was part of the real world. (Kinda funny that virtual reality is better than none at all, huh?)

Over and out.

There's a rumor that some electricity may be rolled out to a few neighborhoods this weekend - good news, tho I can see that it will take 2-3 weeks to get everyone on line still. Police stations, hospitals and traffic lights are the first they're gonna try to get up. The railroad crossing on Major and College had flashing lights and working barrier arms when a couple maintenance vehicles went by

They need power to pump out the flooded underpasses.

Drove around the west end yesterday evening - If I had something other than a 14,400 dialup connection, I'd upload some pictures I've been snapping. There's a gym on eastex freeway near the mall whose whole back wall is in the street - all the nice equipment is exposed to the elements World's Gym at Dowlen and Phelan has wood sticking up oddly from behind the facade across the front - not sure what that is. Rogers Park has maybe 70+ % of the trees down. Trees are lying like dominoes down all streets (Phelan, Dowlen, Folsom and Delaware, just to name a few). Power lines and poles as well.

Working on hospice stuff, hopefully we can take our first patient next week or soon after

Allen, and michelle, question .. my dad is staying with us and i would keep him four months if i could, but he is anxious to get back to beaumont. WHEN is a smart time to plan on going back? he cant get in touch with anyone from work and he is afraid that it will be up and running and he is supposed to be at the church working and he will be here. when are they saying they can come back ? when is smart to tentatively plan on going back ? anyone want to clean out his fridge ? eek !!!! haha.

just give us over here a heads up. thanks.