Flooding...

[RandomGuy]

Your situation sucks...no doubt. Sorry you had to go through it.

And: Thank you.

Wife says I forget that occasionally. A bit absentminded I am.

[cantthinkofanything]

Partially I could buy that, but I would point out that I don't need to question their motives, the Billy Graham people were fairly upfront about it, if you read the happy "conversion" they posted on their website.

To be fair, you and Snakeboy have something of a point, I could have used a phrase other than "magic hope bull " to describe someone trying to indoctrinate me into a religion. Mixed bag that. What is the proper reaction to that?

In person I am very polite. I would not say that to someone trying to do that, especially if they aren't being pushy about it, which they weren't. I post that here, because it is what I think. I worry a bit less about offending, and more about honesty.

No...I hear you. It is Spurstalk after all. But it would have been refreshing to just hear you say you appreciated their help regardless of their motives. Instead it got turned into the Atheist vs. Believer argument again. In any event, glad you and the family are safe.

[RandomGuy]

No...I hear you. It is Spurstalk after all. But it would have been refreshing to just hear you say you appreciated their help regardless of their motives. Instead it got turned into the Atheist vs. Believer argument again. In any event, glad you and the family are safe.

I do appreciate it, and perhaps you are right about that, my only real intention was to note it in passing. Ah well. That is the nature of the internet. The things you think about least sometimes are the things people react to most.

[101A]

I am grateful, goober. I was gracious and courteous. I even let them all pray for me, when they asked. It means little, but makes them feel better.

As I said though, despite their desire to help me, they were hoping to lure me into the fold by taking advantage of my tragedy, and perceived emotional vulnerability.

Don't you find that a bit ty?

I understand your cynicism, but it probably is misplaced. I have been in congregations that send out help missions. When the call goes out, and the instructions are given - to an event, the purpose is to lend assistance, NOT to convert. Now, the people who often volunteer are some of the most, um, energetic and enthusiastic. What you experienced with them evangelizing, such as it was, was probably just who those people are all the time, not just when people are in need. They take the Great Commission seriously, and really, truly believe that all people, "should know the love an salvation of Jesus Christ.". They are not trying to get over on you, they are, seriously, from their point of view, trying to save you. But again, they are happy to help, and will be back again if need be - and will help you again.
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Even though you are going to

[101A]

To be clear the motives of the people what showed up were pretty obviously merely to help people in need. The overall organization, though added another layer to that of the actual volunteers, especially in view of how they presented the help on their website.

Just read this; might temper some of my previous post....might not, but got to go.

[RandomGuy]

I understand your cynicism, but it probably is misplaced. I have been in congregations that send out help missions. When the call goes out, and the instructions are given - to an event, the purpose is to lend assistance, NOT to convert. Now, the people who often volunteer are some of the most, um, energetic and enthusiastic. What you experienced with them evangelizing, such as it was, was probably just who those people are all the time, not just when people are in need. They take the Great Commission seriously, and really, truly believe that all people, "should know the love an salvation of Jesus Christ.". They are not trying to get over on you, they are, seriously, from their point of view, trying to save you. But again, they are happy to help, and will be back again if need be - and will help you again.
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Even though you are going to

Well, I *did* stick around and talk to a few of the mennonites. After a spell they did ask if I needed any "counseling", but that was more in a social context, rather than in the context of what they came out to do, i.e. offer food.

[benefactor]

Welp...here we go again. Projected five day rainfall totals from the incoming tropical system.

[cantthinkofanything]

Welp...here we go again. Projected five day rainfall totals from the incoming tropical system.

Amazing that the heart of this system is going to cut right through the areas that received the brunt of that last one. At least in Texas.

[Robz4000]

Eyup.

Heard a lot of police/fire sirens which we usually ignore, since we live close to a highway. We were all sound asleep at about 4:30am. Sirens didn't go away.

Wife poked head out of door and saw some water out at curb, about normal for a heavy rain, but heard police loudspeakers saying "evacuate the area". She came back in, woke me up. I got up pretty much immediately, got kids up, then got dressed.

Grabbed vital papers, yanked all the cables out of the computer, and stuck it into a garbage bag due to the rain. Opened door and found the front lawn was under a foot and a half of water. Probably ten minutes or less since wife looked.

Ran out to wife's hatchback, threw stuff in back, then ran back inside shouting at family to drop everything else and go. Wife was confused, because, in her head, the water was still out at the curb. When she saw the water lapping over the first step of the stoop, she realized it was time to go.

Grabbed the 8 year old very tightly, and held on to 12 year olds hand. Got them in car, which was filling up with water, jumped in and got it started. Turned around slowly, going with flow of water, and managed to make a turn down street towards highway which was higher ground. Got out of flood water with probably a few minutes to spare. Water was pretty much at the headlight level.

Not sure where to go, headed toward university which sits on a hill. Ended up in parking garage, drained the 4 inches of water out of car.

Went to evac center to get news. Not really any, but we did see the people who didn't make it out and slept through the sirens. They arrived at evac center in the back of dump trucks in their pajamas.

Went to Target, to get dry clothes, since we had nothing but the wet stuff we had on when we left.

They let us back in about 11am or so. To be safe, I left wife and kids on high ground and walked in. Street was muddy, and you could see where the dump truck had backed up to someone's house, due to the foot-deep furrows in the yard.

Found my car had floated into neighbors yard. Opened door and found it was a silty mess. Scared a lizard that was in it under the seat.

Opened door to house, a pier and beam.. and no visible water damage. Smelled odd.

Stepped on carpet... SQUISH. 90% of house was hit, with water soaking carpet and padding. Laundry room, which was a step down, was a muddy mess, as was all of the clothes we had stacked down there as we were getting ready for laundry day.

Neighbors on slabs got about 1.5 to 2 feet of water in their houses, including the poor college kids who lived next door. Checked on their cats for them, let them know they were ok. All sitting up on furniture meowing for help. Figured they were fine and left.

Walked back out, found our way around stalled cars and dropped her off. Sat there for a few minutes thinking. "ok, now what?" Car is a loss... it, let insurance deal with it. Anything on the floor was soaking up the nasty mucky water from the carpet. I knew we would need some place to put it, and to stage .

Went to closest storage unit, and found ONE guy had beat me there. Turns out to be a really good decision, as they all rented out in the day or two that followed. Older guy lived a block closer to river. We both got the largest units we could. Computers were down, but clerk handed me paperwork to fill out, and I promised I would get cash and return. Had to drive 20 miles, but got cash, and two large tarps that turned out to be worth their weight in gold from Academy.

Got unit, with lock. Old guy got the ONE truck they had for new unit rentals. I was nice to him, though, despite being disappointed, since I might have to suck up to him and ask for help or use of the truck.

Set out the tarps on the front lawn, and got working with kids and wife. Dumped clothes on tarps, hosed them off, since the water was still going. Turns out the ty rental house we ed about for years because it just had window unit A/Cs, but was cheap and let us pay off a lot of bills, was not a bad deal. We had water and functioning air conditioning. Most of the neighborhood didn't. Ground level condenser units were often not there.

Started packing everything as fast as possible. Co-worker showed up the first day, with his college age boy. YEAH. Owe them a lot, as the muscle was needed. Ex-boss showed up with truck, and we got a fair amount out to the unit the first day. Thank god it was memorial day and a lot of people had the day off.

The following days were exhausting. 18 hour days of packing carrying, loading, unloading, trying to save everything. Couldn't stop to help neighbors much, as we had to get ourselves set.

Volunteers started showing up at the next day. First it was a survey team for what turns out to be a Billy Graham charity. Older people, asking what was needed. What was needed was young healthy people to move out of houses.

Due to location on our block, with a slight widening of street, our house was a natural place to put dumpsters. After the dumpsters... Mennonites. Surreal. They parked a camping trailer on our lawn, after speaking to us, and the management company representing the owners of our rental house, and set up a kitchen across the street. We let them hook up to our electricity, and water.

Nice people to a person. Gave them nopalitos, and hot sauce out of cupboard. ROFL. They were game to try cactus.

Overall lucky. Everybody safe. Staying in crappy rental let us pay down bills, and we turned in the notice to vacate to management company day before flood, as we are having our first house built. New house was closer to river that flooded, but higher up and didn't flood. Move in is on the 18th.

Lost car which sucked. Was going to hold on to that sucker for another 5 years while we continue to sock away money. Staying with friend of wife for a few weeks. Management company was cool.

One thing I did was ripped out the stinky carpet and padding as we emptied rooms. Got it all out in about 3 days. Not my house, but it earned me a lot of goodwill from management company. ing house owner never called to see if his tenants were ok, so he can suck it. Asshole didn't have flood insurance, so I don't feel sorry for him. We didn't have to clean the house and we got our full damage deposit back. Spent that on rental car already.

Neighbors though are stuck. Nice blue collar neighborhood, with older retirees and a few people on disability, based on the wheelchair ramps down the block. Went back on weekend to see if they needed any help, helped Mennonites pack up, and politely refused the Jesus stuff they tried to hand me.

One of the charities did help us out. A seminary student named Justin, and his wife, helped us toward the end with some stuff. They gave us a bible, after signing it. I accepted it graciously, and thanked them.

Anyhoo.. that's it so far. Going back this weekend to check on neighbors again.

Good to hear y'all made it out safe and sound bruv. Sorry to hear about all the damage and your car.

[boutons_deux]

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/san...weather/351198

[boutons_deux]

'Brown ocean' effect may bedevil soggy Texas as storm nears

The historic rainfall that inundated Texas in May continues to leave the soil saturated and rivers engorged, but a scientist involved in a NASA-funded research project says it also could strengthen a storm moving inland from the Gulf of Mexico.

A broad area of low pressure that developed near the Yucatan Peninsula could brew nasty weather along the Texas and Louisiana coasts and inland. These low-pressure systems can become tropical storms that gather power from the warm waters of the ocean, and then weaken once they move over land.

But the research has found some storms can actually strengthen over land by drawing from the evaporation of abundant soil moisture, a phenomenon known as the "brown ocean" effect, according to Marshall Shepherd, director of atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia.

"All the things a hurricane likes over the ocean is what we have over land right now," said Shepherd, one of the principals who conducted the research.

http://phys.org/news/2015-06-brown-o...vil-soggy.html

[djohn2oo8]

Amazing that the heart of this system is going to cut right through the areas that received the brunt of that last one. At least in Texas.

Houston bout to get bent over again. I commute to downtown, projected rainfall in Pearland is 10 inches.

[ChumpDumper]

Damn.





Dude should've taken his jacket.

[benefactor]

Getting ready to move inland. Stay safe everyone. Would hate to see any of you get handed the Darwin Award over the next couple of days.

[djohn2oo8]

Getting ready to move inland. Stay safe everyone. Would hate to see any of you get handed the Darwin Award over the next couple of days.

stay safe as well.

[baseline bum]

stay safe as well.

Either that, or grab some good loot before one time starts shooting.

[RandomGuy]

Went back to the old neighborhood (moved out after may flood), and it got flooded again this past Friday. Holy .

Very heartbreaking to talk to the old neighbors who stayed. Both said they would be trying to sell their house.

On the bad side, the ty house we lived in didn't really get properly renovated, and the landlord suckered some kid into renting it, without repairing the mold damage in the other side of the duplex.

Probably going to be complaining to the city about that.