From Gulfport to Galveston

Mayor Lyda Thomas of Galveston and other city officials have requested help from the City of Gulfport Mississippi. Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr and others are heading to Galveston to share the lessons learned after Hurricane Katrina. But even before Hurricane Ike struck the Texas coast, Mayor Warr spoke with Mayor Thomas. I can only speculate but maybe he influenced her for her to finally order a mandatory evacuation of Galveston.

Three days before Ike struck Texas, even with Ike well to the south of us, Mississippi experienced two days of flooding from the massive amounts of water Ike was pushing. The storm surge affected Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas days before landfall.

Others along the Mississippi Coast gave warnings of just what a massive storm surge could do. The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina is officially estimated at 28 feet. Evidence points to it being between 30-35 feet. The 66 miles of Mississippi Coastline were defenseless against the onslaught the massive wall of water. The images of Crystal Beach and the Bolivar Peninsula in Texas bring flashbacks of what we in Mississippi experienced from Katrina's storm surge. Ricky Mathews wrote an editorial pleading days before Ike made landfall in Texas.

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST -- For whatever reason it now appears that thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of the residents of Galveston Island, and untold others along the Texas Coast have chosen to stay and face the wrath of Hurricane Ike. As your neighbors in South Mississippi, who have watched the deadly surge of Katrina destroy virtually every mile of our coast, we care for your survival, and beg you to leave now. You should know further that in a nighttime storm your chances will be further reduced.

The hours dwindle, but it is not too late for you to flee and save your lives. There is something deceptive about the idea that Ike is only a Category 2 hurricane. The developing science of Integrated Kinetic Energy (ironically IKE) which expresses the destructive power of a hurricane’s surge, shows that Ike represents a force exceeding even Katrina’s surge, which was the largest ever seen against an American Coast.

The people of the Mississippi Coast know all of the excuses to stay “hunkered down” in their homes and comfort zones.

They survived the previous big storm(Camille for us), there was no place for their pets, they were old, sick, tired, etc. Some were just skeptical. Many of them now lie in the sandy soil of their homeland, victims of the storm surge.

We ask our citizens to join us in this heartfelt mission to save those who may otherwise die where they are making their stand against Ike. If you know someone in Galveston or the South Texas Coast, please call them or e-mail them and tell them your stories of Katrina. Pass along this editorial and the links to our Katrina photos and stories. Make your comments on the reader commenting opportunity with this editorial.

It is not too late but with every passing hour your possibility of evacuating to safety is diminished. We implore you – do not become a casualty of Ike. Its deadly surge is coming, and no seawall, no plywood nor your false notion of safety will save you from its destructive force.

He also made a video pleading for those in harm's way to get out.

Both his editorial and video were made in an effort to warn those in Texas what wascoming. Both can be a warning for anyone who faces the threat of a hurricane heading their way. The message is clear: No excuse is worth putting you and your family in harms way. You cannot judge what will happen based on previous hurricanes. If you are told to get out, get out!

Leadership

One of the most effective qualities of a leader is the confidence they inspire. Leadership is at a premium when natural disasters occur. The leaders in Mississippi from Mayor Warr of Gulfport to Governor Barbour worked with one goal in mind: The safety of the people along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Mayor Nagin showed no leadership when he cowered behind walls and wouldn't speak directly to those in the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina. He showed lack of leadership and concern when he didn't institute the emergency plans the City of New Orleans had in place. And he sure didn't show it when he made the comment telling Houston evacuees they were more than welcome in New Orleans and ask for 'Nagin's special rate' at hotels and motels. Problem was, there was no such special rate and when he was asked about it, he said he was just "joking" to lighten the mood.

I cannot help contrast the leadership of Nagin to the leadership that was shown by Houston Mayor Bill White and the others tasked with helping four million citizens who find themselves without power. I was impressed by the way he spoke. Directv has Houston news on channel 361. Mayor White clearly told the people of Houston what to expect in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. He told of the National Guard, the Coast Guard, and the utility companies which were in place and beginning operations. He asked neighbor to help out neighbor. He complemented those in Houston who took their chain saws and began clearing roadways.

Perhaps if Mayor Nagin had done those things instead of crying along with a reporter from WWL, things might have been different in New Orleans. If he had just said that the National Guard was doing its job and that people in the Superdome and the Convention Center had food and water, there wouldn't have been the chaos that existed.

New Orleans had many heroes. Those who pulled neighbors and strangers out of flooded homes without being told, the kid who commandeered a bus and drove people to Houston were looking out for one another. I have to admit, I was busy listening to my mayor and my governor in Mississippi and New Orleans was just in the periphery, but when I did hear him speak, I felt I was listening to someone who didn't know what to do next.

I didn't have that feeling when Mayor Warr spoke to us in Gulfport. I could hear the weariness in his voice but his words told us clearly what to expect. It was the same with Governor Barbour. And it is the same with Houston's Mayor Bill White.

Houston, Galvaston, Port Arthur, and the rest of the Texas coastline are still assessing the damage. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. Houston, the Texas coastline to Louisiana, and large portions of southern Louisiana are in the dark as shown by this Naval Satellite:



During disasters, it is the clear voice of confidence which leads. The lights will come back on. Homes, roads, and infrastructure will be repaired. Houston has a problem but it seems it is under firm guidance control.

Texans: Ike's Storm Surge-Heed the Warnings!

Hurricane Ike is to the south of the Mississippi gulf Coast. The hurricane is traveling west but the storm surge is affecting the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Sections of Highway 90 in Gulfport are closed because the water has already reached the seawall.

Below are pictures I took about an hour ago. All are of Biloxi's Back Bay. The water is already 4 feet above normal.

Storms in the Islands

The news reports indicate the Turks and Caicos Island took a devastating blow from Hurricane Ike. If you would like to help, please donate to the American Redcross.

Haiti, once again is suffering from the deluge of rain.

The destruction in Haiti has been described as catastrophic.

Police said 500 people were confirmed dead from recent Tropical Storm Hanna but that others are still missing and the number could rise.
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said hundreds of thousands of people had been displaced by the flooding.

Denuded mountains are one of the reasons Haiti suffers such devastation from the torrential rains of tropical storms and hurricanes. There is nothing to hold back the rampaging waters. Political turmoil doesn't help matters. Dr. Masters at the The Weather Underground recommended donating to the Lamdi Fund. This organization helps t build up the lives of Haitians and has a goal of planting 1 million trees to counter the rampant deforestation.

In the US, Louisiana took the brunt of Gustav. If you would like to help, click here for the Red Cross.

Is Your Life Worth It?

Some of the commetors at Weather Underground are saying they will not evacuate if Hurricane Ike threatens their area. Some are just tired after Gustav and don't have the money to leave. It worries me.

I'm fortunate that I live in a zone for which I don't have to evacuate for even a Category 5 storm. Still, I too lack the energy to prepare for another storm so soon after Hurricane Gustav.

However, I will do what is necessary, as will my son. My offices are still the trailers we've been renting since Hurricane Katrina. We know the drill well and even though my muscles are still aching from the flurry of activity of first clearing all equipment, files, etc, and then replacing them once the threat was over, this week, if Ike threatens the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we'll do it ago. I view the preparations we did for Gustav as a practice run. If next week, we have to do it all over again, it will be easier.

The mental fatigue of worrying and the thought of "Oh no, here we go again" takes its toll. But it isn't something that can be wished away. It has to be dealt with.

Staying in a area that is prone to floods is just plain stupid. I was so angry at those in Pearlington and Pass Christian Mississippi who stayed during Gustav. These two areas are like water magnets and flood severely during hurricanes. They not only put their lives in danger but those of rescuers.

If money is a factor, don't let a false sense of pride keep you from using the options that are available. Mississippi and Louisiana offer buses for evacuees that need transportation. Pets are allowed as long as you have proper medical documents showing your pets are vaccinated and have no communicable diseases . I'm sure Alabama and Florida do the same. There are also shelters, some for those with pets, available.

In short, if you are under a mandatory evacuation order, there is really no reason you cannot evacuate.

Right now, the thought of redoing everything that was done before Gustav seems overwhelming. There's the lost work, the stress and strain, the constant worry of what damage will occur if your area is hit.

The thing to remember is isn't your life and that of your loved ones worth more?