DH not taking Rita seriously - help

[Miztiki]

My husband and I live in Pearland, just outside of Houston on the south/southeast side.

He's from England and knows nothing about hurricanes and thinks this is no big deal. We live in a flood zone and have a dozen trees within falling distance of our home, several of which are very large.

I'm not sticking around for this thing. It's quite possible that he will stay behind.

Please help me knock some sense into his head!

[skysummit]

Just show him pictures of New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast! Scare him to death! Because if he doesn't leave and a Cat 4 hits him, he'll make all over himself.

[Mac]

Quite frankly, if what just happened in New Orleans doesn't make clear to him what the dangers are I don't know what will. Perhaps you should just tell him you are leaving and he should go with you. Since he's British, perhaps you could tell him by staying he is demonstrating Darwinism in action.

[jwayne]

My husband and I live in Pearland, just outside of Houston on the south/southeast side.

He's from England and knows nothing about hurricanes and thinks this is no big deal. We live in a flood zone and have a dozen trees within falling distance of our home, several of which are very large.

I'm not sticking around for this thing. It's quite possible that he will stay behind.

Please help me knock some sense into his head!

I have lived in se texas for 40 years including through alicia. My grandparents live/lived in Pearland. Your husband needs to listen: leave or you are taking your life into your own hands.

[Windy]

Well, to be honest, I wouldn't worry excessively about this storm until it is three days out. I mean, yeah, get ready to go, but it's not time for full freak-out mode yet. If the track still points at you tomorrow, then by all means, get outta Dodge. If at any point your emergency managers suggest you get out, then get out. But for all we know this could be a Cat 1 storm going into Brownsville on Saturday.

Now, if your hubby still doesn't want to go when the emergency managers come around telling everyone to leave and the meteorologists are screaming doom about your area being blown over like a wolf-sieged straw house, then maybe you should consider why you married such an id... I mean, maybe you should physically hit him over the head with a heavy pan and stuff him in the boot.

Besides, you can always threaten to leave without him. Just make sure he knows that if he stays without you and survives it will be many months before you provide him again with certain "emergency relief efforts".

[Florida_TSR]

This will NOT be a CAT 1. Pressure is down to 978 mb and continues to fall. The storm was just upgraded to a CAT 2 with 100 MPH winds. Upper level winds support at least a CAT 3. It could be a CAT 3 by tomorrow.

[gboudx]

Maybe this would get his attention. Grab his arm and a marker. When he asks what you're doing, telling him that your writing down YOUR name and YOUR contact info so that the authorities know who to call. I know that's morbid, but sometimes people need to be hit upside the head with a brick.

[aOl]

Unless it either hits you directly or just to the southwest, or it's a Cat 3 or higher and is gonna make landfall within 100 miles of you, don't worry about it. And of course we won't know these things for about 2 more days. So just watch it, believe me, you'll know when it's time to go (or not go).

[dhweather]

DH - not me, eh?


I've been all along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I live here. The destruction
is beyond catastrophic.

If you are even NEAR the expected landfall area, and/or under a
HURRICANE WARNING, then GET OUT. If you do not get out,
you are very likely going to be in grave danger.

[Miztiki]

Hubby thought I was "overreacting" when I went to the store yesterday for basic supplies. Kroger was already out of water and D batteries so I guess I wasn't the only one "overreacting".

I found some D batteries at the gas station and he complains, "we have batteries in the flashlight". He doesn't understand that we have a rotting limb hanging over our power line that a good t-storm could drop, let alone a dang hurricane. Our yard floods from a good rain fer cryin' out loud.

If she's predicted to come here tomorrow then I'm outta here, with our without him.

[gboudx]

You may want to remove that limb, or have it removed soon. It's always good practice to keep tree limbs clear of power lines no matter what season it is.

[Windy]

This will NOT be a CAT 1. Pressure is down to 978 mb and continues to fall. The storm was just upgraded to a CAT 2 with 100 MPH winds. Upper level winds support at least a CAT 3. It could be a CAT 3 by tomorrow.

Well, thanks for your clearly expert meteorological opinion, but what this storm plans to do in the next 12 hours isn't much help for where it's going to be intensity-wise three days from now. If you're going to make groundless predictions like this, at least slap on the Storm-2K "I don't know what I'm talking about, so listen to the NHC" disclaimer.

Yes, it COULD be a Cat 3, or a Cat 4 on landfall. Or it could be a Cat 1. Why pretend like you're psychic this far out?

[no advance]

Make sure you got all the paperwork in zip locks. Good luck.

[soonertwister]

This will NOT be a CAT 1. Pressure is down to 978 mb and continues to fall. The storm was just upgraded to a CAT 2 with 100 MPH winds. Upper level winds support at least a CAT 3. It could be a CAT 3 by tomorrow.

Well, thanks for your clearly expert meteorological opinion, but what this storm plans to do in the next 12 hours isn't much help for where it's going to be intensity-wise three days from now. If you're going to make groundless predictions like this, at least slap on the Storm-2K "I don't know what I'm talking about, so listen to the NHC" disclaimer.

Yes, it COULD be a Cat 3, or a Cat 4 on landfall. Or it could be a Cat 1. Why pretend like you're psychic this far out?

NHC is projecting category 3 at landfall right now. Don't take my word for it though, see for yourself. 105 knots is 120 miles per hour sustained. Gusts to 130 knots are gusts to 150 miles per hour. Storm surge to the right of landfall in that location? Catastrophic from a large long-track hurricane.

NHC acknowledges that they could be off 1-2 category levels in intensity at landfall 36 hours from the event. There isn't going to be any shear over the storm through landfall, just like Katrina. The warm water depths are deeper than Katrina, the gulf is just as warm. The shallow continental shelf and shoreline curvature make storm surge much more severe than in a place like Miami.

Preparations should be made right now, and continued up until it's time to decide to stay or go. And no smart person would stay late with the risk that this storm might pose.

[Windy]

This will NOT be a CAT 1. Pressure is down to 978 mb and continues to fall. The storm was just upgraded to a CAT 2 with 100 MPH winds. Upper level winds support at least a CAT 3. It could be a CAT 3 by tomorrow.

Well, thanks for your clearly expert meteorological opinion, but what this storm plans to do in the next 12 hours isn't much help for where it's going to be intensity-wise three days from now. If you're going to make groundless predictions like this, at least slap on the Storm-2K "I don't know what I'm talking about, so listen to the NHC" disclaimer.

Yes, it COULD be a Cat 3, or a Cat 4 on landfall. Or it could be a Cat 1. Why pretend like you're psychic this far out?

NHC is projecting category 3 at landfall right now. Don't take my word for it though, see for yourself. 105 knots is 120 miles per hour sustained. Gusts to 130 knots are gusts to 150 miles per hour. Storm surge to the right of landfall in that location? Catastrophic from a large long-track hurricane.

NHC acknowledges that they could be off 1-2 category levels in intensity at landfall 36 hours from the event. There isn't going to be any shear over the storm through landfall, just like Katrina. The warm water depths are deeper than Katrina, the gulf is just as warm. The shallow continental shelf and shoreline curvature make storm surge much more severe than in a place like Miami.

Preparations should be made right now, and continued up until it's time to decide to stay or go. And no smart person would stay late with the risk that this storm might pose.

I did see for myself. The NHC projects a 25% chance for a Cat 4-5, a 25% chance for a Cat 3, a 15% chance for a Cat 2, and a 25% chance for a Cat 1. There is a 10% chance that it will only be a tropical storm. And right now the NHC is predicting the storm to landfall in Mexico. Or on the Texas/Lousisiana border. Or in Galveston.

In other words, it's too far out to be sure. Which was my point. I wouldn't leave yet, but I'd have the car packed. And I'd be on my way out tonight or tomorrow morning if the track hadn't shifted significantly.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, but be realistic. But when you're considering up and moving your whole family, while it's very smart to get everything ready to go, you might want to wait until you know the storm is likely imminent before you actually leave.

[djtil]

i would wait for at least 48 hours before really becoming too concerned...the track and intensity will be better known by then and there will still be plenty of time for evacuation.

[dwg71]

I have hotel ressies in Austin... Not because I'm prepared, but because my wife and I are celebrating our 10year anniversary and wanted a weekend w/o kids. Worst case I leave in the middle of the night on Thursday and take the kids with us.

I wouldn't panic yet. Pearland has many routes out of harms way. BWY 8, 288, 45. Wait it out for another 48 hours and then make that call.

[P.K.]

My husband and I live in Pearland, just outside of Houston on the south/southeast side.

He's from England and knows nothing about hurricanes and thinks this is no big deal. We live in a flood zone and have a dozen trees within falling distance of our home, several of which are very large.

Ask him if he remembers how much damage was done here when we had hurricane force winds in 1987. The rain with a tropical system is going to be far more than we get over here in strong storms, not good especially if you are in a flood zone.

What part of England is he from?

[dwg71]

DH - not me, eh?


I've been all along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I live here. The destruction
is beyond catastrophic.

If you are even NEAR the expected landfall area, and/or under a
HURRICANE WARNING, then GET OUT. If you do not get out,
you are very likely going to be in grave danger.

I think OP put DH, for one of two reasons. Dear Husband or Disney Husband. I have money on the latter.

[secretforecaster]

Sorry to hear that Miztiki!

I just got into a frustrating shouting match with my roommate (who is from Jamaica). She has seen many hurricanes she said & they are NO big deal to her. She says she has seen death & destruction so she's no scared at all.

I have been fascinated with storms from an early age and it's not that I am scared, but I think people should be responsible.

Unfortunately, it's hard for some disbelievers to pay attention until it really hits home for them.

Good Luck!