• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Rita

secretdonkey

secretdonkey

Oct 9, 2002
2,534
56
Austin, TX
#1
Sorta back in town and online now (56k - w00t!) after Rita hit. Of course the situation pales in comparison to Katrina but it was still a very life-disrupting kinda thing. My house fared *very* well - no significant damage beyond a blown-off attic vent and some fence gone. More importantly, my family and friends are all safe. Some pix:

Donk central, before:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

and after:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

This is what greeted me upon returning after an initial 10 days of evacuation. Note how all the leaves were stripped off the trees. The bleak look says it all. It would still be about two weeks after this photo before I got power back. The broken tree scraped a dormer off the roof of the neighboring house and destroyed the front porch. If the wind had been blowing the other way, I guess I would have gotten it.

And the backyard:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Amazingly, no roof damage to that outbuilding. Last weekend I spent much quality time with a chainsaw. Hello, manual labor!

Here is work - this is the office across the hall from mine:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

We have emergency evac-ed to first a branch office and then into a new building. My current office is an erstwhile medical examining room. There is still some of the medical equip in the room.

Anyway, just thought I'd share some pics. :)
 
#7
Dan1099 said:
No significant damage?! The storm blew away your Honda, as well as what looks like an older toyota! I'd call that incredibly significant! :D :D
Click to expand...

The tough thing was having to leave all of my basses and music gear behind - I had to pick one vehicle to escape in, and I had no real choice but to take the most valuable and dependable one - the Honda. My girlfriend's old Camry is actually there, unmoved, in the second pic, as is my trusty gearhauler truck...
:)
 
#11
An old building in downtown Port Arthur, where my parents live:*

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

*edit: To be clear - my parents don't live in downtown Port Arthur, and not in this building. Their house was unscathed, though a motel across the street was trashed.
 
#12
Oh, and mucho special props to NJL and Thor - NJL was kind enough to offer to put me and my girlfriend up during the evac, and Thor called numerous times to check up on me. Also Jay - Jay called to check in. Thanks to TBer whoapower, as well, who tried to get in touch.
 
#15
P. Aaron said:
'Glad you're O.K. After all that chain-sawing maybe you have a fireplace? Or are bonfires allowed in your neighborhood?
Click to expand...

I sawed all of the appropriate stuff down and gave it to my neighbor. In return I can just grab from his woodpile whenever I get the occasional hankering to build a fire. Talk about win/win!

The neighboring county to the north was the only one around to lift a burn ban, but they learned their lesson quickly: After a slew of fire calls and problems getting to fires on still-blocked roads, the burn ban there was quickly restored.

Kudos to the crews of cranes/bobcats/semi-trailers that are scouring my neighborhood this week, doing a very good cleanup job! In other areas (the county to the north again), I've heard accusations that some contractors paid by the load are "cherry picking" debris, taking only the stuff that will fill their trucks the quickest. :(
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back