I am beat, spent the day cutting plywood for windows.

[texanwitch]

We numbered the windows and the plywood.

We used some clips in the windows so all the homeowners have to do is match the numbers.

Don't know if we will have to use the plywood but time will tell.

My friends from NO arrived this afternoon with kids and pets.

We will have more people come if the hurricane comes this way.

Take care everyone along the coast.

[KitchenWitch]

1. Stay safe - that means everyone in Gustav's path.

:hug:

[texanwitch]

4. I think all we will get is some wind and flooding.

I rather be safe and sorry.

[Haole Girl]

2. We're getting people up here, already, in the Dallas area

I feel like we are about to re-live three years ago. But I hope I'm wrong.

Stay safe! :hug:

[LeftyFingerPop]

3. Stay safe, please. n/t

[merh]

5. I invested in the hurricane fabric

My house is now too high too struggle with plywood. Ipriced shutters and did some research and the hurricane fabric was more affordable than the shutters. It's easy to put up too. I have to finish the windows that require a ladder tomorrow, but the stuff is so easy to work with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIw-Riwcaaw

Good luck to you and thanks for making room for others and their pets.

Stay safe and dry and see ya next week on the board.

[lizziegrace]

6. Stay safe ...

:hug:

you've got special prayers going up for you.

[merh]

8. thank you, sweetie

:hug:

and you are in my prayers too

[texanwitch]

10. I will check into that hurricane fabric.

It has got to be better then working with plywood.

The plywood was free, donated.

My friend works with people who have health problems so they couldn't do this for themselves.

I had to do something.

Looks like we ducked the bullet again here in Houston, our neighbors will take the big hit.

I am sitting here watching my friends from NO watching the live feed from NO on the desk top computer.

I am really tired but I can't sleep.

They have a trailer of their things in the side yard, this might be all they have left.

Damn.

[merh]

12. I know exactly what you mean about being tired but can't sleep

You need to try, tomorrow night's vigil will be the deal, nothing to do from here and out but wait *sigh*

my prayers go out for you and your friends. Before K, I packed my truck's cab with what I thought I would need - the truck was buried in surge waters and mud, I had a slab when I got to my house the next day. I salvaged some clothes from the truck but nothing else.

Where it's heading in Louisiana took it during Rita, they can't afford this any more than NOLA or the MS Gulf Coast - I'm afraid after this one entire towns in Lousiana will be wiped off the map. :(

Stay safe and good luck to you all.

[texanwitch]

13. I know the area.

So beautiful.

Stay safe everyone.

[lizziegrace]

7. Take care of yourself

your friends are lucky to have you in their lives. Be safe and keep us posted.

:hug:

[OmahaBlueDog]

9. I feel your pain.. really

First, God bless you and keep you and protect you. It's a good thing you're doing taking folks in.

The longest day of my life was preparing for Hurricane Andrew. Stripping fruit off trees, putting the wood that came with the house on the windows, then getting more wood, nailing it up. When it got dark, and there were 2 windows left, my neighbor came over with a .22 cal shot hammer, and we pretty well permanantly afixed 2 boards to my house (they were a bear to remove).

The second longest was at a different house. We were preparing for a storm (it was one of the 2005 storms, but I can't remember which one). We'd bought steel panels from a homeowner who'd bought impact windows. We got them dirt cheap, but some fit my windows, and others did not. Nothing motivates you to do work you've put off like an impending disaster, so I spent the day before the storm drilling and setting tapcon panel studs into the block siding, and then used a circular saw with a metal cutting blade to cut 8.5' panels into 6' panels for my slider doors. I also had to affix upper track that we had custom cut above the sliders.

If you don't use the plywood now, it'll get used sometime. You did the smart thing setting clips and numbering.

[texanwitch]

11. We were using good plywood.

We have the plywood for our windows from 3 years ago.

I painted it and they are good to go.

It is better to buy the better plywood, cut once and save it.

I love the clips.

You really worked on your windows.

We won't put the plywood up yet, we will wait until Monday to see what will happen.

[txwhitedove]

16. Sorry, my link didn't work. This is making me very nervous, yes

admit it now. After living through Katrina, I was trying to be stoic...
but this is scary for all the southern coast. I live 40-miles inland now,
but worry about such a storm going up the Houston Ship Channel. Scary for
me cause I don't want to see it again, scary for my friends still in MS,
scary for anyone who calls the Gulf Coast "home".

My daughter and I always cooked/baked food to last through a few days of a storm.
Do you do that, too?

[texanwitch]

19. We have a gas stove so we should be able to cook.

With a full house somebody will always be cooking.

We will need to bake two birthday cakes today, hurricane or not.

White Oak Bayou is not that far away but there as been storm detention ponds built since the last flood.

We still have 1-10 that can flood, it is below ground.

And my house is 3 feet above ground.

I had it raised two feet when I bought it.

My flood insurance is a lot cheaper because of this.

The only thing I am really worried about is the new townhouses, so many are 3 and 4 story with lots of glass.

They are really crap built, so we will see how they stand up to a hurricane.

Take care everyone.

A lot of us will lose power and the internet.

If this happens I will be back when I can.

[txwhitedove]

14. Good thing you put up the plywood. Gustav seems to be moving

a little more westward....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26295161/

[texanwitch]

17. Just got up.

I thought it might move to the west a little.

Hurricanes need to be prepared for, even if they don't come you way.

Looks like we will have a full house tonight or by tomorrow afternoon.

I bet the stores will get crazy now.

Glad I am done.

[ThomCat]

15. That is wonderful that you are taking people in.

:hug:

I hope the plywood isn't needed. But I'm glad you're helping people prepare.

[texanwitch]

18. I was glad to do it.

I am really good at cutting plywood.

It is an art.