# Aarrggh. Hurricane headed our way **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 24, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517 "2017-08-24T03:20:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![oscarhopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eada6e/32.png) [@oscarhopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oscarhopper)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/201 "2017-08-29T02:16:37Z")
How’d you fare? We got 24 inches of rain here in Brenham, along with some nasty wind. Hopefully the levee in Houston doesn’t breach. Stay safe, neighbor. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/202 "2017-08-29T14:30:01Z")
The eye has finally moved east of us. New Orleans is now getting hammered, but the west side of Houston is getting some relief. The reservoirs filled up and had to [water released from them](http://www.khou.com/weather/hurricanes/hurricane-harvey/controlled-release-of-barker-addicks-reservoirs-to-impact-thousands/468348109). I don’t remember that happening before in my lifetime. SWMBO and I managed to dodge a bullet. Where we live just happened to be between the feeder bands as Harvey moved eastward. We got rain but not torrential rain. I’m buying some lottery tickets today, if I can find anyplace still open. 😃 For those that wished us well, our sincere thanks. For those that wished I would get killed by the storm, or be eaten by an alligator, or similar thoughts…have a nice day. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/203 "2017-08-29T14:57:15Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > The eye has finally moved east of us. New Orleans is now getting hammered, but the west side of Houston is getting some relief. The reservoirs filled up and had to [water released from them](http://www.khou.com/weather/hurricanes/hurricane-harvey/controlled-release-of-barker-addicks-reservoirs-to-impact-thousands/468348109). I don’t remember that happening before in my lifetime. Actually Barker and Addicks had to be released just last April. But yes, they are at the highest level ever. If either dam fails, that would be pretty bad downstream, that is why they are releasing the water. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/204 "2017-08-29T15:01:43Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > SWMBO and I managed to dodge a bullet. Where we live just happened to be between the feeder bands as Harvey moved eastward. We got rain but not torrential rain. Glad to hear it. So no damage to home and business? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/205 "2017-08-29T15:43:40Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > The eye has finally moved east of us. New Orleans is now getting hammered, but the west side of Houston is getting some relief. The reservoirs filled up and had to [water released from them](http://www.khou.com/weather/hurricanes/hurricane-harvey/controlled-release-of-barker-addicks-reservoirs-to-impact-thousands/468348109). I don’t remember that happening before in my lifetime. > > SWMBO and I managed to dodge a bullet. Where we live just happened to be between the feeder bands as Harvey moved eastward. We got rain but not torrential rain. I’m buying some lottery tickets today, if I can find anyplace still open. 😃 > > For those that wished us well, our sincere thanks. For those that wished I would get killed by the storm, or be eaten by an alligator, or similar thoughts…have a nice day. I’m glad you appear to be unscathed, and I hope your family, house, and business can all say the same. We all bicker a lot on here, but deep down, we’re all human. It’s like Thanksgiving; there’s always going to be that one family member that we all roll our eyes at. But they’re family. We say we won’t invite them back, but can’t imagine not having them around. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/206 "2017-08-29T16:03:18Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > That is a major reason Republicans are in power now. No matter how shitty they act, they know Democrats will come together to protect the American people. Even now that they control every area of the federal government, they can’t get anything done but still blame Democrats for everything currently wrong in the country. Meanwhile, the people of Texas should, after this is all done, remember who their real friends are… > **[Mexico's Response To Trump Tweet Includes Offer Of Aid For Harvey Recovery](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hayesbrown/mexicos-response-to-trump-tweet-includes-offer-of-aid-for)** > > Trump on Sunday morning again said that Mexico would pay for his border wall, even as Tropical Storm Harvey continued to deluge Texas. “The government of Mexico takes this opportunity to express its full solidarity with the people and government of the United States for the damages caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and reports that **we have offered the US government all the help and cooperation that can be provided by the different Mexican governmental agencies to deal with the impacts of this natural disaster, as good neighbors should always do in times of difficulty** ,” the statement reads. **This isn’t the first time Mexico has stepped in to provide the U.S. with relief, either. Following the deadly Hurricane Katrina in 2005, former President Vicente Fox—who eventually became one of Trump’s most vocally colorful critics—sent an army convoy and navy ship with food, clothing, supplies, and military and medical specialists to assist in recovery efforts.** But no Donny, they still aren’t paying for that fucking wall. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/207 "2017-08-29T16:16:48Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > We all bicker a lot on here, but deep down, we’re all human. It’s like Thanksgiving; there’s always going to be that one family member that we all roll our eyes at. But they’re family. We say we won’t invite them back, but can’t imagine not having them around. So…can we go back to throwing pumpkin pie at him now? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/208 "2017-08-29T18:31:45Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > SWMBO and I managed to dodge a bullet. Where we live just happened to be between the feeder bands as Harvey moved eastward. We got rain but not torrential rain. Glad to hear it, dude. I’m sure that soon, I’ll be back to telling you how badly your sorry excuses for arguments suck, but today, I’m glad you and SWMBO made it through OK. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/209 "2017-08-29T18:32:52Z")
[quote=“Hocus\_Pocus, post:198, topic:794517”] The following song is for Joel Osteen, who has refused to open his 17,000 seat tax-free church to flooding victims… [/QUOTE] Also this one: [there are other words, but they just don't work.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sVWOrhxpZk) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/210 "2017-08-29T19:04:43Z")
> [@Hocus\_Pocus](#): > > The following song is for Joel Osteen, who has refused to open his 17,000 seat tax-free church to flooding victims… [Not anymore.](http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/29/us/joel-osteen-houston-megachurch-criticism/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/211 "2017-08-29T19:53:02Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > Actually Barker and Addicks had to be released just last April. But yes, they are at the highest level ever. If either dam fails, that would be pretty bad downstream, that is why they are releasing the water. Wow. How did I manage to miss that? We’ve still got massive amounts of water in the streets in the areas near Buffalo Bayou. A friend posted some pix on Facebook; this is about 3 miles from us. [https://scontent.fhou1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21151417\_10210101461278576\_2575216318102891001\_n.jpg?oh=9fe1b66a363b3e8576d6413e680dfc4e&oe=5A1B9AA3](https://scontent.fhou1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21151417_10210101461278576_2575216318102891001_n.jpg?oh=9fe1b66a363b3e8576d6413e680dfc4e&oe=5A1B9AA3) ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/212 "2017-08-29T20:20:20Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Lindsey Graham, after voting down Sandy relief for the same reasons, [demanded a blank check](http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/05/politics/lindsey-graham-flooding-federal-aid/index.html) when SC was hit. The Washington Post has been doing some fact checking on ted Cruz on this matter also… the Washington Post’s fact checker picks apart Cruz’s longstanding claim that the Hurricane Sandy aid package was “filled with unrelated pork” and his even more bizarre theory, yesterday, that in fact “two-thirds of that bill had nothing to do with Sandy.” The short version is that America’s worst senator either doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about or doesn’t care; “virtually all” of the bill’s provisions were Sandy related, and the few things that weren’t were either line items for other disasters or the prevention of future ones. Charitably, the Post considers Cruz to have “misspoke” on the completely crooked claim that “two-thirds” of the bill wasn’t about Sandy, which is (cough) a generous interpretation. As for his definition of “pork,” it is in the eye of the beholder, and Ted Cruz seems to believe that disaster prevention, rebuilding efforts, infrastructure strengthening, and you-name-it can all be hand-waved away as the Bad Stuff that only bad government officials would support. He still objects to Hurricane Sandy aid, says his spokesman, because so much of money earmarked for response and rebuilding wasn’t really an “emergency.” “When regions face serious disasters causing extensive damage, the federal government has an obligation to assist with assets to address the emergency,” Frazier said. “Sen. Cruz strongly supports this role of government, but emergency bills should not be used for non-emergency spending and that unfortunately is what made up nearly 70 percent of the $50.5 billion HR 152 bill.” Cruz’s argument appears to be that emergency responses—say, fishing people out of the water or putting little orange cones in front of the washed-out bridges—should of course be promptly funded, but rebuilding those bridges or buildings or neighborhoods either shouldn’t have been or should have been put on another burner until the Senate, in all its glorious efficiency and wisdom, finally felt obliged to take it back up again. So, it appears Cruz’s pork barrel “argument” was a bunch of lies. I sure do hope you Texans send him packing, next election. Hopefully he’ll end up homeless and living in a cardboard box under a (flooded) bridge somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/213 "2017-08-29T20:20:55Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [Not anymore.](http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/29/us/joel-osteen-houston-megachurch-criticism/index.html) From the link. > [@](#): > > Lakewood Church was under fire after apparently not opening up the church to flood victims. The church disputed online criticism, stating “we are prepared to shelter people once the cities and county shelters reach capacity.” Gallery Furniture [opened it’s stores to storm victims.](http://mashable.com/2017/08/28/matress-mack-houston-local-business-pitch-in-to-help-flooding-victims/) Islamic Society of Greater Houston [opened it’s 21 mosques](http://www.arabamericannews.com/2017/08/29/mosques-stay-open-to-aid-harvey-victims-while-texas-largest-megachurch-closes-doors/) as shelters yet the mighty Christian refuses. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/214 "2017-08-29T20:22:50Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Wow. How did I manage to miss that? > > We’ve still got massive amounts of water in the streets in the areas near Buffalo Bayou. A friend posted some pix on Facebook; this is about 3 miles from us. > > [https://scontent.fhou1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21151417\_10210101461278576\_2575216318102891001\_n.jpg?oh=9fe1b66a363b3e8576d6413e680dfc4e&oe=5A1B9AA3](https://scontent.fhou1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21151417_10210101461278576_2575216318102891001_n.jpg?oh=9fe1b66a363b3e8576d6413e680dfc4e&oe=5A1B9AA3) Damn! Can’t you guys catch even one break? I hope all you guys make it through this. This storm can’t last too much longer, can it?? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/215 "2017-08-29T21:00:24Z")
Houston is washed, but the bathwater drains into the Gulf. So, good thing Joel Osteen wasn’t washed away with it, that guy’s hair alone would leave an oil slick fifty miles wide. Big question now is how much money will it cost to rebuild Houston? How much more will it cost to “flood proof” it? And how quickly will Texas Republicans see the wisdom of “compassionate conservatism”? Lickety-split, brothers and sisters, pals and gals, damn quickly… ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/216 "2017-08-29T22:02:57Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > The Washington Post has been doing some fact checking on ted Cruz on this matter also… > the Washington Post’s fact checker picks apart Cruz’s longstanding claim that the Hurricane Sandy aid package was “filled with unrelated pork” and his even more bizarre theory, yesterday, that in fact “two-thirds of that bill had nothing to do with Sandy.” > > The short version is that America’s worst senator either doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about or doesn’t care; It seems WaPo doesn’t know what the hell they are talking about. > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON — President Obama’s $60.4 billion request for Hurricane Sandy relief has morphed into a huge Christmas stocking of goodies for federal agencies and even the state of Alaska, The Post has learned. > > The pork-barrel feast includes more than $8 million to buy cars and equipment for the Homeland Security and Justice departments. It also includes a whopping $150 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to dole out to fisheries in Alaska and $2 million for the Smithsonian Institution to repair museum roofs in DC. > > An eye-popping $13 billion would go to “mitigation” projects to prepare for future storms. > > Other big-ticket items in the bill include $207 million for the VA Manhattan Medical Center; $41 million to fix up eight military bases along the storm’s path, including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; $4 million for repairs at Kennedy Space Center in Florida; $3.3 million for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center and $1.1 million to repair national cemeteries. > > Budget watchdogs have dubbed the 94-page emergency-spending bill “Sandy Scam.” > **[Obama Sandy aid bill filled with holiday goodies unrelated to storm damage](https://nypost.com/2012/12/15/obama-sandy-aid-bill-filled-with-holiday-goodies-unrelated-to-storm-damage/)** > > WASHINGTON — President Obama’s $60.4 billion request for Hurricane Sandy relief has morphed into a huge Christmas stocking of goodies for federal agencies and even the state of Alaska, The Post has… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/217 "2017-08-29T22:24:57Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > It seems WaPo doesn’t know what the hell they are talking about. > [Obama Sandy aid bill filled with holiday goodies unrelated to storm damage](http://nypost.com/2012/12/15/obama-sandy-aid-bill-filled-with-holiday-goodies-unrelated-to-storm-damage/) Did you read the [WaPo article?](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/08/29/ted-cruzs-claim-that-two-thirds-of-the-hurricane-sandy-bill-had-nothing-to-do-with-sandy/) It explains all the “pork” which actually is related to damage from Sandy. Just an example. > [@](#): > > Ryan, for instance, referred in a statement to “non-Sandy expenses,” such as “sand dunes at the Kennedy Space Center, highway repairs in the Virgin Islands, and roof repairs in Washington, D.C.” But Sandy was a storm that stretched far beyond New Jersey and New York as it raced up from the Caribbean. > > The Smithsonian Institution suffered roof leaks from heavy winds and torrential rain, resulting in a $2 million request. The shoreline near Launch Pads 39A and B at the Kennedy Space Center also suffered major erosion, leaving the ocean less than a quarter-mile away, so $15 million was added to deal with that problem and repair a NASA facility on Wallops Island in Virginia that also was damaged by Sandy. We couldn’t find a line-item for Virgin Islands highway funding, so it appears to have been relatively minor. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/218 "2017-08-29T22:30:41Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > It seems WaPo doesn’t know what the hell they are talking about. > [Obama Sandy aid bill filled with holiday goodies unrelated to storm damage](http://nypost.com/2012/12/15/obama-sandy-aid-bill-filled-with-holiday-goodies-unrelated-to-storm-damage/) “An eye-popping $13 billion would go to “mitigation” projects to prepare for future storms.” – That one makes sense… jetties, storm walls, emergency rescue and first aid equipment to keep on site, etc. After all, we’re talking a huge chunk of the east coas was hit “$207 million for the VA Manhattan Medical Center” – Makes sense. Huge storms means lots of serious injury and exposure cases “$41 million to fix up eight military bases along the storm’s path” – that makes sense, as military bases suffer damage too, and the military can be called on to do emergency rescue duty $150 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to dole out to fisheries in Alaska” – I’ll give you that one, that’s a big WTF ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/219 "2017-08-29T22:40:17Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > $150 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to dole out to fisheries in Alaska” – I’ll give you that one, that’s a big WTF The WaPo article mentioned that. > [@](#): > > The bill did wrap in some other 2012 disaster funding, including disasters that had been declared over Alaska Chinook salmon, New England groundfish, Mississippi fisheries and American Samoa bottomfish. Those are the fisheries that the Cornyn spokesman referenced — but they were disaster declarations. So one would think it would make sense to include relief in a disaster bill. ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517/220 "2017-08-30T00:32:57Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > From the link. > Gallery Furniture [opened it’s stores to storm victims.](http://mashable.com/2017/08/28/matress-mack-houston-local-business-pitch-in-to-help-flooding-victims/) > > Islamic Society of Greater Houston [opened it’s 21 mosques](http://www.arabamericannews.com/2017/08/29/mosques-stay-open-to-aid-harvey-victims-while-texas-largest-megachurch-closes-doors/) as shelters yet the mighty Christian refuses. And Osteen said that they would open when the other shelters become full. He said this when the Convention Center was at 200% capacity. Sorry, no credit when he only broke down after an avalanche of shame & goading. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarrggh-hurricane-headed-our-way/794517.md?page=12)