The holiday is starting off well..

[Steve Day]

Larry,

I don't know if you remember my cradle and the fact that our niece did not take it after I built it for her. I've been looking for something to do with it for a while now. We finally found something.

I am building a cocktail table with the cradle boat as the centerpiece. It will look pretty cool with a glass tabletop. I have the frame built and am working on the mount for the boat now. The next step is to cut the pattern for the glass top and to get it fabricated.

I'll have some pictures of the table soon.

Steve

[Greg Luckett]

Larry,

I don't know if you remember my cradle and the fact that our niece did not take it after I built it for her. I've been looking for something to do with it for a while now. We finally found something.

I am building a cocktail table with the cradle boat as the centerpiece. It will look pretty cool with a glass tabletop. I have the frame built and am working on the mount for the boat now. The next step is to cut the pattern for the glass top and to get it fabricated.

I'll have some pictures of the table soon.

Steve

Seems a shame she did not use it.  I do not recall the reason.  I look forward to seeing how it morphs into a table.

[lbrewer]

I am building a cocktail table with the cradle boat as the centerpiece. It will look pretty cool with a glass tabletop. I have the frame built and am working on the mount for the boat now. The next step is to cut the pattern for the glass top and to get it fabricated.

That sounds like a great idea.  I'm looking forward to the pictures. 

[lbrewer]

Here are some Gustav pictures of the local area that were snagged from a local TV station's website.  They were submitted by viewers:

[Charlie Jones]

WOW- You mean to tell me that some news team SOMEWHERE is admitting that the storm got to SOMEPLACE other than New Orleans?????? Cause New Orleans is ALL we've seen on national coverage. You'd think the rest of the area didn't exist.

I'm VERY glad that storm fell apart just before it hit- it COULD have been a really bad deal if it hadn't.

[lbrewer]

I agree about the national coverage.  I thought it was really evident after Katrina.  Coastal Mississippi after that storm was leveled and the devastation is still evident in many areas and we seldom heard any news about that.  New Orleans certainly received its share of misery from both storms to be sure.  I guess more people nationwide are familiar with that city so the rest of the storm areas get pushed to the news "back burner".

Gustav's effects here were not really bad as far as hurricane's go.  I don't think we sustained that much damage comparatively.

Although the folks who had just rebuilt these piers from Katrina might disagree:

[Steve Day]

I was down at the Grand Hotel Marina where we keep "Day's Dream." She came through the storm without a scratch, which is always a relief to discover.

As near as we can tell, the storm surge on our side of the bay was about 3' to 4'. It just barely overtopped the seawall in my slip. the surge was a bit more on the western and northern shores of the bay with water getting onto the roads there. Larry's photos tell the story quite well. All-in-all, we came out as good as you could expect.

With all of the news coverage, it appears our friends in New Orleans did OK too. However, I would not even consider living in that town for a whole host of reasons. Those pictures of the levee being overtopped were SCARY!!!!! :o   If I recall my dam experience correctly from Florida Power & Light, they should have a minimum of 5' of freeboard in that situation. We had 13' of freeboard on the dams I was in charge of when I worked for them.

Steve

[Ken_Potts]

  Glad to hear you came through okay Steve.

  It looks like my Outer Banks trip this weekend might get cancelled.  I'm not going to make the decision until Friday night though.  I hope everybody gets through Hanna alright.  And I hope Gustav finally runs out of steam soon too.

[Steve Day]

We're getting some effect from Ike here in Mobile Bay with water that appears to be a bit higher than from Gustav. Not much wind, though. The storm is about at its closest point of approach to us, so things should get better after tomorrow.

My heart goes out to the folks in Texas. I pray that the damage is not too bad and that everyone comes through OK.

Steve

[Greg Luckett]

I have been monitoring the computer predictions.  There seems to be more turning to the North which if it continues will make the storm eye hit east of Galveston, otherwise the bullseye is on my parents home and all the folks between Galveston and Houston.  The next 48 hours should tell the story.  I am surprised that the water at Mobile Bay is higher than with Gustav.  Is it because of the normal high tide time?

[Steve Day]

Greg,

That's just my observation on the east side of the Bay. The winds here in the bay are not as strong (both storms had winds from the east) as they were in Gustav and the tides have more amplitude this time. Plus Ike is larger than Gustav was at this position in the Gulf. My take is that all of these things add up to make a bit more water in my marina this morning at high tide.

Steve

[Greg Luckett]

I understand Steve, thank you.  I have done the same sort of "measuring" in the past too, and am often correct with it, so I am probably safe with your observation being accurate.  I will sure be glad when this storm has passed and this storm season is over.  I am getting jumpy with the worry.

[lbrewer]

I hope the everyone in Galveston decided to watch from a distance on this one.  Greg, the elevations shown on Google Earth while running the cursor over Alvin looks like they are high enough to be out of any danger from the storm surge. My thoughts and prayers are with you for your folks and every one else in the area.