Hurricane IKE

[[AK]Hardnok]

I am currently in Houston and have been getting everything ready for the hit. I hope everyone else is doing ok and staying safe. If anyone wants to check on me, ask Maklev for my number. I will be keeping it on.. You can also text me if you want too.

[[AK]Beaker]

Hang in there HK!

Clay's family and mine are as they are saying "hunkering down" for the storm.

I keep hoping it will decide to just go away!

[[AK]Brorlis]

O.k. I'm gonna vent a sec........

I just watched Gas in Memphis (and i'm sure the rest of the country as well) go from 3.39 a gallon to 4.50 a gallon in a little less than 3 hours!!!!

Now I don't claim to be the smartest man alive but I'm pretty sure the gas that I filled up with this morning is the same gas thats in the ground this afternoon. My wife was unfortionate and didn't make the fill-up this morning and now can't find gas AT ALL !!!!

I completely understand that Galviston houses a TON of refineries but I would also think that any gas we would be getting for the next couple of weeks has already been refined and bareled. So why the IMMEDIATE gas spike????

There isn't a single aspect of life thats not effected by gasoline much like electricity. So how is it that our utility companys are regulated and the oil companys aren't? I just think its sad....really sad......

[[AK]Hylander]

First off - Everyone be safe!!



Not to diminish the significance of the 'gouging', but time of manufacture and delivery don't play into the factors of supply & demand, and particularly the speculators and their effect on prices. You said it yourself though, can't find gas at all. Supply and Demand.

That said, I filled up this morning at $3.27 and when I drove by tonight it was only $3.37. Still a big jump, but not astronomical.

Alot can depend on where your gas comes from, which refineries, channels of distribution, etc.

I would think a $3.39 to $4.50 a gallon would spark an investigation by your State IMHO. Alot of states of regulations stating you can only raise prices so much per day, or so many times per week, etc. But I have no idea what your State is like.

AND, depending on your State - there is deregulation and competition among utility companies. But that's the big difference, competition. Gasoline producers and oil production isn't a public utility and is not a monopolistic market. There are numerous producers of oil. Electricity has been a public utility pretty much from day one because of the monopolistic nature of that market. It's similar to the deregulation of the phone companies. Who paid to build those lines? How do you "force" them to share them? (Think DSL and the ILEC/CLEC situations). Similar obstacles in deregulating power companies.

O.k. I'm gonna vent a sec........

I just watched Gas in Memphis (and i'm sure the rest of the country as well) go from 3.39 a gallon to 4.50 a gallon in a little less than 3 hours!!!!

Now I don't claim to be the smartest man alive but I'm pretty sure the gas that I filled up with this morning is the same gas thats in the ground this afternoon. My wife was unfortionate and didn't make the fill-up this morning and now can't find gas AT ALL !!!!

I completely understand that Galviston houses a TON of refineries but I would also think that any gas we would be getting for the next couple of weeks has already been refined and bareled. So why the IMMEDIATE gas spike????

There isn't a single aspect of life thats not effected by gasoline much like electricity. So how is it that our utility companys are regulated and the oil companys aren't? I just think its sad....really sad......

[[AK]Hardnok]

1:19 am and still little action. I did hear from my brother in NC that there was also a 10 gallon limit. Yeah, I got gas on wednesday evening for 3.29 a gallon and the next day everyone was out of gas and had jumped to over $4. Galveston is getting hammered but Im just north of Houston and havent seen much of anything yet.

[[AK]Clay]

got a text from my brother at 5 this morning. He was in the eye, and pretty scared. Pretty somber to get something like that from your big bro. He called later, while still in the eye, the whole thing was just erie and surreal, but he was doing better. Other brothers roof was disintegrating. God.

I pray they and you are all Ok.

[[AK]Mydrial]

I hope your family is ok Clay. I have friends down there I have not been able to reach since last night. They are about 45 miles north of the coast, between Houston and Galveston areas. Im hoping thats far enough. If I hear something I will post.

[[AK]Abaddon]

My brother and his family, and my Mom and stepdad, evacuated to the Best Western in Lufkin on Friday. I have not heard from them since the hurricane ... found a notice at the Lufkin Daily News that said Ike looped around and hit the area. Some extensive damage to buildings, lots of trees down. If I do not hear anything by tomorrow morning, I'll probably be headed to Lufkin to figure out what's going on. I'm starting to get a little worried. No one answers at the hotel; brother's cell is working but no answer. Mom's cell is saying all networks are busy.

[[AK]Clay]

Ab, you have to use Text. Cell phones don't work with voice in these settings - the lines are just too jammed. It's how I've been communicating with my family. Problem with text is it's generational - none of our parents can figure out how it to make it work.

On a positive note from my side, my family is all safe. My brother who was in the eye escaped with no damage to home or property. Other brother did almost as well, though most of his shingles got ripped off. Folks house, which was only a couple miles from the coast, is in perfect condition. Go figure. They even have potable water. But nobody anywhere has electricity. Folks will probably just move camp to the boat - it has a diesel generator on it and 50 gal of fuel. They've lived on in for 8 months while traversing the Eastern seaboard once before, so no biggie there for them.

I tell you what, when it comes to communications, I just bought one of these off of e-bay to keep my phone going - no matter what happens to the power.

[[AK]Abaddon]

Finally got through to them ... everyone is fine. Phones were down hard most of the day. They could not even get text messages out. Glad to hear your family is okay too, Clay. :-)

[[AK]Mydrial]

I was finally able to get thru to my friends this evening as well. They lost some shingles and a window due to some flying debris. But other than that no electric and phones. He had just moved there 4 months ago from Chicago area, as you can imagine he has never seen a storm like that before.

[[AK]Hylander]

Glad to hear everyone made it through safely!!

[[AK]Camelwalk]

Glad everyone is well!

[[AK]Hardnok]

Just got the power on about an hour ago. Only damage sustained here were two fence panels and 3 screens from the screen room. The neighborhood got hit pretty hard though. Some neighbors had trees on their houses and lots of fence damage. Did wait in line at a gas station for 5 hours for 10 gallons of gas for the generator we borrowed for a bit from the neighbor. Ironically enough, power was restored an hour after we got back to the house. I'll see about trying to take some pics tomorrow of the neighborhood. BTW, over 4 million people were without power and still over 2 million are without. Galveston could be weeks before they get power back.

[[AK]Clay]

Glad you came out mostly unscathed Hardnok.