EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club discussion

Lake Jackson, TX here... I didn't have to work on Friday and classes won't resume until September 5 for Brazosport ISD (although I wouldn't be surprised if that gets pushed due to aftermath and rivers continuing to rise). I thought I would get SO MUCH reading done, but instead I've just been glued to the news and social media because of all the uncertainty over what Harvey will do next!

LJ has been fine so far, but now it has been raining since 4:30 and POURING since 7:30 (it's almost 9:30 now). The storm is just circling right on top of us, and Houston is getting more of exactly what they DON'T need! I am in a safe spot, but our community has closed down for the most part and resources are low. Once our rivers reach record breaking levels it will be devastating. I can't even imagine what people in Houston or near the rivers are going through or will be going through soon.

I just want to say to all of our SE Texas members: I hope you are safe and staying dry. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. ❤️

Sounds scary Sarah, I hope you and everyone over there stays safe and dry!

Thank you, Leesa! The big rain is over for my area, just some sprinkles here and there. Now our community is just waiting for the rivers to crest. It's crazy that we just went through a flood like this last year and now it's happening again. Guess they can throw away the term "100 Year Flood"!

I got out today and volunteered a little so I'm feeling better than I was yesterday. I can happily read this afternoon. :)

Good for you. That way you know what's happening first hand I guess. Still terrifying though... we don't get much in the way of horrific weather here thankfully, it's always miserable, but in a moderate way!

That's good news! Good to know about you.
I've been reading and watching a lot of news about that situation.
And now, remebering that we have a lot of members from Texas - we even used to be good-humored about that some time ago -, we get concerned about you all and wish you the best!

Sarah glad to hear you're okay!!!
Hard to help from far away, but obviously if there's any way we can help, let us know. This goes out to all our members in TX and LA affected by Harvey.
Have friends who have sent some crazy pictures!!!! And videos of people waterskiing behind trucks driving down the road. Human resilience never ceases to amaze...

I will say that the greatest part of this is how the community comes together in a time of need. Neighbors checking on each other, schools serving free food, work family starting an email thread for roll call, people donating their time, community leaders working around the clock to reassure us... it definitely boosts your faith in humanity!

Stay safe, Sarah. We have been watching the coverage in Texas - very scary.

😘 I will be fine. My kitchen is stocked and all! It's the people around my town that I hurt for. I am so so incredibly lucky to not live in the 100 year floodplain.

A lot of people are upset because the news is still only focusing on the already flooded Houston. Nobody is reporting in my county, Brazoria County. And it's about to hit our rivers hard, just like it did last year when we received little coverage. We can't even go anywhere, we are literally surrounded by floods and couldn't leave if we wanted to. I went to the store today and it was bizarre seeing nothing in the shelves! Supplies can't be delivered right now.

If you want to see something cool from last years flooding, Google "cowboys Brazoria county flood 2016." A bunch of Texas cowboys got together and went out saving cattle from flood waters, the pictures are pretty amazing. And you can bet it will happen again. :)

Link for anyone looking for the pics Sarah mentioned. Pretty crazy stuff!

Thanks for sharing the link! It is so hard to believe people are suffering from my safe spot here, as the sun is shining bright and the sky is blue and cloudless now! We are still waiting on the rivers to rise more, but the situation is looking a little more promising due to north winds and the tide receding at our beach about 10 miles south of me. With no rain since Monday night/Tuesday morning, the city crew working the pumps 24 hours a day have had time to clear a lot of the 14 inches of rain that fell around here.

Offering cleanup help to friends in Surfside today to keep busy and do my part. Wishing Louisiana well now that it's their turn. 😞

Sarah wrote: "Thanks for sharing the link! It is so hard to believe people are suffering from my safe spot here, as the sun is shining bright and the sky is blue and cloudless now! We are still waiting on the ri..."

I am sorry to hear of all the flooding and suffering! I did enjoy the pictures to save the cattle.

The 100-year term is misleading and FEMA tries to use 1% annual chance instead (each year has a 1% chance), but it's not a tangible term. The 100- year seems to be easier to grasp but it's misleading.

Has anyone been watching the track of Irma? Highest winds ever recorded?!??

Absolutely, I'm hyper aware of the tropics after seeing what Harvey did to my area! During Harvey my extended family started a group text to check on our safety, and now the group is continuing because we have 2 families in Florida! Irma is a MONSTER!!! I'm grateful that Katia is staying in Mexico instead of heading to the Texas coast, but I wish everyone in Mexico safety!

It's insanity! Have family in Florida as well, they are already stocking up and making plans to evacuate in case the storm comes their way.
Again, to all members in the affected areas - stay safe!!! And let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

I have a cousin in Florida is she is very worried. She was all for evacuating (she & her husband are both retired so work wasn't a concern) but her husband is convinced it won't be that bad and wanted to stay.

Hmm. Don't know where she is in Florida or what sort of digs she has, but I would mainly be worried about the winds, the supplies, and the roads during a CAT 4 in Florida.

My family is staying in Charleston, but the highest speeds they're looking at are 120 mph, CAT3, which is par for the course as far as hurricanes go in that region. And they're not on the peninsula so flooding shouldn't be too crazy. Of course traffic will be horrible, so they're all stocked up and meals are prepped.

Here's a personal story: (view spoiler)[One season when I was about eleven, there was a hurricane that came through that shut down all the roads. My dad walked us to the main road just to get out of the house.

Being a child, I didn't see devastation. Of course, I remember trees being down and lighting our oil lamp and bringing in all the bricks from the yard and pulling down the birdfeeders.

But most of all, I remember this road. No cars were around. The traffic lights were out. It had stopped raining, but everything was soggy. And sometime during the mess hundreds of colored balls had been whipped out of the McDonald's playpen and were strewn ALL over the main intersection of North Charleston. So my sister and I of course commenced having a war with McDonald's playpen balls. And I, of course, won.

These are my hurricane memories. (hide spoiler)]

(Last post, I swear)

If y'all want a silly hurricane novel to read, check out Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen.

It's humorous, almost a non-serious satirical look at hurricane life in South Florida. I thought it was funny and ridiculous. Some may find it to be in bad taste.

Christine wrote: "Hmm. Don't know where she is in Florida or what sort of digs she has, but I would mainly be worried about the winds, the supplies, and the roads during a CAT 4 in Florida.

My family is staying in..."

I'm not totally sure. They were on the Gulf coast of Florida for a couple of years, but just moved a few months ago and I'm not totally sure where exactly to.

Christine, thanks for the recommendation, sounds like a fun read!

I'm a big fan of stormy weather, but like it has been mentioned, the lack of gas and resources plus the town closing down make it not worth the stay! The library FINALLY opened today! I FINALLY go back to work tomorrow! It's been a drag.

Sarah, I hope your family stays safe! Best to heed evacuation warnings during one of the strongest hurricanes ever seen!

I've got an uncle in Clearwater on the west coast of FL who is insisting on staying, and I have an aunt in Vero Beach (in the current direct path of Irma) who evacuated last night, thank goodness. Gotta beat that traffic!