Galveston weather concerns

[Rasvar]

What data did you use to compute this figure?

 

 

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-94.80634006347655&lat=29.298891980238437#.WadkYMh97IU

 

Only reason I gave a 5% chance of it not cruising is there is never anything that is certain. But weather isn't a factor. RCL will sail this thing half full if they have to. They won't be cancelling another cruise if the port is open and operational, as it should be on Sunday.

[nealstuber]

what does this have to do with cruising?

 

 

 

There are some on this board who feel it wrong for cruisers to take up hotel space that might be needed by displaced flood victims.

 

It does appear that typical vacancy apartment/ housing rates for the area will be close to the amount of those displaced. Things will settle out as paying even $100 a night for a hotel room is not a long term solution, especially for families. But leasing/renting apartments or houses does take a little time so Hotels should keep space for those who need it.

 

If I were cruising out of Galveston in the next two weeks (we live six hours away) I probably would not book a hotel on the island or around Houston as is our usual practice. We'd stay a couple of hours out or just leave real early the morning of.

 

For those flying in, it seems to make more sense than ever to get in a day before and Travel to Galveston form either Houston airport is a rough deal to begin with. If the airline had canceled or given me the option to reschedule my flight in that circumstance, I'd look at an alternate airports like Corpus or SAT and maybe stay halfway in between.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[kilpa482]

You will notice I said "if" for the flight and hotel. I would make sure I had the hotel before the flight. (I do agree, direct call the hotel to be safe) As far as transportation, if there aren't taxis, there sure will be Uber or Lyft. If where you work isn't reopening right away, that is the first thing I would be doing to get some cash income quickly until it does. I would suspect that will be good money in the area starting around Friday. So I think getting transportation won't be hard. It will be navigating the roads that will be tricky.

 

This may be as or more expensive than Katrina, but only because of the size of the region and cost of the places damaged. This wasn't Katrina. It wasn't a total crippling of the city. It's not like the power grid and everything else was destroyed. You already have people going home. 2K people have already gone home from the convention center.

 

There are still questions if airports are even running on Saturday for passengers. They will be open for relief flights and repositioning tomorrow and Friday. I've been a first responder enough times to know that while this was terrible, as long as the water goes down quickly, the vast majority of the area that didn't get damaged will be able to recover quickly. This isn't an Andrew, Katrina or a Northridge earthquake. The infrastructure hasn't been destroyed. Likely some damage but this isn't a crippling blow. It's a hell of an expensive one, though. This isn't meant to belittle those who did lose everything. It doesn't get any worse than that. That is the same for any disaster be it a massive hurricane down to a small tornado that destroys only a couple of homes. But Houston will be coming back to normal life for a lot of people by this weekend.

 

Just an FYI - IAH & HOU are now technically open for the airlines to use, they are however not going to be anywhere close to normal. I'm not really sure what information is public yet so I will leave it at that. Things are slowly getting better.

[lbjen]

The advice to fly elsewhere and stay in a hotel away from the island and away from Houston in fact is probably the best option. There is still a lot of flooding going on in some suburbs so call and check before booking.

[Galveston Cruiser]

The advice to fly elsewhere and stay in a hotel away from the island and away from Houston in fact is probably the best option. There is still a lot of flooding going on in some suburbs so call and check before booking.

 

All highways are open. There is continued flooding in areas around Houston with rivers and creeks, but will dissipate in several days. It has been announced that airports will begin a phased in service commencing today 8/30 with full service by the weekend.

 

Galveston had NO issues. If anything, Galveston was the best place to be when Harvey hit. Yes, street flooding; normal with heavy rain. This can occur any time of the year during a thunder storm. Drains very quickly.

Hotels and restaurants are open. Provisions are arriving, restocking of stores, etc. on a daily basis.

A few business on Post Office flooded; this even occurs with no hurricane.

We went out to eat every night but one when we had a birthday dinner at home.

Some lost power, majority didn't. We have lost power with a normal shower, but not during Harvey.

 

The beach is beautiful as the storm really cleaned it well!

[Cindy]

Southwest are still saying Saturday at noon, I know they diverted a lot of people elsewhere that they need to bring back (we have people stuck in Chicago).

 

If you're coming in from San Antonio keep an eye on I-10 over the next few days, it's still under threat at Highway 6 but you can get off earlier to head south if needed.

 

10 is currently under water at Highway 6 due to the release of water from the reservoirs. That's definitely a place people driving in would want to look for a new route ahead of time.

 

 

 

As can be seen in these photos the main lanes on the Sam Houston tollway are closed, but the side streets and frontage roads are being used.

 

 

Looks are deceiving! Neither the main lanes nor the frontage roads of the San Houston are available between Memorial and Briar Forest, and they won't be for quite some time. That section of the feeder sustained some severe damage and nobody knows what the main lanes will look like when the waters recede.

 

Currently the detours are Highway 99, the 610 loop, and Chimney Rock. Hopefully the bayou level will start to drop and open other routes, but unfortunately the flooding was much worse today than it was yesterday.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Coopdog08]

Definitely a stressful decision. The port now open during daylight hours and the airports opening are good signs of improvement. At least you can monitor things for the next couple of days and then make your decision. If you do decide to drive down, Gasbuddy is usually a really good app for finding gas.

 

Good luck whatever you decide.:)

Lol! There are some people on here tonight that are not thinking about what they are saying......

Please tell all the people in Rockport that no longer have houses, the people in Beaumont area that have water half way up the outside of there house, the people in the Houston suburbs that have houses that are water infested that the port and airport being open are good signs of improvement.... unbelievable....

[Galveston Cruiser]

Lol! There are some people on here tonight that are not thinking about what they are saying......

Please tell all the people in Rockport that no longer have houses, the people in Beaumont area that have water half way up the outside of there house, the people in the Houston suburbs that have houses that are water infested that the port and airport being open are good signs of improvement.... unbelievable....

 

From the mother of a son with a wife and 1 1/2 yr. old and 3 1/2 yr. old who lost their home for the second time in 15 months; even he says things are improving. A positive attitude goes a lot further than being negative.

We have gone through all the storms from Carla to Ike and Harvey. Always kept a positive attitude and looked forward to tomorrow:) Still do

[Lucy Jane]

Just saw an hour ago from port of Galveston that it is open and cruise ships will arrive on 1 September.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Coopdog08]

You will notice I said "if" for the flight and hotel. I would make sure I had the hotel before the flight. (I do agree, direct call the hotel to be safe) As far as transportation, if there aren't taxis, there sure will be Uber or Lyft. If where you work isn't reopening right away, that is the first thing I would be doing to get some cash income quickly until it does. I would suspect that will be good money in the area starting around Friday. So I think getting transportation won't be hard. It will be navigating the roads that will be tricky.

 

This may be as or more expensive than Katrina, but only because of the size of the region and cost of the places damaged. This wasn't Katrina. It wasn't a total crippling of the city. It's not like the power grid and everything else was destroyed. You already have people going home. 2K people have already gone home from the convention center.

 

There are still questions if airports are even running on Saturday for passengers. They will be open for relief flights and repositioning tomorrow and Friday. I've been a first responder enough times to know that while this was terrible, as long as the water goes down quickly, the vast majority of the area that didn't get damaged will be able to recover quickly. This isn't an Andrew, Katrina or a Northridge earthquake. The infrastructure hasn't been destroyed. Likely some damage but this isn't a crippling blow. It's a hell of an expensive one, though. This isn't meant to belittle those who did lose everything. It doesn't get any worse than that. That is the same for any disaster be it a massive hurricane down to a small tornado that destroys only a couple of homes. But Houston will be coming back to normal life for a lot of people by this weekend.

For someone who is a first responder you take the word normal lightly...normal for Anyone who has been struck by this devastation was how they lived life one week ago from today. Sorry but normalcy is not gained back in the next 3-4 days from an event like this. It will take months and years for the majority affected to go back to normal. Just because 2k people went back home doesn't mean they are living a normal life. Ask the people who have all the guts of there house lying in there front yard because it's destroyed is normal. I already saw it today but in the next several days you will see street upon street that has furniture, carpet, beds, etc in there front yard. Hey but according to you they will be back to normal. Unbelievable.

[trapps30]

Lol! There are some people on here tonight that are not thinking about what they are saying......

 

Please tell all the people in Rockport that no longer have houses, the people in Beaumont area that have water half way up the outside of there house, the people in the Houston suburbs that have houses that are water infested that the port and airport being open are good signs of improvement.... unbelievable....

 

 

 

Last I checked this a forum for people who cruise. I don't think anyone on here is unsympathetic to anyone's plight in the affected areas. However this is a place for us to discuss our up coming cruise which unfortunately was planned a week after a natural disaster. We are simply trying to discuss our vacation that most have probably planned for months or years and have thousands of dollars invested towards. My heart goes out to everyone in the area and wish them the best. Tell me how having a functional airport in the area is a bad thing??

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Coopdog08]

From the mother of a son with a wife and 1 1/2 yr. old and 3 1/2 yr. old who lost their home for the second time in 15 months; even he says things are improving. A positive attitude goes a lot further than being negative.

We have gone through all the storms from Carla to Ike and Harvey. Always kept a positive attitude and looked forward to tomorrow:) Still do

No doubt positivity is key and important.

[Coopdog08]

Last I checked this a forum for people who cruise. I don't think anyone on here is unsympathetic to anyone's plight in the affected areas. However this is a place for us to discuss our up coming cruise which unfortunately was planned a week after a natural disaster. We are simply trying to discuss our vacation that most have probably planned for months or years and have thousands of dollars invested towards. My heart goes out to everyone in the area and wish them the best. Tell me how having a functional airport in the area is a bad thing??

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Agree about what this is and why here to discuss. Never said it's a bad thing. If you asked people in Rockport, Beaumont etc they probably don't even know the airport is open nor do they care unless they work there. All I am saying is the port and airport being open has little to do with the lives of the majority of the people who have gone thru this and it being open is not the things that are going to show them that things are getting better.

[Big_G]

Lol! There are some people on here tonight that are not thinking about what they are saying......

Please tell all the people in Rockport that no longer have houses, the people in Beaumont area that have water half way up the outside of there house, the people in the Houston suburbs that have houses that are water infested that the port and airport being open are good signs of improvement.... unbelievable....

 

It is a good sign. Wouldn't they be worse off if they (the port and airport) were still under water? I think your disbelief is misplaced.

[tugboat]

10 is currently under water at Highway 6 due to the release of water from the reservoirs. That's definitely a place people driving in would want to look for a new route ahead of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks are deceiving! Neither the main lanes nor the frontage roads of the San Houston are available between Memorial and Briar Forest, and they won't be for quite some time. That section of the feeder sustained some severe damage and nobody knows what the main lanes will look like when the waters recede.

 

Currently the detours are Highway 99, the 610 loop, and Chimney Rock. Hopefully the bayou level will start to drop and open other routes, but unfortunately the flooding was much worse today than it was yesterday.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

Oh no thanks Cindy, I have never work so hard for a cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Cindy]

Oh no thanks Cindy, I have never work so hard for a cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

I hope you have a great time! I'd love to be doing something besides watching the Buffalo Bayou.[emoji853]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[tugboat]

From the mother of a son with a wife and 1 1/2 yr. old and 3 1/2 yr. old who lost their home for the second time in 15 months; even he says things are improving. A positive attitude goes a lot further than being negative.

 

We have gone through all the storms from Carla to Ike and Harvey. Always kept a positive attitude and looked forward to tomorrow:) Still do

 

 

 

Some people are not happy unless they get to spread gloom and doom everyday

 

I consider every day a great day when I get out of the house and see all that I have, the folks that were plucked out of the flood waters, that are holding their children in dry clothes are counting their blessing so today tomorrow are great days when you look back at yesterday.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Rasvar]

For someone who is a first responder you take the word normal lightly...normal for Anyone who has been struck by this devastation was how they lived life one week ago from today. Sorry but normalcy is not gained back in the next 3-4 days from an event like this. It will take months and years for the majority affected to go back to normal. Just because 2k people went back home doesn't mean they are living a normal life. Ask the people who have all the guts of there house lying in there front yard because it's destroyed is normal. I already saw it today but in the next several days you will see street upon street that has furniture, carpet, beds, etc in there front yard. Hey but according to you they will be back to normal. Unbelievable.

 

Not to parse words but I think I laid out that it won't be normal for everyone. But in this metro area of over 6M people, most will be trying to get back to normal this weekend. Now normal doesn't mean their aren't effects. Normal means they are getting back to work, family and other things they do on a regular basis. Stores and restaurants will open. Deliveries will be made. A lot will help in the relief. But so many more are just going to focus on getting back to normal. It's human nature. It's not diminishing the loss. A lot of people want to get back to their jobs after something like this as soon as possible. It's reassuring. It's also necessary.

If I was there, I would be in the disaster areas working. I would be working to help those devastated. But I have learned, many more people just want to get back to their routines as soon as possible. That's not necessarily a bad thing, either. You have to get everyone back to work to get a recovery going. So don't take my comment about normal being dismissive. It's just that you have maybe a half to three quarter of a million people with extended impacts out of 6M. That's not an insignificant number but you will still have at least 5M trying to do what they can to get a normal routine. And many in this group will have not devastating effects but more of the kind that will create some short term issues but nothing life altering. I've had my home damaged by hurricanes. I've been without power for two and a half weeks. Both times, I went back to my regular work as soon as I could. It was annoying taking cold showers for two weeks but I still had to work and get the bills paid. People will do this as soon as they can.

People also depend on the cruise ships sailing so they can make a living. As long as such activity doesn't inhibit recovery, it should be restarted as quickly as possible. I don't see where this is going to interfere at all.

I was saying they didn't belong in port on Monday or Tuesday even if they could dock. You don't dump people into the middle of an ongoing disaster. But by this weekend, most of the region will try to get back to some sense of normal. It's just the way it is.

[Cuizer2]

Well, I am sure glad we got that cleared up.

[nealstuber]

For someone who is a first responder you take the word normal lightly...normal for Anyone who has been struck by this devastation was how they lived life one week ago from today. Sorry but normalcy is not gained back in the next 3-4 days from an event like this. It will take months and years for the majority affected to go back to normal. Just because 2k people went back home doesn't mean they are living a normal life. Ask the people who have all the guts of there house lying in there front yard because it's destroyed is normal. I already saw it today but in the next several days you will see street upon street that has furniture, carpet, beds, etc in there front yard. Hey but according to you they will be back to normal. Unbelievable.

 

 

 

You're unbelievable. Part of getting back to normal is getting back to normal. Perhaps is would be better for you if a cruise ship or tourists never came back to Galveston and those currently on those 4 ships stayed aboard forever on RCCL and CCL's dime - I don't see how.

 

I understand there are those on land who were hit by a hurricane and about 10,000 people can't sleep in their homes as a result. Similarly, there are close to 10,000 people who were on the 4 ships, probably half flew in and left and needed up leaving from NOLA or MIA and the other half need to get back to their cars and their lives too.

 

I don't see how 30,000 cruisers passing by on there way to or from their cruise over the next two weeks would negatively impact your neighbors with the wet mattress or you.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[tugboat]

Time to close this thread, the sun is out in Galveston so no Weather concerns. So move on to something else[emoji2][emoji41][emoji631]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[caribill]

If you are flying in Sunday AM, arrange now for the Royal transportation from airport to ship. Let Royal figure out how to get from Point A to Point B.

 

If you are flying in Saturday, try to find a hotel near the airport. Follow above advice on booking Royal transportation to the ship and return to the airport to catch that bus.

 

To those suggesting Uber or Lyft, only a guess on my part, but it might be difficult to find drivers willing to make that drive. And if you do find one, it may be at very high "surge" pricing.

With the thousands of vehicles destroyed in the storm, there may be a big local demand for these driving services.

Edited August 31, 2017 by caribill

[caribill]

Time to close this thread, the sun is out in Galveston so no Weather concerns. So move on to something else[emoji2][emoji41][emoji631]

 

 

 

I have lived in the area for a number of years. I have never seen the sun out at the time of your post. (10:50 PM CDT)

[tugboat]

I have lived in the area for a number of years. I have never seen the sun out at the time of your post. (10:50 PM CDT)

you must not be drinking what I am

[Sk8ermaiden]

I'm in Houston, and indeed, people who can are moving back toward normalcy. My husband has a regular appointment in the med center tomorrow and is back to work downtown. Most of our major freeways are dry or heading that way. The regular deliveries to stores and gas stations have resumed. The museums are reopening. I know people are worried about their hotels but remember, roughly 70 percent of the metro is NOT flood damaged (and Galveston not really damaged at all.) Chances are that your hotel is fine. :) I am sure a few Houstonions will end up in hotels, but most are either returning home as floodwaters allow, or staying with friends and family.The above poster was right that this has some similarities to Katrina, but this is not Katrina. With some major exceptions (some bridges and roads) our infrastructure is OK. The economy has taken a hit. I am sure the hotels and touristy places are eager to get back to business.

 

The airport/rental car is what might concern me logistically if I were cruising this weekend; I'd probably try to change to fly into Dallas and drive in. 45 is totally clear all the way down, and then Galveston will be fine. Right now they're discouraging normal traffic on inbound lanes, but I suspect it will be business as usual for Houston traffic by the weekend.

 

It's something that has been hard to fathom. That evacuations are still going on on the far northwest side, but normal daily activities are resuming as much as possible. That friends who back up to the Addicks reservoir may have standing water in their homes for months, but that their daughters will be at gymnastics with my daughter tomorrow. All anyone wants is a glimmer of normal. For many people, it will be a long time before anything is normal again, but people staying away to be "respectful" and therefore hurting the local economy is not going to help anyone. There's a reason every business that can is opening their doors as soon as they can!