Here comes Rita!!

[Mike Tempel]

Well, we are getting ready for Rita to take a hit on the Texas coast. I live in LaPorte which is on Galveston Bay and predictions are that my house will be flooded out if not outright blown away. I know there are some other Creekers who are around my area as well and I wanted to wish them all the best of luck in the coming days and I sincerely hope that ya'll weather the storm and can make it back to the shop and the Creek in record time. Realistically, I don't think that I will have the same luck - I am preparing for the worst but PRAYING for the best. I hope to evacuate tomorrow night or Thursday morning at the latest - have to work until released. So if we, in this area, don't get back to the Creek for a bit wish us all the best and keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks in advance. See ya'll on the leeward side.

If you want to keep up with what is going on in the Houston area here is one of our local TV stations websites that has some video and news - www.click2houston.com (http://www.click2houston.com/)

Hope that I didn't violate the TOS with the link - not intentional and no affiliation.
Again, thanks in advance - Mike Tempel

[Tony Falotico]

Mike, you got it my friend, our thoughts and prayers will be with you. Living in Florida most of my life I know what a hurricane can do -- and the only recourse is to ride it out or run. You are smart in evacuating. Good luck my friend, may God be with you.

[John Miliunas]

Mike, with my daughter living near the Gulf in FL, I've become somewhat of a "hurricane watcher". When the threat of landfall comes in, especially now after Katrina, I'll tell you like I tell my own daughter: "Run! Run like the wind and take care of yourself and your family!" Things, property and yes, even a WW shop and equipment can be replaced. Yours or your family's lives can't! Prepare as best you can, but get out as soon as you can! PLEASE!!! Take care and check back in with us as soon as you can. God Bless and I'll keep you and the other good folks in those areas in my prayers.

[Carl Eyman]

Mike: The best wish I can make for you is that you get off as easily as we did with Katrina, but I fear that may be an empty wish. But I do pray you deal wisely with the problem.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Mike, good luck with weathering this storm, I just read it is now a cat 4, nothing to shake a stick at! Get out fast and hope to heck your house and shop survives. Let us know ASAP that you are safe.

[Karl Laustrup]

By whatever means available, go north and/or west away from the coast.

Your family's safety is of utmost importance. All else can be replaced.

Karl

[Jim Becker]

Mike, best wishes to you and your family (and neighbors). If you can fit it in...take a lot of pictures and/or video of everything before you pull out to help with the recovery later should you sustain damage. And stay safe...that's the most important thing.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Good luck with weathering the upcoming storm. The folks on the Gulf Coast are in my thoughts and prayers!

[Von Bickley]

Mike,
Good luck with the storm... Just get yourself and your family out of there.

[Don Baer]

Mike my pryers and thoughts are with you.

[Jim O'Dell]

Mike, we'll be praying for you up here in North Texas as well. Do you already have a place to go? Jim.

[Waymon Campbell]

Me an LOML will be heading to Lake Tomahawk Baptist Encampment near Livingston, TX. tomorrow morning (Thursday). Based on the current track it looks like Baytown and surrounding areas will see 100MPH + winds and some significant rain.

All you Texas woodworkers out their in the threat areas please be safe and don't take any chances.

[David Duke]

I'm about 35 miles northeast of Houston (about 125 miles from the coast), hopefully we won't have it too bad up here, what worries me is tornadoes spinning off. Best of luck to all those along the coast, our prayers are with you.

[Jack Hogoboom]

Just found out my brother, who lives in Houston, has to evacuate by Friday. Poor guy just finished redoing his house and had back surgery a month ago. Apparently, he's headed for the woods of Arkansas with his family to camp out. Sure hope everyone down that way will be OK. Nature really bites sometimes. :(

[Todd Burch]

Right now, here in Katy, our plans are to ride it out. It's a CAT 5 now, and local TV said to expect hurricane force winds here in Fort Bend county for 8 to 10 hours. I'm not sure this cookie cutter house will stand up to those kinds of winds or not...

I've been buckling down the shop yesterday and today. Getting whatever supplies are left at the stores... It's a madhouse around these parts.

Todd

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Batten Down the hatches - Take a lot of Pictures first - Then GET TO HIGH GROUND!

Stay Safe!

Bruce

[Ernie Nyvall]

Good luck Mike. Be safe.

Ernie

[Waymon Campbell]

Right now, here in Katy, our plans are to ride it out.

Todd - Good luck to you and the family. I'll say a special prayer for you guys tonight.

[John Miliunas]

Todd, not to sound like a mother hen but, I'd feel a whole lot better if I read you had everything tied down with your supplies in the vehicle and heading up the highway!!! We've all seen, just very recently, how devastating Mother Nature can be and there ain't no stoppin' her! Our prayers go out to you and your family, but I wish those prayers were trying to catch up to you at about 55 or 60mph down the nearest highway! Good luck, guy!

[Todd Burch]

John, about the only thing around here going 55mph are people traveling from walmart to stop-n-go looking for bottled water and ice!! Freeways are a MESS. The worst rush hour traffic X 20.

I called my builder today and they said my house was built to handle 110mph winds. I watched the house be built, and I doubt that number. We'll see.

We will be packing bags and putting them in the car in the event we need to leave quick. Otherwise, we'll be spending tomorrow with more preparations for the worst.

Thanks for your prayers.

[Keith Starosta]

Man, I was just thinking about you guys, Todd. Take care, and be safe.

Keith