Ike victims attempt to return, but get turned away

I hope Ike takes a hike and heads elsewhere!

I hope the people in the coastal areas of Texas get out. Our thoughts are definitely with you.

Authorities hoping to avoid the traffic gridlock of three years ago, when Hurricane Rita threatened the area, urged people who don't live in eight specific zip codes in the low-lying areas and near Galveston Bay to remain at home.

"We are still saying: Please shelter in place, or to use the Texas expression, hunker down," Emmett said. "For the vast majority of people who live in our area, stay where you are. The winds will blow and they'll howl and we'll get a lot of rain but if you lose power and need to leave, you can do that later."

Now this just doesn't make good sense. Why would they urge people on the coast or in the bay living in low-lying areas to just stay home? When all their roads are blocked and closed, those people won't be able to 'just leave later'.

Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas extended a mandatory evacuation that had covered the west side of the island, unprotected by a seawall, to the entire island.

They evacuate the island but not the bay?

People need to pack up and leave. No one will be able to ride through this one. The waves will be very, very high as already indicated, and there will be no survivors so people need to take heed to the warning and leave.

What is about to happen will leave many shaken., It will cause massive destruction - massive flooding (brown water in the streets) with cars and objects floating in it. It will cover a very large area as already predicted. I am just confirming the prediction. Alot of water, alot of flooding,

If you know anyone down there, ask them to pack up and leave immediately. No one will survive these tidal waves (as I call them because they will be massive).

For those refusing to move saying the Lord will save them, tell them, the word is for them to get out (get on a plane if you have to, but get out of there) because this is a VERY BIG one that will shake all of us from coast to coast.

This is just a general blog about different stories i've read on other blogs on newsvine etc....because there was so much confusion as to WHY alot of evacuees didn't get out in time and there's information regarding certain counties that hindered many getting out. I'm new to these blogs and feeds...and not sure how to join groups etc...so please bare with me....thanks...

I've read many of the blogs regarding Hurricane Ike. I'm from SouthEast Texas, I'm 51 years of age with four children and have two elderly parents with me, both nearing 80 years of age. I grew up in Texas and was too young to remember Camille, Carla, Audrey... but my parents did. Up until Rita hit us in 2005, our generation had never seen such devastation. We didn't have the storm surge to deal with..but we had a river of TREES and debris EVERYWHERE. The evacuation in itself was utterly HORRIFIC and that's putting it mildly. Everyone in this NATION has to put up with mother nature, whether it's from blizzards, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, and yes....HURRICANES. My family had just returned from the scare of Gustav after we had received a MANDATORY evacuation far more in advance than we received with Ike. I was up Wednesday night on my computer watching the storm and reading blogs from the Beaumont, Orange Texas area. I was also watching the local news all night that had the little tickers of text that roll across the bottom of our television screens just waiting to hear what our Emergency Management Officials were going to do. Some of what I read on BOTH the internet and the television...was that Jefferson and Orange Counties were not issuing a MANDATORY evacuation due to the lack of resources due to them being sent to other areas of the STATE. This was Wednesday night into Thursday morning until I went to bed at 5:00a.m. (sept. 10th) There were about four or five school closings ONLY at about that time. If any decisions had been made before that time, the internet and local media did not report it, until later on that morning. My husband HAD to report to work in Port Arthur Thursday morning. Bare in mind that many employees that work, could NOT leave UNLESS the mandatory evacuation had been called. Many blogs were being posted on a local news webpage in Beaumont of how UPSET they were at our Emergency Management officials for NOT issuing a mandatory evacuation SOONER. At first everyone kept thinking..."okay, it's gonna go to Corpus....and that kept being reported for awhile. Many felt bewildered because only a handful of schools had not reported closing. The evacuation for Gustav went very well but we ended up just getting a little wind out of it, but many still spent alot of money to leave. When we returned from Gustav, my husbands, job had not YET sent him back to work at a refinery in Port Arthur, so he missed over a week's work and pay. His job finally gave him something to do for a couple of days ( sept 9th & 10th). When he went to work the morning of the 10th, we still had not received a mandatory evacuation notice until later in the morning. We had time to gather the essentials needed for ANOTHER trip to evacuate, but when you have elderly parents or grandparents....you THEN have to start getting in touch with them to get THEM to go with you. Most people had the demeanor...."oh it's not going to hit here....it'll be like another Gustav...." and my aunt could NOT be convinced to leave with my family....and my parents. She will soon be 80 years old, had a stroke three years ago and is in the early stages of alzheimers....but she can get quite beligerant with you. We could not FORCE her to go, so we HAD to leave her behind. In HER mind, she didn't think it would come here. So, she's alone with her two dogs. All of this happened so fast, and it was not handled well with city officals. The news media cannot report much without the city's officals approval and people were watching the media to find out WHAT we were suppose to do. It wasn't the media's fault. They reported it as soon as they were given the go ahead. Anyone from the Jefferson, and Orange County areas can verfiy everything I've said, because that's how it went down. Our local news media can tell you the same thing. I'm watching Ike come across our area as we speak on the net and we are on the east side of the storm on the Texas, Louisiana line. We came to Canton, Texas to evacuate and can only pray my aunt (my mother's eldest sister) is okay. When you are faced with a situation like this....you don't think about money, fema, material possessions...you think about your family and God. Because in the end...that's all that matters is that you have each other and you know that no matter WHAT...the Lord will STILL be with you, even if you lose everything....just like JOB in the bible did. But the Lord blessed him double what he had in the end, for not giving up his faith and love for God. And even if I go back to NOTHING....I still have my husband, children, parents and a few clothes to wear and we will STILL give God the glory for it ALL. May God bless you all for your prayers and concern....and please remember, none of us ASK for disasters.....but we often find that after ANY storm....the rainbow can emerge and the sun will shine again. Goodnight all....i'm really tired...but tonight I'm alittle more thankful for my family and I know we'll be okay. Keep us in your prayers....it don't cost nothing to pray, God is never too busy to listen, and you'll never get a busy signal or have to press one, two, or three to speak to someone whose ALIVE. He's always there.....remember that.