That area of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana accounts for about one third of all gasoline production in the United States.

Katrina made landfall to the east of that area, didn't affect production.

I'm in the Dallas area and got gas today (for my truck ) . They were out of premium, and I heard other folks saying other stations were out of that, too.

quote:

I don't remember if there were any shortages after Katrina. I try to keep the tank full anyway so I'm good for a few weeks if the supplies get slowed down temporarily.

There were shortages after Katrina. Most gas stations ran out when the people evacuated. There was no gas available at all on the Mississippi Gulf Coast except for emergency personnel who had stockpiled some. Had to drive to Alabama to get gas and bring it back in large 55 gallon drums. Service stations had no electricity for several weeks, and the supply was interrupted to some degree because the pipelines in the GOM were disrupted by the storm. Gasoline when it became available was rationed. It was needed to run the generators. Pretty much everyone had no electricity for several weeks, and others none for over a month. Of course gasoline was available out of state, but at a higher price.

reports of fake DHS agents going around and telling people to leave their homes so they can rob them

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reports of fake DHS agents going around and telling people to leave their homes so they can rob them

Disasters bring out the best and worst in people. No surprise here. Once the social order is restored there will be complaints about unscrupulous contractors, unfair insurance company adjusters, and profiteers of every kind imaginable.

Recovery after a disaster like this takes years. I think the best advice is to focus on the good that people are doing in helping one another, not the negative.

I know that your post was meant to be of help, but the media likes to emphasize this sort of criminal behavior. It can be overwhelming to those just trying to imagine what has happened to them.

And that pic Michael Berry posted isn't the only one. Several shelters in the area want people to sign up to work a specific time. Storms bring out the worst, and the best in people. Most don't go volunteer with an organization. They just show up where they see people struggling, roll up their sleeves, and get to work. Heading out once it gets daylight to help an elderly couple get their place back together.

Be careful while cleaning up.

After a flood here in Montgomery county, one homeowner who lived near the San Jacinto river was going through the house looking for anything he could salvage. When he opened one kitchen cabinet to remove the dinnerware, he discovered a large cotton mouth resting inside.

I live north of Dallas and there were lines at the gas pumps all over town. My wife's Facebook page was lit up with people looking for gas. I hope it doesn't last long.

I'm curious what they do with the power in those flooded areas. If not out already, do they deliberately keep it off?

It seems that it would be akin to a really big hair dryer tossed into a really big bath tub.

quote:

Originally posted by sigspecops:
I live north of Dallas and there were lines at the gas pumps all over town. My wife's Facebook page was lit up with people looking for gas. I hope it doesn't last long.

Noticed the same this morning, I have 20 gallons in the garage buts its regular and the FXT takes premium. Might as well grab some spare this morning.

quote:

FXT takes premium

No harm running on 87 for a while.

Modern cars even modern turbos have enough electronics and knock sensors to retard timing etc. to handle any grade of fuel safely at least for a bit. Usually you will see less power and poorer gas mileage.

I wouldn't make a habit of running an octane below your recommended or required octane but like was said in an emergency you will be fine. Honestly the power and mileage loss are the primary detriments.

Stay safe, dry out.

Chris

Yea, it won't hurt it but since I had 2 more cans I picked up 10 gallon of premium.

Speaking of which, Lowes, Walmart and tractor supply are out of 5 gallon cans and have only a few of tge 2.5 and 1 gallon ones left. Not trying to start a panic just saying.

This was along 75 in McKinney

Just now on the weather channel they were showing live footage of Helo rescues in Beaumont where the water was up to the roof lines of these houses.

We Looked into the Effects of Hurricane Harvey and Here’s What We Found

By Frank Holmes
CEO and Chief Investment Officer
U.S. Global Investors

Hurricane Harvey named a 1000 year flood event

Unless you’ve been away from a TV, computer or smartphone for the past week, you’ve likely seen scores of pictures and videos of the unprecedented devastation that Hurricane Harvey has brought to South Texas and Louisiana. As a Texan by way of Canada, I’d like to take a moment this week to reflect on the human and economic impact of this storm, one of the worst natural disasters to strike the U.S. in recorded history.

Below are some key data points and estimates that help contextualize the severity of Harvey and its aftermath.

$503 Billion

In a previous Frank Talk, “11 Reasons Why Everyone Wants to Move to Texas,” I shared with you that the Lone Star State would be the 12th-largest economy in the world if it were its own country—which it initially was before joining the Union in 1845. Following California, it’s the second-largest economy in the U.S. A huge contributor to the state economy is the Houston-Woodlands-Sugar Land area, which had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $503 billion in 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Not only does this make it the fourth-largest metropolitan area by GDP in the U.S., but its economy is equivalent to that of Sweden, which had a GDP of $511 billion in 2016.

Hurricane Harvey

1-in-1,000 Years

The amount of rain that was dumped on parts of Southeast Texas set a new record of 51.88 inches, breaking the former record of 48 inches set in 1978. But now we believe it exceeds that of any other flood event in the continental U.S. of the past 1,000 years. That’s according to a new analysis by the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies and Dr. Shane Hubbard, a researcher with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hubbard’s conclusion required the use of statistical metrics since rainfall and flood data go back only 100 years or so, but the visual below might help give you a better idea of just how rare and exceptional Harvey really is.

Hurricane Harvey named a 1000 year flood event

$190 Billion

According to one estimate, Hurricane Harvey could end up being the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Analysts with Risk Management Solutions (RMS) believe economic losses could run between $70 billion and $90 billion, with a majority of the losses due to uninsured property. This is a conservative estimate compared to AccuWeather, which sees costs running as high as $190 billion, or the combined dollar amounts of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. If so, this would represent a negative 1 percent impact on the nation’s economy.

500,000 Cars and Trucks

The wind and rains damaged more than just houses, schools, refineries and factories. According to Cox Automotive, which controls Kelley Blue Book, Autotrader.com and other automotive businesses, as many as half a million cars and trucks could have been rendered inoperable because of the flooding. That figure’s double the number of vehicles that were destroyed during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. What this means, of course, is that auto dealerships are going to have their work cut out for them once the waters recede and insurers start cutting some checks. Buyers can likely expect to see a huge premium on used cars.
24%

Most people know that Texas is oil country. What they might not know is that it’s also the nation’s number one gasoline-producing state, accounting for nearly a quarter of U.S. output, as of August. In addition, the Lone Star State leads the nation in wind-powered generation capacity, natural gas production and lignite coal production, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
600,000 Barrels a Day

The largest oil refinery in the U.S. belongs to Motiva Enterprises, wholly controlled by Saudi Aramco, the biggest energy company in the world. Located in Port Arthur, about 110 miles east of Houston, Motiva is capable of refining up to 603,000 barrels of crude a day. As floodwaters gradually filled the facility, the decision was made Wednesday to shut it down completely, and as of Friday morning, there’s no official timetable as to when operations might begin again, according to the Houston Business Journal. The consequences will likely reverberate throughout the energy sector for some time.

5 largest oil refineries impacted by hurricane Harvey

Continued here:

http://www.usfunds.com/media/f...Zkd5NlFrRStXeXI2dyJ9

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Originally posted by 46and2:
How skanky is the water, really, that has made it inside folks' places? The TV people talk like it's chocked full of sewage and all manner of gross. I mean, I'm sure it varies, and surely not something you'd want to drink, but to hear the newscasters...

Well, when it came out of the storm drains and up over the side walk it did smell like sewage here. As bad as my kiddo wanted to play in it there was no way I was letting him get in it.

My brother is a firefighter who was deployed to New Orleans after Katrina to support the locals. He told me he still cannot forget the smell, twelve years later. I doubt that the newscasters have done work involving body recovery. Shoving cotton up your nose with Vicks Vapo Rub helps a little, along with a good mask or respirator.

My uncle lives in Corpus and owns a road construction company. He's sent their crew over to Rockport all week, volunteering to help people with cleanup.

According to my uncle, he's been picking their "victims" by going to the Ace Hardware, and watching for people who are wanting to buy a chainsaw but looking lost and confused. He will then approach that person, tell them that's not needed, and offer the crew's help instead.

Here's a shot of their crew from earlier today.

That picture brings back memories for me. Your mind represses things after a number of years. You will notice that the live oaks have been stripped of their leaves and look brown. They are strong trees and withstand the winds better than most. I remember how there were no insects for several weeks because the strong winds killed them all, and how dark the skies were with stars I had not seen since I was a kid. I still remember the volunteers who came and helped us out on the Mississippi Coast after Katrina.