porkpal said:Houston is flat and has water-proof clay soil. It was intended to be a swamp, I'm sure. I cannot even imagine what it must have been like before storm sewers and pavement! More rain is currently falling. I am glad to be on a sandy high spot; it is plenty wet enough!

Stay dry Porkpal. The long range forecast says Texas is going to continue with this system for a few more weeks at least. Make sure to keep your supplies stocked and gas in your car. I remember reading about some of the historical accounts of the worse floods there and it was pretty bad. I'm sure you already know all that but it is good to be prepared. After seeing the struggles of those effected by the Sandy hurricane I have made sure to keep as much supplies as I can to have on hand just in case of some crazy natural disaster. The government has huge budgets for things like FEMA. They are nowhere to be seen when people need them. Point being is that when things get hairy you are on your own and it is better to be safe than sorry.

Excellent advice. Actually were there to be a flood, we would be on an island. Our farm is one of the highest points in Fort Bend County which is why we bought it after living in the swamp near Houston for too many years.

I saw some pictures of some of the flooding this morning. Might be time to invest in a boat. Or start gathering the animals two by two.

Sandi, I am not sure what to do about the succulents. I am almost considering bringing them inside, but then the thought of rearranging all my furniture to fit them all makes me want to cry. Then I would need to set up lights....... oh and then hardening them back off to the sun when it finally comes out
I am not going to complain about the rain. I am not going to complain about the rain. I am not going to complain about the rain

After 2011 I will NEVER complain about rain!

@porkpal I hope you're keeping those little piggies happy in mud! I envision the rain coming and all the area animals trying to get onto your hill! Poor pigs will have to swim!

@Esperanza , I've left all my succulents out and they're doing fine. I bought quite a few bulbs at Lowe's that were half priced. Got them planted and they are all up and doing well. Today, I stopped by Lowe's to pick up some spray paint. Clerk asked if he could help and I explained I was looking for bulbs. He said they were by the counter. There was only a hand cart of dinnerplate dahlias, freesias, and hollyhocks. I asked the clerk up there how much the packages were. She said, "They're wet. How about ten cents a pkg.?" (The dahilas alone were $9.98 a pkg). So I bought $64. of bulbs for $.98, including tax! DH just shook his head when I walked in.

Oh, the sun just peeked out!

Got the kayaks ready here! but then we'd be fighting the floating fire ants and snakes in the waters. We to are at one if the highest points in our little city. We have never flooded nor has the water even crested over the curb on to our kawn. We have a bayou acoss the street that over flowed its banks once in the 32 years we've lived here, but then drained away from our homes. Yet, FEMA saw it necessary to insist on mandatory expensive floid insurance for our area?
There has been a little too much rain for my taste but boy , oh, boy! The forest trees are loving it and the landscape sure is GREEN! And I miss the sunshine as do my full-sun plants. But it's gonna be a steamy one once this rain stops and the sun breaks through. And can you say "mosquitoes "? Yikes! It's gonna be baaaaaaad!

Mosquitoes are already bad here! I've been spraying arms and legs with sun screen and it actually has repelled the mosquitoes as well as mosquito spray. DD came yesterday to help me organize the little greenhouse. Had a small snake high on the rafter watching us. He wasn't a rat snake, looked more polka dot brown and white. And no, we weren't drinking - yet. We decided to leave GH and hoped snake would move on. Outside we tackled the pot farm and I heard DD screech. There was a big black scorpion on a pot saucer. I've only seen brown ones here. I had to send him to Heaven. Sorry, but I've been stung twice by scorpions here.

As of yesterday p.m., I'm back on line. I'm in the area of Texas that endured a tornado on May 9. It went roaring by my house and left the internet antenna a twisted pipe on the roof as collateral damage. Learned to use kerosene lanterns again for a couple of days. I came out so much better than many others, I'm not complaining. The antenna and a busted oak tree were about it for me. But a very short walk can take me to some awful scenery. It toppled headstones in the country cemetary about a two block distance from the house. Even some modern ones with low profiles. The storm snapped one of those giant power line poles made of concrete and steel on the place west of me. I think it must have damaged more because they have the crews down working on it where it runs across the pasture. That power line was in the path track in several places and the way it was slinging debris I guess it's not a surprise the lines got damaged. Those poles are supposed to be rated for 150mph wind, but the tornado is being rated an EF3 which goes to 165mph. It wasn't on my bucket lest, but I now am familiar with how a tornado sounds. More a bunch of trains instead of just one train. It hailed, but considering the size of some of the stones all the plants were lucky again. I think the wind removed more leaves than the hail. The hail lasted about 45 minutes, but it was a sparse hail storm. I love the rain, though. I would be happy with more of that, but without the wind and hail!

What a scary experience. I was following that storm last Saturday (on TV) I agree with getting rain without the hail and wind.

Glad you're both okay up there! Sounds like I should stop complaining about the rain we've had. Stay safe.

Wow, close call! Glad you guys are safe. Do yall have storm shelters? I have never been close enough to a tornado to hear it.

Update: Snake in GH...
It was a juvenille Texas rat snake according to my snake book. The photo looked just like the one we saw. Now I am wondering where his momma and siblings are hanging out?

It was one of those storms last night with lightning sounding like it was all over. Woke up to that and then the phone rang once just before the power went off. Power was off a couple of hours, then back on. After a while, the sun would come out off and on. Glad that was over! We must have had hail at some time, because there's some tattered leaves on the plants, but otherwise all is well!

We have been having daily thunder storms but so far no damage or loss of power here. At the Y, however, the power went off and created havoc with the folks running on the treadmills!

Thunderstorms all day. DD was trying to fly in but the airport was a huuuge mess! She is stuck in OK.

@ShadyGreenThumb Oklahoma is not a safe spot to be in with all the storms around! Hope she gets in today!

@Bubbles, the storms were just as bad here as they were in OK yesterday. She got out early this morning, came through IAH and is on her way to San Diego.

Glad she made it to Houston, but sounds like visit was cut short due to weather. Stay safe.

The Highland lakes finally got quite a bit of rain today. We really need it up there.

I would be happy to share...

Wouldn't that be nice? Just have water pipe lines that cross-cross the state, and all could share.