Hurricane Dolly update: 10:53 a.m. July 23, 2008
MCALLEN--Right now Hurricane Dolly is still gaining strength; now a Category 2. The outer-to-middle bands are over us, but the eye is still percolating in the Gulf, still outside South Padre Island. Wind gusts in Raymondville have been reported to up to 119 MPH, so the region is already feeling it, but still calm in McAllen. Less calm as the day progresses.
KRGV-TV 5 is reporting that a shelter in Harlingen, Harlingen South High School, as far as I know--has lost power. With winds so high, it's not unlikely. Channel 5 is broadcasting now in Spanish and English--usually only English; and also has a translator for the deaf. Right now it's my cousin, Chris Ordaz, an experienced translator for the deaf.
Tops of trees in McAllen are swaying gently still. Neighbors are walking their dogs, etc. Not much rain just now, but overcast. Still pretty bright, though. We're caught between two squalls--one to the east, one to the west. So people in cities around us are feeling the hurricane already.
The eye is still off the coast, technically not yet over South Padre Island. Moving about 7 MPH, and gaining strength with winds at 100 MPH (<95 is Cat. 1).
KNVO-48 is reporting that Matamoros and Brownsville city officials are coordinating their emergency efforst to some degree-cross border interaction despite the Rio Grande that divides the two cities/countries. There at at least 300 Mexican soldiers deployed to help with storm issues in Matamoros, the city just south of Brownsville. Gov. Perry called up some of the National Guard before the storm even hit; usually they wait until it's over before calling them up.
Showing posts with label McAllen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label McAllen. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Dolly, Pardon Us! Hurricane looms. Notes from McAllen.
Dolly was upgraded to a hurricane on at about 4 p.m. on Tues., July 22, 2008. Presently—at 9:35 a.m. the outer bands are already inland, but the real trouble hasn’t started yet in McAllen, Texas. Video from South Padre Island shows the wind is already an issue there.
The eye, unfortunately, is still several minutes away. What we thought was going to be a fast-moving storm has been instead incubating, sitting in the deep, warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, gaining strength. It may yet turn into a Cat. 2 storm instead of the barely Cat. 1 hurricane predicted.
Most folks around here have sandbags out, but few have boarded up their windows, because the destructive wind speeds weren’t expected. If this thing churns out any tornadoes, which it likely will, this will all be a different story—never mind the flooding that will occur eventually.
Sadly, the construction of the "border wall" began this week in South Texas. The County of Hidalgo is actually in charge of construction, because the county has been begging the federal government for money to rebuild the levee system--like the one that failed in New Orleans in 2005--because this area, the Rio Grande Valley, is prone to flooding during hurricanes and tropical storms. The last time the levee broke was in 1967 during Hurricane Beulah. It was really destructive here.
The county decided to make a deal with the Department of Homeland Security to basically combine the construction of the border wall with the strengthening of the levee system, which is why Hidalgo County is in charge of the construction. The cost of the border wall; just in this area (22 miles): $113.9 million. The county does not expect the federal government to ante up; instead it’s expecting reimbursement next year. The Anzaldua's Dam was constructed in 1960 but that did not keep Hurricane Beulah from flooding the region.
The poorer people in Mexico are going to have it bad, even if the levees don't break. (Their levees are practically non-existent.)
As far as I know from local TV news, folks are drifting into area shelters, especially people who live in trailer parks. Unfortunately, the Valley has a history of placing people in school gymnasiums and cafeterias instead of in classrooms and hallways. Gyms and cafeterias are large spaces with too much roofing, which could collapse or fly away. Individual classrooms in schools--which are the go-to shelters in this region--are better suited for protection from the elements: more walls, less roof, more privacy.
God, help us.
The eye, unfortunately, is still several minutes away. What we thought was going to be a fast-moving storm has been instead incubating, sitting in the deep, warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, gaining strength. It may yet turn into a Cat. 2 storm instead of the barely Cat. 1 hurricane predicted.
Most folks around here have sandbags out, but few have boarded up their windows, because the destructive wind speeds weren’t expected. If this thing churns out any tornadoes, which it likely will, this will all be a different story—never mind the flooding that will occur eventually.
Sadly, the construction of the "border wall" began this week in South Texas. The County of Hidalgo is actually in charge of construction, because the county has been begging the federal government for money to rebuild the levee system--like the one that failed in New Orleans in 2005--because this area, the Rio Grande Valley, is prone to flooding during hurricanes and tropical storms. The last time the levee broke was in 1967 during Hurricane Beulah. It was really destructive here.
The county decided to make a deal with the Department of Homeland Security to basically combine the construction of the border wall with the strengthening of the levee system, which is why Hidalgo County is in charge of the construction. The cost of the border wall; just in this area (22 miles): $113.9 million. The county does not expect the federal government to ante up; instead it’s expecting reimbursement next year. The Anzaldua's Dam was constructed in 1960 but that did not keep Hurricane Beulah from flooding the region.
The poorer people in Mexico are going to have it bad, even if the levees don't break. (Their levees are practically non-existent.)
As far as I know from local TV news, folks are drifting into area shelters, especially people who live in trailer parks. Unfortunately, the Valley has a history of placing people in school gymnasiums and cafeterias instead of in classrooms and hallways. Gyms and cafeterias are large spaces with too much roofing, which could collapse or fly away. Individual classrooms in schools--which are the go-to shelters in this region--are better suited for protection from the elements: more walls, less roof, more privacy.
God, help us.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
There's no "pee" in Jalapeño!
So, it seems that, finally, the culprit for all of these Salmonella infections is the jalapeño.
But, if the USDA, FDA and the American news media had it their way, they are blaming it on the so-called "holla-pee-no".
Here's the correct pronunciation--well, sort of: "ha-la-pen-yo!"
***
Note: (The Spanish "h" is silent, but the "j" in Spanish acts like the "h" in English.) Special note to the media: We do not live in "Hee-doll-go" (Hidalgo) County and there's not such thing as "Hoss-sienda" Ford (Hacienda Ford); again, the "h" in Spanish is silent. Therefore it's "ee-doll-go" (Hidalgo) and "oss-see-en-dah" (Hacienda).
Interesting how Barack Obama calls Pakistan: "pock-ee-ston" instead of the Americanized: Pack-iz-stan.
***
The tilde (~) above the ñ in jalapeño is a gnuh sort of sound, but "nio" or "nyo" is a lot closer than putting "pee" in jalapeño.
So, wash all raw veggies and fruits before eating. There's all those pesticides and such all over them anyway. For now, they're warning that we not eat raw jalapeños.
I like the veggie/fruit cleaner with a little lemon oil in it. Works wonders.
It's a heckuva way for McAllen to make the national news--it seems a plant here may be one place of origin for the outbreak. Who knows. Anyway, let's leave the "pee" out.
But, if the USDA, FDA and the American news media had it their way, they are blaming it on the so-called "holla-pee-no".
Here's the correct pronunciation--well, sort of: "ha-la-pen-yo!"
***
Note: (The Spanish "h" is silent, but the "j" in Spanish acts like the "h" in English.) Special note to the media: We do not live in "Hee-doll-go" (Hidalgo) County and there's not such thing as "Hoss-sienda" Ford (Hacienda Ford); again, the "h" in Spanish is silent. Therefore it's "ee-doll-go" (Hidalgo) and "oss-see-en-dah" (Hacienda).
Interesting how Barack Obama calls Pakistan: "pock-ee-ston" instead of the Americanized: Pack-iz-stan.
***
The tilde (~) above the ñ in jalapeño is a gnuh sort of sound, but "nio" or "nyo" is a lot closer than putting "pee" in jalapeño.
So, wash all raw veggies and fruits before eating. There's all those pesticides and such all over them anyway. For now, they're warning that we not eat raw jalapeños.
I like the veggie/fruit cleaner with a little lemon oil in it. Works wonders.
It's a heckuva way for McAllen to make the national news--it seems a plant here may be one place of origin for the outbreak. Who knows. Anyway, let's leave the "pee" out.
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