Hurricane Ike- what does this forecast mean for Austin? (Roma: homeowners insurance, earthquake)

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by okaythen01

thinking about moving to Austin in the near future, are there a lot of hurricanes or any other nature disasters in Austin? thanks, like floods or anything

Being as far as we are from the coast, hurricanes are not usually a problem. Most often they bring us some much-wanted rain and the occasional flock of seagulls flown off course.

Last year, Marble Falls just up the road had 19 inches in 4 hours, but that's extremely unusual (as in, 500 year flood type unusual). We do have flooding, but you're warned about it, there are "the usual places", and if you don't do something Darwinesque like trying to drive through water running over the road (and you'll be reminded interminably not to do so if the occasion should arise), you should be fine.

Our most common "natural disaster" is drought, broken by some brief flooding. As the weatherman said some time back, "Drought. Flood. Drought. Flood. In other words, normal weather for Central Texas."

[okaythen01]

so just some rain and some flood? no hurricane? any other nature disasters? thanks

[TexasHorseLady]

Well, there's the occasional tornado warning (and LOTS of tornado watches, but nobody pays any attention to those), but except for the F5 and its friends some years ago (over a decade) that went through my little community of Jarrell and on down through Cedar Park, they tend to be small things. Thunder storms are relatively common, but those don't really come under the heading of "natural disaster", being more simply natural.

We don't really get any more "disasters" than any other place, I don't think, and fewer than some. Fact is, if you plan to live on the planet, you're likely going to have weather.

[Grizzled]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Last year, Marble Falls just up the road had 19 inches in 4 hours, but that's extremely unusual (as in, 500 year flood type unusual).;

Not that unusual, I received 13 inches in 24hrs in the 90's in south Austin.

[TexasHorseLady]

Sorry, but 13 inches in 24 hours is a very different thing from 19 inches in four hours. Thus the dramatic flooding Marble Falls. Heck, it rained 9 inches in that same 4 hours upstream from us, and while we didn't get much rain where we were, relatively, our creek went WAY above the hundred year flood plain, just because of all that water in that short a time.

[twange]

Originally Posted by jread

Yeah, St. Louis is getting hammered by Ike right now... yet it went right by us without even a tiny shower. I just don't get it.

This morning we got a 20 minute shower about 12:30am. It was enough to water my cacti

[Southern Phoenician]

thinking about moving to Austin in the near future, are there a lot of hurricanes or any other nature disasters in Austin? thanks, like floods or anything

Where are you moving from? Weather could be a tad bit more interesting depending where you are now. I lived in AZ for 10 years where we had monsoons in the summer but that was about it.

I moved here in 2005 and have experienced two ice storms (lost power both times), tornadoes nearby (and numerous tornado warnings), severe thunderstorms (one had HUGE hail that required several roof repairs in my neighborhood) a few flash flooding events and one actual flood event in '07 (the creek behind our house turned into a lake).

Weather is a bit more interesting here; I actually pay attention to the weather forecasts now.

[TexasHorseLady]

Austin Newby, do you mean numerous tornado warnings, or numerous tornado watches? I know we have a LOT of the latter, but not so many of the former. (And having lived in Jarrell when the F5 came through, you can bet I pay attention to which it is!)

[Southern Phoenician]

Hi Texas Horse,

We had a few warnings within our county (Hays); the TV goes nutso and our weather radio goes off... always scares me. I hate tornadoes. I think "numerous" is overstating it a bit though... I know of 4 we had in the two years I lived in San Marcos and one since living in Cedar Park. Out of those, I think there was one tornado far north of us (in our county) and one touched down within a couple of miles from me and did damage to the San Marcos police department (that happened in January right before the freeze in '07). When that tornado struck, I was awake in the middle of the night but my weather radio never went off; not even for a severe thunderstorm. I just recall the wind whirling; it was a bit freaky.

I remember when the F5 struck Jarrell; I lived in AZ and couldn't believe it.

[okaythen01]

wow tornadoes, that doesn't sound good, it can totally dmage your houses and stuff, are there tornadoes all over tx? are there some area that has less tornadoes than others?

btw Austin Newby I am from Los Angeles, have lived in Central FL, WV, and North NJ