Hurricane Harvey Texas Impacts

[Ryan]

The storm surge isn’t the concerning part. The 3 feet of rain is.

Glad the garage is in a safe location.

 

[Bob Dylan]

#21 (25) now in Service Disruption between Mineola and Dallas/ #22 ( 26) running 1+ Hour Late into McGregor on way North from SAS to CHI.

 

[KnightRail]

SERVICE ADJUSTMENTS:

Subject to change without notice, this is a fluid situation.

Sunset Limited:

-2(23) Runs entire route to New Orleans

-2(25) Runs only to El Paso, where the train set will turn and become 1(25)

-1(25) [which is actually Saturday's scheduled origination] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

-Trains beyond these dates, no new tickets are being sold for travel anywhere on the route East of San Antonio.

Texas Eagle:

-No thru cars (421/422) connecting to/from the Sunset Limited

-No further changes...yet

UPDATE:Sunset Limited:

-2(23) Ran entire route to New Orleans.

-2(25) Ran only to El Paso, where the train set is turning and becoming 1(25)

-1(25) [which was actually Saturday's scheduled NOL origination, though still is dated as if originating in ORL] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

-2(27) Running only to El Paso, where the train set will turn and become 1(27)

-1(27) [which is actually Monday's scheduled NOL origination, though still is dated as if originating in ORL] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

Texas Eagle:

-22(25) Ran normally San Antonio-Chicago

-21(25) Ran Chicago-Fort Worth only, set turning to become 22(27)

-22(26) Running normally San Antonio-Chicago

-21(26) Running Chicago-Fort Worth only

-22(27) Running Fort Worth-Chicago only

-No thru cars (421/422) connecting to/from the Sunset Limited

 

[Rover]

You can watch coverage of Corpus Christi by way of KRIS TV streaming online, or on their Roku channel.

http://www.kristv.com/category/292861/live-stream

KRIS has been broadcasting continuously.

Houston's ABC CH. 13 has been streaming online, but not continuously...

http://abc13.com/live/

 

[neroden]

Galveston is hopless. I wonder when it will be abandoned. Even a little bit of sea level rise means that a city built on a *sandbar* is no good.

I hope the Galveston Railroad Museum is discussing a merger with a railroad museum located inland!

 

[JoeBas]

FWIW, the Lone Star Flight Museum started a long-term plan to move off the island after Ike, when much of their stuff was devastated.

They've been working for YEARS to build a new facility at Ellington Airport, in Southeast Houston, and moved their aircraft to the new facility 2 weeks ago, with a grand opening planned for this weekend.

Their new facility has received 22+" of rain in the last 48 hours, and if what I had at my house last night is any indication, is likely flooded. Oh well.

 

[Rover]

In the 24 hours through Sunday 6 a.m. CDT, parts of the southeast Houston metro area had received more than 20 inches of rain. One location in far southeast Harris County near Webster logged 24.28 inches of rain in 24 hours and 26.76 inches in 48 hours.

Houston Traffic CCTV - Water on Roadways

https://traffic.houstontranstar.org/cctv/transtar/

Major flooding from up to 19 inches of rain has also occurred to the east of Austin in Bastrop and Caldwell Counties with water rescues have been reported.

Harvey's Catastrophic Texas Rainfall Flooding Threat to Continue For Days; Storm Totals of 40 Inches Possible; Record Flooding Observed

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-storm-hurricane-harvey-rain-flood-forecast-texas-louisiana

 

[JoeBas]

*Waving from Webster, on about 3 minute's sleep*...

 

[Rover]

Houston schools and offices will stay closed, and are expected to reopen at their regularly scheduled time on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Which may still be optimistic.

The Houston NFL team couldn't land in Houston, so they are here in Dallas, and may likely stay here, and play their pre-season game with Dallas in Dallas this coming weekend, instead of in Houston, where it was originally scheduled.

KHOU CH 11, the CBS affiliate, is off the air. Their studios have become flooded and are now evacuated.

 

[Rover]

Houston Told People to Stay for Harvey, Now They Can't Get Out

When the governor called for evacuation week, the response was: local officials know best. Now 911 is jammed, waters are rising, and it's about to get worse.

08.27.17 1:36 PM ET
AUSTIN, Texas Houston is slowly being submerged by a natural disaster some are saying could now rival Hurricane Katrina. Even after two feet of rain in 24 hours, Tropical Storm Harvey shows no sign of letting up until Wednesday at the earliest.

 

[bmjhagen9426]

The title seems out of date. I think the title should be changed, since a hurricane can close in only so long. I suggest changing the title to "Texas hit to Harvey". Moderators and admins, what do you think about title change?

Also, Harvey is probably going to change its trajectory to the north (source: http://www.weather.gov/fwd/),which may impact the Texas Eagle and Heartland Flyer a bit further, should DFW and northeastern TX as well as Arkansas get hit.

Edit: Link fixed

 

[John Bobinyec]

They didn't leave, probably because they remembered the evacuation for Hurricane Rita.

jb

 

[Bob Dylan]

Poor SE Texas,Gulf Coast and Houston which is gonna get hammered again as the Storm moves back to the Coast and then directly back to Houston.

Looking like Katrina Redux.

 

[bmjhagen9426]

Heard that Fema will be in TX for several years. Wonder if Amtrak reinstatement will take more than three months in the wake of Harvey, as I am traveling SL/TE (422) in three months.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Heard that Fema will be in TX for several years. Wonder if Amtrak reinstatement will take more than three months in the wake of Harvey, as I am traveling SL/TE (422) in three months.

You'll be OK/ UP gangs do a first rate job of repair when stuff happens!

 

[KnightRail]

UPDATE:

Sunset Limited:

-2(23) Ran entire route to New Orleans.

-2(25) Ran only to El Paso, where the train set is turning and becoming 1(25)

-1(25) [which was actually Saturday's scheduled NOL origination, though still is dated as if originating in ORL] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

-2(27) Running only to El Paso, where the train set will turn and become 1(27)

-1(27) [which is actually Monday's scheduled NOL origination, though still is dated as if originating in ORL] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

Texas Eagle:

-22(25) Ran normally San Antonio-Chicago

-21(25) Ran Chicago-Fort Worth only, set turning to become 22(27)

-22(26) Running normally San Antonio-Chicago

-21(26) Running Chicago-Fort Worth only

-22(27) Running Fort Worth-Chicago only

-No thru cars (421/422) connecting to/from the Sunset Limited

Subject to change/vary without notice.UPDATE:

Sunset Limited:

-2(23) Ran entire route to New Orleans.

-2(25) Ran only to El Paso, turned and became 1(25)

-1(25) [saturday 9/26 scheduled NOL origination] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

-2(27) Running only to El Paso, where the train set will turn and become 1(27)

-1(27) [Monday 9/28 scheduled NOL origination] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

-2(30) Running only to San Antonio, where the train set will turn and become 1(29)

-1(29) [Wednesday 9/30 scheduled NOL origination] Runs only from San Antonio to Los Angeles

Texas Eagle:

-22(25) Ran normally San Antonio-Chicago

-21(25) Ran Chicago-Fort Worth only, set turned and became 22(27)

-22(26) Ran normally San Antonio-Chicago

-21(26) Ran Chicago-Fort Worth only, set turns and becomes 22(28)

-22(27) Running Fort Worth-Chicago only

-21(27) Running Chicago-Fort Worth only

-22(28) Running Fort Worth-Chicago only

 

[starlight11]

I'm scheduled to travel on the Sunset Limited from NOL to Los Angeles in exactly 1 month. Does it seem likely that the tracks will be out for a long time? I'm wondering if I should be rethinking my plans.

 

[chakk]

I think tracks will all be open within 30 days. Unless another tropical storm strikes the same area 3 wesks out from now.

 

[JoeBas]

I think tracks will all be open within 30 days. Unless another tropical storm strikes the same area 3 wesks out from now.

Main concern for that trip would be whether the bridges over the Colorado, Brazos, Guadelupe, etc survive or not.

 

[Phil S]

UPDATE:

Sunset Limited:

-2(23) Ran entire route to New Orleans.

-2(25) Ran only to El Paso, where the train set is turning and becoming 1(25)

-1(25) [which was actually Saturday's scheduled NOL origination, though still is dated as if originating in ORL] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

-2(27) Running only to El Paso, where the train set will turn and become 1(27)

-1(27) [which is actually Monday's scheduled NOL origination, though still is dated as if originating in ORL] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

Texas Eagle:

-22(25) Ran normally San Antonio-Chicago

-21(25) Ran Chicago-Fort Worth only, set turning to become 22(27)

-22(26) Running normally San Antonio-Chicago

-21(26) Running Chicago-Fort Worth only

-22(27) Running Fort Worth-Chicago only

-No thru cars (421/422) connecting to/from the Sunset Limited

Subject to change/vary without notice.

UPDATE:

Sunset Limited:

-2(23) Ran entire route to New Orleans.

-2(25) Ran only to El Paso, turned and became 1(25)

-1(25) [saturday 9/26 scheduled NOL origination] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

-2(27) Running only to El Paso, where the train set will turn and become 1(27)

-1(27) [Monday 9/28 scheduled NOL origination] Runs only from El Paso to Los Angeles

-2(30) Running only to San Antonio, where the train set will turn and become 1(29)

-1(29) [Wednesday 9/30 scheduled NOL origination] Runs only from San Antonio to Los Angeles

Texas Eagle:

-22(25) Ran normally San Antonio-Chicago

-21(25) Ran Chicago-Fort Worth only, set turned and became 22(27)

-22(26) Ran normally San Antonio-Chicago

-21(26) Ran Chicago-Fort Worth only, set turns and becomes 22(28)

-22(27) Running Fort Worth-Chicago only

-21(27) Running Chicago-Fort Worth only

-22(28) Running Fort Worth-Chicago only

-No thru cars (421/422) connecting to/from the Sunset Limited

Where did this last set of changes come from? Amtrak service alerts still reads:

• Sunset Limited Train 1(25 & 27) will originate in El Paso, with no alternate transportation between New Orleans and El Paso.

• Sunset Limited Train 2(25 & 27) will terminate in El Paso, with no alternate transportation between El Paso and New Orleans.

• Texas Eagle Train 421(25) is canceled between Ft. Worth and El Paso, with alternate transportation between Ft. Worth and San Antonio only. No alternate transportation between San Antonio and El Paso.

• Texas Eagle Train 422(25) will have no alternate transportation between El Paso and Ft. Worth.

• Texas Eagle Train 421(27) canceled between San Antonio and El Paso, with no alternate transportation.

• Texas Eagle Train 422(27) will have no alternate transportation between El Paso and San Antonio.

• Texas Eagle Train 21(25) terminated at Ft. Worth with alternate transportation between Ft. Worth and San Antonio.

• Texas Eagle Trains 21(26), 22(27-28) will terminate and originate at Ft. Worth. Service is canceled between Ft. Worth and San Antonio with no alternate transportation.

I'm booked 422(30) LAX/CHI and haven't heard anything from Amtrak.

 

[Seaboard92]

They came from an employee.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

They didn't leave, probably because they remembered the evacuation for Hurricane Rita.

Exactly. The inconvenient truth is that there is no practical method for quickly evacuating a city of Houston's size and no logical destination for that many people to go. If Gregg Abbot really wants to help he should focus on sending more emergency assistance to Houston rather than trying to send the city of Houston somewhere else.

I think tracks will all be open within 30 days. Unless another tropical storm strikes the same area 3 wesks out from now.

Main concern for that trip would be whether the bridges over the Colorado, Brazos, Guadelupe, etc survive or not.

Joe is correct. There are a substantial number of bridges in the affected areas that will take time to inspect and repair if they suffered any serious damage. Many of these bridges are quite old as well. UP has been replacing some of these bridges over time but it's an expensive and time consuming process. There's also the possibility that Amtrak uses Hurricane Harvey as an excuse to limit the Sunset route even further, possibly all the way back to SAS this time.

 

[Phil S]

They came from an employee.

Thanks!

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I dunno, if I heard a few days in advance that a serious hurricane was going to bear down on Trenton, I'd hold a Hurricane party... in Pittsburgh.

 

[JoeBas]

They didn't leave, probably because they remembered the evacuation for Hurricane Rita.

Exactly. The inconvenient truth is that there is no practical method for quickly evacuating a city of Houston's size and no logical destination for that many people to go. If Gregg Abbot really wants to help he should focus on sending more emergency assistance to Houston rather than trying to send the city of Houston somewhere else.

I think tracks will all be open within 30 days. Unless another tropical storm strikes the same area 3 wesks out from now.

Main concern for that trip would be whether the bridges over the Colorado, Brazos, Guadelupe, etc survive or not.

Joe is correct. There are a substantial number of bridges in the affected areas that will take time to inspect and repair if they suffered any serious damage. Many of these bridges are quite old as well. UP has been replacing some of these bridges over time but it's an expensive and time consuming process. There's also the possibility that Amtrak uses Hurricane Harvey as an excuse to limit the Sunset route even further, possibly all the way back to SAS this time.

There's also significant flooding downtown from Buffalo and White Oak bayous, I'm not sure how this may be affecting the Amdump on Washington Avenue.