Author Steps Out of Kitchen...Adventure-Sci-Fi Short Novels

Cal Orey, M.A. is an author and non-fiction novelist. Her books include the Healing Powers Series (Vinegar, Olive Oil, Chocolate, Honey, Coffee, Tea, Superfoods, Essential Oils, Herbs and Spices) published by Kensington. (The collection has been featured by the Good Cook Book Club.) Orey’s new book is Soulmates with Paws. 

Granola Girl’s Healing Power’s Series: A Treasure Chest of Goodness

Are there any classic novels that you only recently read for the first time?

Well, it’s not a “classic” but it is a bestseller and I finally read it. I savored the short and oh so sweet, tuesdays with Morrie. As a ghostwriter I was told by the client that this is the kind of vibe he wanted for the non-fiction novel I wrote for him. 

The end is a bittersweet one. I was promised co-author credit. The client fibbed and my name is not on the book. I did pen The Healing Powers of Tea, and tea plays a big role in his book. So in my heart I know it’s my baby.

You’re organizing a party. Which two authors, dead or alive, do you invite? 

I would love to host John Steinbeck. He input his emotion into his work. And, of course, Travels with Charley is one of my favorites books. When I was in my early twenties, I left Northern California and hitched and hiked with my dog in search of America. Steinbeck was my mentor, my teacher, my hero. 

Next up for tea and scones, would be Stephen King. I would love to hear him tell a spooky tale. One late winter, I drove from Lake Tahoe to Reno for a book signing. He was there a week prior. It was a hard act to follow. But I got a call from the manager a day before my event. She said, “I don’t know how to tell you this but all of your books sold out.” So, I took my beloved Brittany and we ended up bringing more books to the bookstore. 

Who are your favorite writers? Are there any who aren’t as widely known as they should be, whom you’d recommend in particular? 

The trio of authors I chose for my oral exams in grad school are still my favorite writers. So, it’s John Steinbeck, Edward Albee (I was going to be a playwright), and George Elliot who had a sensitive husband who trashed her bad reviews. (My professors did approve of the master. However, they said they hoped I became an author—not a literature teacher.)

What do you read when you’re working on a book? And what kind of reading do you avoid while writing?

I read books and articles related to my chosen topic. I make a point of it to choose a different angle, style, and turn the subject matter upside down—this way it’s all mine. I stay clear of novels because it’s too distracting and takes me out of the zone.

What moves you most in a work of literature? 

When the author reveals the inner self and isn’t timid to share feelings—that is what makes me laugh or cry.

What genres do you especially enjoy reading? 

My favorite genres include Sci-Fi, Romance, and Adventure.

What book are you planning to read next? 

I’m too busy writing. I will not be reading but writing Book 2: Soulmates with Paws: A Collection of Tales & Tails.

What books and authors have impacted your writing career? 

Anne Rice taught a class at San Francisco State University—and she was amazingly real. Rice told us when we write we should pretend to disrobe and share ourselves without inhibitions. And that’s just what I do.

I SURVIVED a 3 Day Power Outage at Tahoe

 The Blackout Effect by Parker Kelly and Cal Orey coming in August! (written right before the July mega blackout hit Galveston, TX)

I Survived a

 3 Day Power Outage

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

On a dark, stormy winter midnight in California the South Lake Tahoe region, I walked outdoors into the cold with my two Brittanys. The front deck was covered with wet snow; the towering trees and wires amid me looked surreal and eerie because they were wilted with white powder. I shoveled the heavy slush off the deck to make it easier for the morning. At 7:30 a.m. I got out of bed and turned on the TV switch for CNN—there were no red and amber lights on the cable box. I flicked on the lamp—it didn’t work. “Power outage,” I mumbled. It was the beginning of the first day the lights went out at South Lake Tahoe.

Dog Night One

            Instead of making a cup of fresh, brewed java, I resorted to trekking to the back house to borrow instant coffee from my sibling. A gas stove and heat were a godsend. I got my first news report from a neighbor walking her new young black dog. “The power will be out for days,” she shouted. Her words echoed in my mind. I tuned out her warning. Once back indoors I was thankful for having a land line phone. I called the police department. They assured me that the power would be restored by afternoon. A call to the power company dished out an automated message: “downed wires and trees in power lines.” I hoped for the best, but by dusk I went into survival mode and prepared for the worst.

First, I buried my premium perishables—milk, yogurt, cheeses—in the snow. Dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, and chamomile tea were my new friends. As I munched on the “granola girl” type foods, I got a move on. I gathered matches, candles, flashlights, brought in firewood—and fed my cat and two Brittanys, Simon and Seth. I was clad in a hooded sweatshirt and jeans and felt like a characters in The Day After Tomorrow doomsday film.  But it was a cozy in the candlelight sitting by the crackling fire. Then, my mind raced. The filters nor did the lights work for my fish aquariums; my waterbed was another concern. It was good for one night—not two. I tried to read by candlelight but the challenge wasn’t worth the effort. I turned in at 11:00 p.m., and had a two dog night.

Dog Night Two

The next morning, like a Groundhog Day movie, the same (and more) inconveniences greeted me. The ice dam above the front door was back. The pricey work for a heating device was useless without power. The ice mound at the doorstep was accumulating ice again. So, I called the power company (again). More automated messages. No estimated time for power restoration.

A hot shower was on my agenda. I didn’t go to the resort indoor swimming pool (they did have power but they also had a flood of tourists). Without usage of my hair dryer, I ended up drying my long locks by the gas furnace. The warmth of the air reminded me that three comforters on my bed filled with cooling water weren’t enough. A quick trip to the store (they had power) and another thick comforter made me and my dogs smile. But news of scattered outages hit me, like a tornado, hurricane, or quake that hits one house and not another. It made me frown and think, “Why me?”

I felt isolated and cut off from politics, entertainment, world events, and weather reports. So, I called my geologist friend Jim Berkland in Glen Ellen, CA, for his forecast. He predicted a three day outage. At 8:00 p.m., electricity was restored. But, the scientist was partially spot-on. The cable company (my lifeline to the world via Internet and TV), was down. I felt disconnected and connected with my companion animals. I talked to both my cat and dogs to feel calmer.

In the morning, like a hungry raccoon I dug up my edible goods—but they were not edible. Each item was too frozen or off in texture. I abided by the saying, “When in doubt, throw out.” Sadly, I lost 150 dollars of fresh food. In retrospect, the good things, such as gas heat for warmth and phone, were good. I endured withdrawal without my computer, Lifetime movies, the USGS and NOAA web site. My lifeline to technology was restored and resetting. I read in our local paper that 10,000 residents on the south shore of Lake Tahoe were affected by the blackout.

(Reprinted with permission from Oracle 20/20 Magazine, February 2011 issue.)

A Tribute to The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes: Jim Berkland, Maverick Geologist

 Geologist Jim Berkland Died July 22; His Quake Theories Live On

TODAY'S FORECAST: MOSTLY SUNNY, 80% CHANCE OF EARTHQUAKE

By Cal Orey

Days before octogenarian, geologist Jim Berkland passed, scientists made the news. It was said that yes, it's true: There is a link between the moon/tides/animals and earthquakes. This is exactly what the scientist had been trying to get across to his peers for decades. He died knowing he made a difference--and was spot-on. A tribute to the man will be published in my Earth Changes column (Oracle 20-20) in October--in honor of the man who forecasted the Loma Prieta major earthquake that rumbled through the San Francisco Bay Area...

What if you knew an earthquake was coming? Would you put away your valuable breakables, get together emergency supplies, remember to duck and cover?  Of course you would, because the safety of you and yours come first.

Earthquakes result in millions of dollars in damage each year. In the U.S., earthquakes pose significant risk to 75 million people in 39 states. Earthquakes may not be preventable but they are predictable.  You can learn to familiarize yourself with the warning signs of an earthquake and be prepared before it strikes.

Knowing when an earthquake is coming and properly preparing for it can help prevent serious injuries and save lives.

Even scientists using the most advanced and pricey technology have proven to be no match for Mother Nature. In many cases, the best information out there is off the beaten path--knowledge only recognizable by someone whose passion is prediction.

Enter Jim Berkland.  He is the only American scientist to predict and name a major quake. His forecast of the infamous October 17, 1989 World Series Quake that rumbled through the San Francisco Bay Area was right on the money. He also accurately predicted at least 6 other significant quakes around the world.

Many of Berkland's theories--based on tides, moon cycles, disoriented animals, and magnetic field changes--were factors in the great Indian Ocean quake-tsunami disaster on December 26, 2004. Since scientists admit they aren't able to predict earthquakes, is it really so far-fetched to monitor lost cats and dogs, check a calendar for dates of full and new moons, watch erratic tidal changes?  Berkland doesn't think so. He hopes that someday earthquake warnings will be announced along with the weather and could save countless lives around the world.

The book The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes by Cal Orey provides intuitive insight into this man's passion for predicting quakes and his methods. In this groundbreaking book you will get cutting-edge advice about do-it-yourself quake warnings and earthquake preparedness. This book makes the information Berkland has found through a lifetime of study available to the public. It's an intriguing collection of survivors' testimonials, regionally specific quake information, preparation tips, earthquake cover-ups, and more. The book's publication coincides with the 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Jim Berkland was a maverick geologist who worked many years for the U.S. Geological Survey. He was also the first County Geologist for Santa Clara County in Northern California. He was a popular guest on many network news programs and talk shows on the subject of earthquake prediction. He resided in Glen Ellen, California.

Both geologist Berkland and author Orey have been guests on Coast to Coast AM, KSFO, The Jeff Rense Program, PBS, and will be viewed on National Geographic channel's program "Chasing Earthquakes," as well as countless Barnes and Noble bookstores up and down the West Coast.

A Timeless Book: 

The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes: Jim Berkland, Maverick Geologist--How His Quake Warnings Can Save Lives

By Cal Orey

ISBN 1-59181-036-1

$16.95

SCIENCE/BIOGRAPHY

Distributed by Sentient Publications

300 pages

www.barnesandnoble.com

www.amazon.com 

www.sentientpublications.com 

Soulmates with Paws--Pet Approved

Provided by Cal Orey

 Soulmates with Paws Ranks Several Times out of 100 Top Books (Animal Essays) on Amazon

 Hollywood Book Reviews

Soulmates with Paws

Title: Soulmates with Paws: A Collection of Tales & Tails
Author: Cal Orey
Publisher:  AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-6655-7857-8
Pages: 238
Genre: Non-Fiction / Fiction / Pets
Reviewed by: Ephantus M.
 

Soulmates with Paws: A Collection of Tales & Tails offers a touching view of the human-animal relationship, as revealed through the bright lens of Cal Orey, an author whose love for pets flows naturally from the soul, and whose knowledge of pet nutrition, training, and wellness stands commendable from the first to the last page.

Reading through the chapters does confirm that animals indeed need humans and vice versa. One is drawn to her personal encounters with a widow who would have varying conversations with her dog, a hilarious and incredible act that lights up one’s face in amusement. This is especially notable in the level of shrewdness employed by both the author and the widow in an effort to keep their animal companions on the premises, which was against pet rules and regulations.

Orey’s story tenders a range of questions with the sole objective of helping readers recognize their temperaments and character, a vital exercise that will enable them to figure out which pet fits them best. I found it fascinating that the choice of animal one keeps, tells a lot about them, for example, according to Orey, a person who keeps a charming and sassy Chihuahua has a different personality from one keeping a tough-looking bulldog. In addition to this, it’s admirable to see Orey demystify the pet language, from a dog’s howl, its whines, to a cat’s meow and yowl.

The author has infused some of Dr. Stanley’s findings from the book “The Intelligence of Dogs” which has inspired lots of animal lovers and is a clever addition to the topic therein. Reprints from magazine articles and original essays bring out some amazing adventures of people with their pets.  

“Touched by an Angel” shows a paranormal connection with a deceased cat, and how it kept a watchful eye over the owner.  “Homeward Bound” brings to light the amazing survival stories of pets who withstood the tragic fires in the Berkeley Hills, in many cases being lost for a week or more, and the unselfish and over-the-top care the veterinarians and animal shelter volunteers conducted to find the pet’s owners and make sure the cats and dogs received the proper medical attention.  One miracle story involved an elderly lady, bedridden, who survived a cold night without heat; being kept warm by seven cats and a dog laying over her blankets providing additional body-heat.

The invaluable rapport she’s had with her cuddling animals is a wonder that will positively impact readers into adopting some pets, so as to likewise savor the untapped grace, inner peace, harmony, and satisfaction this bond offers.

 Buy on Amazon

Wayward Cats: How Do They Find Their Way Home?

   By Cal Orey

HOMEWARD BOUND

(Excerpt from Soulmates with Paws)

One spring day in a small town in Illinois, a black cat named Zephyr disappeared. “I was heartbroken, as was the rest of my family. He was truly my friend at that time,” recalls Cassandra Fink. Zephyr’s owners spend hours combining their one-and-a-half-acre yard and apple orchard looking for their beloved pet and fearing the worst. “We realized he must have run away.”

            Then one night the cat’s owners heard a soft meow outside and found Zephyr standing at the door looking well-muscled but extremely skinny. “The semi-trucks for the trucking company next door traveled back and forth to the city of Kankakee. We realized then that he had hopped aboard a flatbed semi and ended up there,” explains Fink. It had taken the cat two weeks to trek the 30 miles home!

            Zephyr is like countless cats worldwide who find their way home—even when home is hundreds of miles away. Many cat owners have tales of incredible journeys, and most have no idea how their cats do it. A number of these cases come to the public’s attention when they are reported in newspapers, but many more go unreported and unstudied. Those that are studied teach us a lot about our feline companions but leave us with as many questions as answers.

AN AMAZING HOMING INSTINCT

            Researchers really don’t know how these extraordinary cats find their way home. But they do have some idea about how some other legendary travelers navigate. Birds and bees seem to navigate by the sun, stars or moon. As for salmon, which swim all the way from the open ocean back to the very stream where they spawned, researchers think they smell their home waters. Other animals can orient themselves with the help of magnetized cells in the brain, which act like tiny compasses, and help them decide which way is north. Marine mammals may even use the sounds that rumble through the seas to get their bearings. “Cats may have similar abilities,” says renowned author and animal expert Michael Fox, Ph.D.

In a classic study done more 75 years ago, zoologist F.H. Herrick, of Cleveland, Ohio, took his own cat in a bag from his home to his office five miles away, traveling by streetcar. When he let the cat out of the bag, the cat fled. However, the cat returned home the same night, even though he had been left in an area he was unfamiliar with. Puzzled by this astonishing ability, Herrick put the cat in a closed container, took him various distances from his house—from one to three miles—and released him. The result:  The cat came home in a variety of situations and from any point on the compass. How exactly do cats do that?

THE RADAR THAT GETS CATS HOME

            Animal experts also say the sense cats use most often and that gives them the most information is scent. By sniffing bushes and buildings along their route, cats can use the information they glean to help find their way home.

            “Cats have a very sensitive nose that equal dogs, and their eyesight is certainly better,” says Ted Cohn, DVM, at University Hills Hospital in Denver CO. “Certainly for short distances visual clues are very important.”

            Cats also use physical cues from nature, such as the angle of the sun to find their way. “They may be able to use the sun as a compass, as well as sensing a time difference between their own internal circadian clock and the local time. But the father away they are from home base, the greater will be the discrepancy,” says Fox. Therefore, visual aids and memory don’t completely explain how lost cats find their way over long distances.

            That’s why many researchers believe cats are sensitive to the earth’s magnetic fields. This sensitivity may enable them to find their way back home—even from hundreds of miles away. “A magnetic field can be described as a set of imaginary lines that indicates the direction a compass needle would point to at a particular spot,” explains Psychobiologist David Jay Brown of Ben Lomond, CA.

            It’s also believed that cats possess a homing mechanism that is triggered by brain cells containing magnetized iron particles. As they do with other mammals, these cells act like built in compasses. So, some cats, like a wayward senior striped tabby named Alfie, may have been guided by the influence of earth’s magnetic fields.

            Early one summer, Alfie’s owner, Elaine Hahn, moved to a new home in Palo Alto, CA, about five miles away from her old home. For the first few weeks after the move, Hahn received regular phone calls from her old neighbor, who told her, “Alfie is here. Do you want to come and pick him up?” For two weeks, Hahn got into her car and drove five miles to go pick up Alfie. He had not only hiked five miles each time to get back to his old house, he had crossed six lanes of traffic to do so!

            Alluring as it is though, the magnetic field theory doesn’t entirely explain the homing instinct, according to Brown. “If you have a compass and you’re not in the middle of nowhere, you can’t figure out the direction of your destination unless you knew your position in a certain geographical area. So, it’s really a big mystery.”

What Kitty Knows--Your Cat May Sense Danger, and You Should Know About It

  

(Excerpt from Soulmates with Paws)

  By Cal Orey

 At noon on a stormy spring day in Austin, Texas, several household cats started acting strangely. “I was in bed watching the weather channel on TV,” recalls cat owner Janet Shon. “My cats wanted to hide underneath the covers.” The heavy rains and howling winds continued, causing panic in her house full of pets. Eventually, she put them into carriers to calm them, and took cover under the stairwell. “Usually, my cats don’t mind being in the crates during bad weather,” she says, “but this time, they were chatting nonstop and wanted to be next to me.”

            Several hours later, on May 27, 1997, an extremely rare and dangerous tornado (classified as an F-5), with winds measuring over 260 mph, touched down 40 miles to the North of Shon in Jarrell, Texas. Twenty-seven people died in Jarrell. Multiple tornadoes also ripped through the Austin area, killing two people. “It took the roof off the Albertsons’ store,” says Shon with awe. She and her cats survived without a scratch.

            What made Shon’s cats react in such a way? Some say it’s ESP (extra sensory perception), or a sixth sense. Others claim cats aren’t gifted, just blessed with well-developed or heightened senses—scent, sound, and sight, that are far superior to our own.

 However, you see it, cats have earned their supernatural reputation throughout history. In ancient Egypt, felines were worshipped as gods, and killing a cat was a crime punishable by death. Even modern society gives credence to the idea that cats “know” things. During World War 11, “British families found that their cats were the best warning system for impending danger,” notes Dale Koppel, author of Amazing but True Cat Facts. “They showed unmistakable signs that something was about to happen even before the air sirens were sounded. Their hair would stand on end, or they’d spit or wail. Some would head straight for the nearest shelter.”

            Many people who live through terrible disasters—hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, or earthquakes (reports of animals sensing the imminent deadly  Loma Prieta 1989 quake# to Japan 2011 quake# rolled in)—believe their cats knew something before these disasters struck. But whether or not cats really predict danger is still an open debate. So, what will you do the next time Felix starts acting strange? Will you roll your eyes, or head for high ground? Read on and decide for yourself.

THE BLACKOUT EFFECT Authors Forecasted a Near Galveston, TX Hurricane in NEW BOOK

By Cal Orey

Hurricane Beryl made landfall along the Texas coast as a Category 1 storm early Monday... leaving more than 1.5 million people without power.

 A Hurricane Warning means hurricane-force winds are expected somewhere within this area within the next 36 hours

  * LOCATIONS AFFECTED - Galveston - Jamaica Beach - West End Galveston Island

* WIND - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Equivalent Tropical Storm force wind - Peak Wind Forecast: 45-55 mph with gusts to 75 mph - Window for Tropical Storm force winds: until late Monday afternoon - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for wind 58 to 73 mph - The wind threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Plan for dangerous wind of equivalent strong tropical storm force. - PREPARE: Last minute efforts to protect life and property should now be complete. The area remains subject to significant wind damage. - ACT: Now is the time to shelter from dangerous wind. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Unfolding - Potential impacts from the main wind event are unfolding. * STORM SURGE - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Life-threatening storm surge possible - Peak Storm Surge Inundation: The potential for 4-6 feet above ground somewhere within surge prone areas - Window of concern: Begins early Monday morning - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for storm surge flooding greater than 3 feet above ground - The storm surge threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Plan for life-threatening storm surge flooding of greater than 3 feet above ground. - PREPARE: Evacuation efforts and flood preparations should soon be brought to completion before conditions become unsafe. - ACT: Leave immediately if evacuation orders are given for your area to avoid being cut off from emergency services or needlessly risk lives. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Significant - Areas of inundation with storm surge flooding accentuated by waves. Damage to several buildings, mainly near the coast. - Sections of near-shore escape routes and secondary roads become weakened or washed out, especially in usually vulnerable low spots. - Major beach erosion with heavy surf breaching dunes. Strong and numerous rip currents. - Moderate damage to marinas, docks, boardwalks, and piers. Several small craft broken away from moorings, especially in unprotected anchorages. * FLOODING RAIN - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Flood Watch is in effect - Peak Rainfall Amounts: Additional 6-10 inches, with locally higher amounts - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for major flooding rain - The flooding rain threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Emergency plans should include the potential for major flooding from heavy rain. Evacuations and rescues are likely. - PREPARE: Strongly consider protective actions, especially if you are in an area vulnerable to flooding. - ACT: Heed any flood watches and warnings. Failure to take action will likely result in serious injury or loss of life. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Extensive - Major rainfall flooding may prompt many evacuations and rescues. - Rivers and tributaries may rapidly overflow their banks in multiple places. Small streams, creeks, canals, and ditches may become dangerous rivers. Flood control systems and barriers may become stressed. - Flood waters can enter many structures within multiple communities, some structures becoming uninhabitable or washed away. Many places where flood waters may cover escape routes. Streets and parking lots become rivers of moving water with underpasses submerged. Driving conditions become dangerous. Many road and bridge closures with some weakened or washed out. * TORNADO - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: - Situation is favorable for tornadoes - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for several tornadoes - The tornado threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Emergency plans should continue to include the potential for several tornadoes. - PREPARE: Stay within your shelter keeping informed of the latest tornado situation. - ACT: Move quickly to the safest place within your shelter if a tornado warning is issued. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Significant - The occurrence of scattered tornadoes can hinder the execution of emergency plans during tropical events. - Several places may experience tornado damage with a few spots of considerable damage, power loss, and communications failures. - Locations could realize roofs torn off frame houses, mobile homes demolished, boxcars overturned, large trees snapped or uprooted, vehicles tumbled, and small boats tossed about. Dangerous projectiles can add to the toll. * FOR MORE INFORMATION: - Hurricane Preparedness: Federal Emergency Management Agency - http://ready.gov/hurricanes - Local weather conditions and forecasts: NWS Houston/Galveston, TX - http://www.weather.gov/hgx/

* WIND - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Equivalent Tropical Storm force wind - Peak Wind Forecast: 45-55 mph with gusts to 75 mph - Window for Tropical Storm force winds: until late Monday afternoon - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for wind 58 to 73 mph - The wind threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Plan for dangerous wind of equivalent strong tropical storm force. - PREPARE: Last minute efforts to protect life and property should now be complete. The area remains subject to significant wind damage. - ACT: Now is the time to shelter from dangerous wind. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Unfolding - Potential impacts from the main wind event are unfolding. * STORM SURGE - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Life-threatening storm surge possible - Peak Storm Surge Inundation: The potential for 4-6 feet above ground somewhere within surge prone areas - Window of concern: Begins early Monday morning - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for storm surge flooding greater than 3 feet above ground - The storm surge threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Plan for life-threatening storm surge flooding of greater than 3 feet above ground. - PREPARE: Evacuation efforts and flood preparations should soon be brought to completion before conditions become unsafe. - ACT: Leave immediately if evacuation orders are given for your area to avoid being cut off from emergency services or needlessly risk lives. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Significant - Areas of inundation with storm surge flooding accentuated by waves. Damage to several buildings, mainly near the coast. - Sections of near-shore escape routes and secondary roads become weakened or washed out, especially in usually vulnerable low spots. - Major beach erosion with heavy surf breaching dunes. Strong and numerous rip currents. - Moderate damage to marinas, docks, boardwalks, and piers. Several small craft broken away from moorings, especially in unprotected anchorages. * FLOODING RAIN - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Flood Watch is in effect - Peak Rainfall Amounts: Additional 6-10 inches, with locally higher amounts - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for major flooding rain - The flooding rain threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Emergency plans should include the potential for major flooding from heavy rain. Evacuations and rescues are likely. - PREPARE: Strongly consider protective actions, especially if you are in an area vulnerable to flooding. - ACT: Heed any flood watches and warnings. Failure to take action will likely result in serious injury or loss of life. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Extensive - Major rainfall flooding may prompt many evacuations and rescues. - Rivers and tributaries may rapidly overflow their banks in multiple places. Small streams, creeks, canals, and ditches may become dangerous rivers. Flood control systems and barriers may become stressed. - Flood waters can enter many structures within multiple communities, some structures becoming uninhabitable or washed away. Many places where flood waters may cover escape routes. Streets and parking lots become rivers of moving water with underpasses submerged. Driving conditions become dangerous. Many road and bridge closures with some weakened or washed out. * TORNADO - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: - Situation is favorable for tornadoes - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for several tornadoes - The tornado threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Emergency plans should continue to include the potential for several tornadoes. - PREPARE: Stay within your shelter keeping informed of the latest tornado situation. - ACT: Move quickly to the safest place within your shelter if a tornado warning is issued. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Significant - The occurrence of scattered tornadoes can hinder the execution of emergency plans during tropical events. - Several places may experience tornado damage with a few spots of considerable damage, power loss, and communications failures. - Locations could realize roofs torn off frame houses, mobile homes demolished, boxcars overturned, large trees snapped or uprooted, vehicles tumbled, and small boats tossed about. Dangerous projectiles can add to the toll. * FOR MORE INFORMATION: - Hurricane Preparedness: Federal Emergency Management Agency - http://ready.gov/hurricanes - Local weather conditions and forecasts: NWS Houston/Galveston, TX - http://www.weather.gov/hgx/

* WIND - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Equivalent Tropical Storm force wind - Peak Wind Forecast: 45-55 mph with gusts to 75 mph - Window for Tropical Storm force winds: until late Monday afternoon - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for wind 58 to 73 mph - The wind threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Plan for dangerous wind of equivalent strong tropical storm force. - PREPARE: Last minute efforts to protect life and property should now be complete. The area remains subject to significant wind damage. - ACT: Now is the time to shelter from dangerous wind. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Unfolding - Potential impacts from the main wind event are unfolding. * STORM SURGE - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Life-threatening storm surge possible - Peak Storm Surge Inundation: The potential for 4-6 feet above ground somewhere within surge prone areas - Window of concern: Begins early Monday morning - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for storm surge flooding greater than 3 feet above ground - The storm surge threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Plan for life-threatening storm surge flooding of greater than 3 feet above ground. - PREPARE: Evacuation efforts and flood preparations should soon be brought to completion before conditions become unsafe. - ACT: Leave immediately if evacuation orders are given for your area to avoid being cut off from emergency services or needlessly risk lives. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Significant - Areas of inundation with storm surge flooding accentuated by waves. Damage to several buildings, mainly near the coast. - Sections of near-shore escape routes and secondary roads become weakened or washed out, especially in usually vulnerable low spots. - Major beach erosion with heavy surf breaching dunes. Strong and numerous rip currents. - Moderate damage to marinas, docks, boardwalks, and piers. Several small craft broken away from moorings, especially in unprotected anchorages. * FLOODING RAIN - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: Flood Watch is in effect - Peak Rainfall Amounts: Additional 6-10 inches, with locally higher amounts - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for major flooding rain - The flooding rain threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Emergency plans should include the potential for major flooding from heavy rain. Evacuations and rescues are likely. - PREPARE: Strongly consider protective actions, especially if you are in an area vulnerable to flooding. - ACT: Heed any flood watches and warnings. Failure to take action will likely result in serious injury or loss of life. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Extensive - Major rainfall flooding may prompt many evacuations and rescues. - Rivers and tributaries may rapidly overflow their banks in multiple places. Small streams, creeks, canals, and ditches may become dangerous rivers. Flood control systems and barriers may become stressed. - Flood waters can enter many structures within multiple communities, some structures becoming uninhabitable or washed away. Many places where flood waters may cover escape routes. Streets and parking lots become rivers of moving water with underpasses submerged. Driving conditions become dangerous. Many road and bridge closures with some weakened or washed out. * TORNADO - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: - Situation is favorable for tornadoes - THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT INCLUDES TYPICAL FORECAST UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK, SIZE AND INTENSITY: Potential for several tornadoes - The tornado threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. - PLAN: Emergency plans should continue to include the potential for several tornadoes. - PREPARE: Stay within your shelter keeping informed of the latest tornado situation. - ACT: Move quickly to the safest place within your shelter if a tornado warning is issued. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: Significant - The occurrence of scattered tornadoes can hinder the execution of emergency plans during tropical events. - Several places may experience tornado damage with a few spots of considerable damage, power loss, and communications failures. - Locations could realize roofs torn off frame houses, mobile homes demolished, boxcars overturned, large trees snapped or uprooted, vehicles tumbled, and small boats tossed about. Dangerous projectiles can add to the toll. * FOR MORE INFORMATION: - Hurricane Preparedness: Federal Emergency Management Agency - http://ready.gov/hurricanes - Local weather conditions and forecasts: NWS Houston/Galveston, TX - http://www.weather.gov/hgx/