Friday, December 3, 2010

About travelling to Austin this Saturday; what about the Hurricane

Travelling to Austin this Saturday; what about the Hurricane?
Hi there, I'm a first time flyer and everything seems to be going wrong! I'm due to fly from England to Austin, via Houston this Saturday, and will be arriving around 2pm (local time) in Houston, going onto Austin at about 4pm. I was just wondering how this would affect my travel? As you can understand, being from England where the most extreme weather we have is 'heavy rain', the word hurricane sends me into a panic.
Austin - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
You won't be flying to houston saturday. That's the day it's supposed to hit. Sorry to tell you that. I actually live southeast Houston.
2 :
If the storm is believed to be on ground in Houston when your plane is to arrive, your flight will most likely be canceled. They don't land in the middle of a storm, so it will either be canceled or if you are already in air, diverted to another airport. You will probably be one day behind. Right now it really depends on how fast and what direction the storm progresses in, but I wouldn't worry about it. At worst, you'll be postponed, but you won't be in any danger, airlines don't really take chances like that. If Austin gets a lot of rain, be prepared to hit up the Barton Springs Greenbelt when you get here!
3 :
Hurricane Ike is projected to make Texas landfall between Galveston and Port Lavaca. This places Houston on the side of the hurricane with the most damaging winds. Expect flooding in Austin and a one or two day delay should be anticipated. Houston and its airport will be underwater if Houston sustains more than 5.2 inches of rain which looks more and more likely. Austin looks like we will be on the weak side of the storm which means we get a bunch of rain (which we need). But just east of Austin and over to Louisiana could have lots of flooding, winds. Wait until Friday morning to see what they are projecting, should be pretty accurate 24-36 hours outside landfall. Here is a local weather station you can check - www.kvue.com/weather - click on the KVUE Storm Team forecast button for latest info. If you're stopping or connecting between England and Houston you may want to consider making reservations in a hotel near the airport so you don't have to stay in the airport for what ever delays Ike causes. Check with your airline to see what their plans are, and if you can make changes on your flights. Also be aware that lots of people have been evacuated from the Gulf coast. Hotels all over the state get real busy. Also, Texas has a very good Hurricane preparedness plan, we've had a lot of them. Like "squirrel" says, you're gonna want to get outside if we get some rain from IKE, should cool the weather off, and put Austin in a good mood after a long hot summer! Be sure to enjoy some Texas BBQ while you're here, just ask ANY local were the best BBQ is for recommendations on where to go. Good luck, either way it goes, it will be a memorable trip! Keep your fingers crossed IKE turns out to be a pussycat and nobody gets hurt. Barbara Lynne
4 :
If I were you, I would strongly consider having the flight changed to something that does not go through Houston. First of all, Austin-Bergstrom is an international airport so I think you might be able to catch a direct flight. If you can't, try rescheduling to connect through Dallas or maybe even Atlanta.
5 :
Your plane won't be going to Houston. It may go somewhere else (that is, if it is not canceled), but all will be fine in Austin if you can get here some other way.
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