snow alert

there is a lake effect snow watch in effect overnight monday and throughout tuesday. depending on the winds we could be in for anything from a few flurries to a couple of feet of snow over the next 36 hours or so.

the likelyhood is this will be a minor event, maybe a couple of inches in hammond and much worse the farther east you go along the lakefront. however the weather service keeps saying the winds could stay out of the east north-east...and if they do for any length of time...we better all prepare ourselves just in case.

for those that dont already know and are wondering, lake effect in the western part of lake county has been very rare in the past 8 years or so. it was common place up until the early 90's but has been diminishing in frequency ever since. its created by low pressure systems allowing rapid evaporation of lake michigan followed by winds off the lake (typically northwesterly, which is why mich city and berrian county have still been killed in recent years). for some unknown reason, winter low pressures have been less intense in the midwest in recent years, which is why we havent had as much lake effect. anyway, because of all the variables involved, accurately predicting exactly where and how much of it is going to come (so they say), is extremely difficult for meterologists.

the storm we got 2 weeks ago (8 inches)? that was the first significant lake effect snow in hammond in 8 years.

anyway, be prepared.

Thanks oracle- you da man!

I called my dad in Michigan and he told me not to come (Sunday); there was like 4 feet of snow-belt, lake effect snow there. Thank God he bought that expensive generator. The neighbors are hudled at his house. I hate driving through Michigan City, in the winter. There were times where there was just a complete white-out, where we had to pull over.

Thanks for the warning...I've been up all night grieving - we heard from the fire chief the house/cottage at Bass Lake burned to the ground. I had all our family photos there, not to mention personal stuff the kids' saved from Kindergarten on...the grandparents' antiques, all the business records are destroyed. We were going there today, to see and take care of the damage, guess it's not gonna be good driving to go to Bass Lake, is it Oracle? I'm in shock and awe at this...it was in the family for over 70 years, handed down to my children from their paternal grandparents. They said it was due to the furnace, which I can believe...all the memories we stocked in that place...gone. It also damaged the house next door that their grandmom really lived in, but was sold. The cottage the kids got, was one she owned for visitors. It's hard, when it strikes home. You never believe it can happen to you.

My son was just up there last week, and checked on the place. I really hope it wasn't arson, but the furnace, although the furnace had a check-up by professionals...was left on "low" to keep the pipes open. Oh wellllll.

sorry for your loss

UrRight wrote:

I called my dad in Michigan and he told me not to come (Sunday); there was like 4 feet of snow-belt, lake effect snow there. Thank God he bought that expensive generator. The neighbors are hudled at his house. I hate driving through Michigan City, in the winter. There were times where there was just a complete white-out, where we had to pull over.

Thanks for the warning...I've been up all night grieving - we heard from the fire chief the house/cottage at Bass Lake burned to the ground. I had all our family photos there, not to mention personal stuff the kids' saved from Kindergarten on...the grandparents' antiques, all the business records are destroyed. We were going there today, to see and take care of the damage, guess it's not gonna be good driving to go to Bass Lake, is it Oracle? I'm in shock and awe at this...it was in the family for over 70 years, handed down to my children from their paternal grandparents. They said it was due to the furnace, which I can believe...all the memories we stocked in that place...gone. It also damaged the house next door that their grandmom really lived in, but was sold. The cottage the kids got, was one she owned for visitors. It's hard, when it strikes home. You never believe it can happen to you.

My son was just up there last week, and checked on the place. I really hope it wasn't arson, but the furnace, although the furnace had a check-up by professionals...was left on "low" to keep the pipes open. Oh wellllll.

At least no one was hurt in the fire. It's hard to lose family momentos, but the insurance money may turn out to be a blessing. When one door closes,another opens.

UrRight wrote:

I called my dad in Michigan and he told me not to come (Sunday); there was like 4 feet of snow-belt, lake effect snow there. Thank God he bought that expensive generator. The neighbors are hudled at his house. I hate driving through Michigan City, in the winter. There were times where there was just a complete white-out, where we had to pull over.

Thanks for the warning...I've been up all night grieving - we heard from the fire chief the house/cottage at Bass Lake burned to the ground. I had all our family photos there, not to mention personal stuff the kids' saved from Kindergarten on...the grandparents' antiques, all the business records are destroyed. We were going there today, to see and take care of the damage, guess it's not gonna be good driving to go to Bass Lake, is it Oracle? I'm in shock and awe at this...it was in the family for over 70 years, handed down to my children from their paternal grandparents. They said it was due to the furnace, which I can believe...all the memories we stocked in that place...gone. It also damaged the house next door that their grandmom really lived in, but was sold. The cottage the kids got, was one she owned for visitors. It's hard, when it strikes home. You never believe it can happen to you.

My son was just up there last week, and checked on the place. I really hope it wasn't arson, but the furnace, although the furnace had a check-up by professionals...was left on "low" to keep the pipes open. Oh wellllll.

UrRight, I am so sorry to hear this. When you do go there and check, make sure you look at every nook and cranny, as sometimes things unexplicably survive a fire. Years ago, someone I know lost their mother in a fire. The only thing left was the knicknacks her mother had on the windowsill above the kitchen sink. Everything else was gone, totally gutted and the floors collapsed, but somehow these little figurines made it through, and were fine after the soot was washed off of them. She kept them as mementos of her mother.
If there is anything I can do for you or your family, PM me.

[color=red]Thanks to all of you, especially Tiger who is always there for anyone who needs help.

I am only concerned about the baby pictures, all the stuff I had with their grandparents stuff, and antiques. We were told it burnt to the ground. My son went up there with a helper to get it bulldozed and see if he can save anything. I can't bear to go there. I opted to stay home. It would kill me. There was nothing of real value but the antiques that nan left the kids and old dolls for my daughter, and personal stuff the kids kept in boxes from K throughout their St. Victor's days. Stuff that meant a lot to them that can't be replaced. We can rebuild, but the stuff that meant a lot, the material things their grandparents left behind...just like you said, she left antique glass vases, figurines we had lined up on a shelf around the living room and kitchen, and I'm sure my son will bring whatever he can find. Yes, Sparks, thank God, no one was there at the time. It did get broken into once last summer, but they got caught. I don't think it was arson, the place was rather very old. My son had plans to renovate it this year, so sometimes, like Sparks said, when one door closes, another opens. At least we have the land to rebuild an updated version.

No lives were lost. My son is just devastated that the stuff they kept from Nan and Pop is gone, their baby pictures, and especially the business records for the Beach and his other business with the county.

We can always replace what little we had there, the pots and pans, his dad's clothing and my son's while he's there...that can be replaced. It's just breaking my heart that so many times I meant to bring back their baby stuff, and ship it to my daughter, but her dad kept saying he kept finding more to ship to her in California, and so I left the boxes behind. I can't replace that, but I do know my mom and sister have some of their stuff in my mom's cedar chest. I do know the whole family has pictures of their childhood. It just is so unreal...only because I spent so many wonderful years with nan and pop up there, and now it's gone. We'll recoup. Thanks, everyone. I'm just hoping my son makes it back ok through this storm - hope he doesn't come home until it passes.

I guess what bothers me most are the memories they shared with their grandparents over many years during their short lives before their grandparents passed away. How Nan used to make them put their name on the stuff, so no one else would take it after she passed.

My son just got home. Showed me pixs. It's melted to the ground. Nothing can be savaged. Only the safe where they kept the checks, and they were scorched. The computer was melted into one flat blob.

Nothing there, no vases, nan's & pop's stuff, all melted. They are still investigating whether it is arson, because the former people that leased the campground, he covered their bills, they kept the money from the county and the county wanted to turn the park over to the state. The father of my kids, paid the back bills, fixed the park up, and since gas was high last summer, of course didn't expect things to really fill up, though it's popular with bands, and it's a tight community. What was entered into the computer were receipts spent on renovation, entertainment, advertising, that would have kept him from paying rent for three years, considering the sum he spent to keep the beach in the county hands. How do we now explain without those receipts thousands and thousands spent upgrading, removing a stalemate systern, creating tourism, buying and renovating...I have a lot of receipts here, and those that were entered were lost when the hard drive crashed. We can't even get the Quickbooks to transfer from the "D" drive to show what was entered. I think I need to pick BWG's brain and see if he can transfer the files from the outside drive to make it work on the new hard drives on the computer. This just makes me sick. I was suppose to go up there and handle the damn paper work, but as much as we are still friends, I still get peeved off at my "ex". Asshole is in Mexico and acts like "Oh well!" We can get copies, but when you are talking millions of receipts destroyed in the fire, now what? Where do you go from here? How much can we do to run around and get copies to show the county how much was spent??? I think it was arson from the bitter liars that withheld the money they were to pay for liability insurance, and kept all the money and were denied access to ever running the campground again. They both lost the house they lived in, then fell behind in their rent, and their kid was caught breaking into the cottage and garage...so I think it was an arson case. Even if it appeared near the furnace, the furnace was checked just two months ago and was cleared as fine as a dandy.

I apologize. First comes shock, then comes madness, then comes the part, "it's water under the bridge, nothing you can do," Accept it. Sorry I was blowing off steam. It just hurt a lot all night, then I got angry, and now I'm starting to just accept it. All within 12 hours. I wanted to puke, wanted to sleep, but just went out of the house with the dog and walked the anger off.

Sorry about it all Urright- I'm glad everyone is okay though!

No need to apologize UrRight, everyone needs to vent once in awhile. You've had a rough day. Hopefully you will take the time now to relax, have a drink and thank god everyone is ok.

Thanks for your concern everyone. It isn't my property, but it affected my kids. That's what hurts. I don't care about the house, just cared about the stuff left behind.

It is still underinvestigation; arson isn't being ruled out because they found clothing spewed all over the place. It wasn't that way before. I just went through a robbery here in Hammond, where I had a thief in my car, and the cops did nothing. I am angered that they expect us to help out, and when you're driving around with a thief in Hammond, (I bluffed him), to tell the cops he did it, and who the other two were,, I was ignored. They since left town, which I already knew after I emailed the chief of police. I did everything they told me, and knew everything before they stepped up to the plate. I'm sick of being told citizens should be involved, and then when you have a thief in the car, a black kid, I'm white, willing to confess to the cops on a Saturday, I was told to take him home so a prosecutor could "call him". After never hearing back, they finally informed me to call the detective, when I explained already to the Chief MIller I am deaf when it comes to phones, and what the detective told me, I already informed the chief two weeks prior. The kid and his Uncle and Aunt moved out overnight. Now, since I haven't been feeling well enough, I have to wait and do my own investigation. I already have leads....and I know Hammond has a lot of problems, but by gosh, when you have a thief in the car, with evidence, and a cop is saying he can't do anything...I wonder what the hell field I should be in.

They took fingerprints on November 15th, and said it would take 6 weeks. Never heard a word. Was told it would be by letter or phone. Nothing. I called the prosecutors office three times, ran out on print the conversations, where she hung up on relay. I reported that to the Equip for Equality.

Get a letter from the detective saying they sent the case to Crown Point, and hopefully they will prosecute and contact you by PHONE (HELLO! I can't hear on a phone!) or letter. No letter, and no phone call to the number I provided via my sis in law.

Thanks Cops! I had the thief in my car, willing to lead you to my stolen goods, and two cops said I had to take him to the prosecutor on a Saturday. Meanwhile, the whole family moves out the following week. Great job, and Chief Miller, you don't know what your cops do...they are incompetent. The laws are twisted here. Where I come from, if you have the thief by the collar, willing to tell the cops where your stolen goods are, that he was in fact, the informer that I wouldn't be home a certain day, and wants to confess, you sure screwed me more than the thief.

Yeah, I'm mad as hell. The kid wanted to rake leaves on a day Veteran's Day, and I offered him only the front lawn, and pay him on Friday. Knocked on my door fifteen times on Weds. Thursday, while I was working, he busted in with his friends, admitted it, and wanted to tell the cops. Meanwhile, I'm paying 1,000.00 on a computer I don't have, the games my son bought, the Sony game, the serial numbers and three or four boxes are still in my car, and your cop only wanted one serial number to one of the things my son bought out of four he bought, plus the computer. No one wanted the serial number. They busted my back window, and the kid claimed, "I want you to know I was raking the back while "those guys" busted in your house. The father even admitted to the cop that night that the nephew came home with the freaking game...yet the cop wouldn't arrest him.


Here it is February...how are my fingerprints going? Who cares, cuz once I round these freaks up, I'm coming straight to the cop station in Illinois cuz Indiana doesn't give a shitz. Or, a ratz ass. I know who the other two are, and it's when I get better, I'll drag all three in and show you what being a detective and prosecutor role means. Yeah, bad enough I get robbed in Hammond, my kid looses all his computer stuff, 600.00 worth of othe stuff, and the beer in the ice box, my medicine that keeps me alive, and you flipped me off. When I come in there with them, don't tell me for the fourth time that Chief Miller or his assistant isn't available...cuz this time, there is not gonna be a "next time."

snow alert over. now, on with the flood alert.

rain and temps near 50 over the next week or so could cause some isolated flooding in region basements. have your stand pipes at the ready, and make sure your sumps are working. this will be a serious problem should there be any power outages at the worst possible times.

i dont expect any problems with the little cal, as even a foot of old snow is equivelant to less than an inch of water, however just in case the entire hammond street department began filling sandbags wednesday and will be prepared to go on flood watch whenever the need arises.