"Reports of hurricanes are unfounded." - Michael Fish
Woohoo! I got my wish, rain! And lots of it!!You jerk....
Crap, uh, you want to kill me because of that. Don't you?
*glares
That would be a yes. Sooo, I'll get back on topic, Hurricane Harvey!
There are plenty of jokes going around about Texas, but my current favorites are that we Texans are rockin' out to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Rock You Like a Hurricane." As a fellow rock lover, I approve! After all, everything is bigger in Texas, including the need to party! Ok, that might be a little bit of an overstatement considering Hurricane Harvey. My phone started giving me those Tropical Storm warnings and weather watches since Tuesday (8/22). Nothing like your phone blowing up in the middle of the night to help you sleep. Now, I've been under the outer bands for a while and I love the rain. It’s so relaxing, hurricane or not.
*glare intensifies
*clears throat* Right, sorry. Time to focus! I'm here to give you updates! But only for Houston, cause, that's what I know.
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| The area in red shows the potential path of the center of Harvey |
Harvey made landfall as a Cat 4 hurricane by Corpus Christi on Friday (8/25) night. Since then, it has dumped buckets upon buckets of rain along the Gulf coast, Houston included.
Reports show that the creeks and bayous are going to go into major flooding stages. There have also been tornado sightings. One over a dear friend of mine! The news has shown people waiting on rooftops for rescue. Roads have gone under, major intersections downtown are drowning, suburban streets are lakes and rivers. The Addicks and Barker reservoirs are having a controlled release done to relieve pressure on the dams. Flooding is very real. If watching the news doesn't prove it, look out your window. We are living through a historic storm.
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| Rainfall forecast for the coming days |
For more updated information, check one of these out:
Emergency numbers:
- Police, Firefighters, Ambulance - 911 or 713.884.3131
- City of Houston (Emergencies) - 311 or 713.837.0311
- FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) - 1.800.525.0321
- Harris County - 713.881.3100
- Office of Emergency Management - 713.881.3100
- Houston American Red Cross - 713.526.8300 or 1.866.526.8300
- Flood Control - 713.684.4000
- Non-Emergency Houston - 713.884.3131 or 713.884.3143 or 713.881.3100
- Helicopter Rescue - 832.776.4587
- National Guard (Houston Center) - 713.884.4500
- Coast Guard - 713.578.3000 or 281.464.4854/4855/4856 ext 55
What about you?
It has been raining for a few days. Today, my husband and I ventured out to see the flooding. The gulley behind my house is high and if it rises over the bridge on the road next to us, we might be in danger of water getting into the house. To give us a good idea of the rest of the city, we went to a few hotspots. The drive north to my mother's house was impassable because of an overflowing creek. An intersection before town, known for its flooding, was a solid few feet underwater. Getting to the grocery store near us was relatively easy but the parking lot was half flooded. Took a mental note that there was plenty of water though, but no gas at that HEB. Some more driving found flooding in areas that are not normally affected. It was strange. Once home, after driving through a foot of water on our street, we settled in for more rain. That's all it is, rain, rain, and more rain. When I checked my WeatherBug app, it showed another ten days of this! That's ten, people! Double digits! Houston can't take much more.
My personal experience with this storm, not as exciting. I look outside, see rain, some wind, maybe lightning. It is fairly quiet where I live. I'm fortunate to be this lucky. There are others not as lucky (if you have seen the news, you would know why). While the waters are still rising, I believe my location is my salvation. I live north of Houston (from what I have seen on the news. it feels like the worst is on the south, southeast side of town). My home is on higher ground. Crossing my fingers and keeping optimistic may have helped, but I have lived here for twenty years and I have never seen this amount of water dumped this fast. And it is not over! While the weather was still good on Saturday, my husband and I made a trip to Huntsville to visit family (they are still okay, though the water is close to getting inside their home). The worst at my home has had is water getting in the living room. Some flashing was blown off the side of the house last night which gave water the opportunity to creep in. Other negatives would be the cat freaking out and the fact that grocery stores have been stripped bare. *grumble* But, I have marshmallows so I can't complain.Wait, marshmallows?
Yeah! I have a few rules I follow for disastrous situations such as Harvey.
- Don't panic, stay calm
- Be prepared
- No need to be a jerk, unless someone asks for it
- Be optimistic
- If power goes out, roast marshmallows
You're crazy.
All fun and games aside, I understand the seriousness of the situation, thus being prepared and remaining calm. The worst thing you can do in insane situations is panic. Panicking only causes problems. You cannot go get water without running into the same two things: lack of water and people shoving their way past you to get the last bottles. Water is important, yes, but going about preparations calmly makes for an easier day. Be optimistic that you will find what you need. If your store does not have water, gas, and/or dry goods, you can find them elsewhere. Don't panic. Remember, confrontation is inevitable. Be it in the form of pushing and shoving or someone cutting you off (both of which have happened to me within the past few days). Simply explain that they should be patient because everyone is in the same boat but, in some cases, someone will be a jerk and you'll need to knock them down a few notches. If the power does go out, have a campfire. Roasting marshmallows always lighten the mood. Plus, marshmallows! Who wouldn't want some? Give me mine with extra chocolate!
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