Category: hurricane

The church closed until Monday to give people the opportunity to leave town if they had to, but I’m not leaving town.

Reason #1: My roommate is a nurse so ethically, she has to stick around until there is a mandatory evacuation of Houston. She is an honorable person, so leaving until then is not an option.

The last time there was a mandatory evacuation of Houston was over twenty years ago during Hurricane Alicia. So many people were trying to leave, traffic was at a standstill. People were stuck in their CARS during a hurricane as a result. People are definitely safer in their houses, so we don’t see a mandatory evacuation of the rest of the city. Houston, by the way, is now the fourth largest city in the US and for that reason, logistically, I don’t see Houston being evacuated.

Reason #2: My car is not running right, especially when I’m sitting in traffic. So, with the freeways backed up I am staying put. Though Roomie has offered me her car, I would rather wait until both of us could drive out together.

Reason #3: I live on one of the few streets that did not flood during Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. That flood was what they consider a 500 year flood and I don’t forsee that sort of damage. Therefore, unless this thing dumps over 38 inches of rain in a few hours, I will be okay. I also have a two story townhome, so I have “higher ground.”

The only worry we have is high winds and loss of electricity for more than a few days. We have ice, canned food, plenty of water, and a plan. The back porch is clear of any possible flying projectiles. I notice that many of my neighbors have left and also left their plants and deck chairs outside as well. That should be fun.

So, I’m not leaving. I thought about it all day long as the church became a ghost town (we were technically dismissed at three) and Roomie said it was okay to go, that she could take care of herself, etc.

She said, “this would be your first hurricane, and really, it’s not a good one to start off with.” I laughed. She is right, but I would be more worried sitting in Austin wondering how she was than I will sitting with her in the middle of all this.

So, I’m staying.

Prayers are appreciated.

We have plenty of ice, bottled water, canned food, tape for the windows, trash bags (to cover our beds in case the windows break) and like I said, Roomie is a nurse.

If (big IF) there is a mandatory evacuation, I’ll be checking in from Austin.

Last night I went to the grocery store as usual. It was so crowded, it felt like the night before Thanksgiving and everybody was rushing around to find the last can of cranberries. Usually, there are 6-10 people in the checkout lines while I am there (before 5:30). Last night, there were no less than 60.

After Katrina, Rita is causing a subtle, but noticeable panic among Houstonians. Those who remember Hurricane Alicia from the early 80’s are particularly on edge. Alicia left Houston without power for two weeks. The promise of vast amounts of rain have many who endured Tropical Storm Allison’s great flood in 2001 on edge as well.

Apparently, Houston is in the “danger zone.” If the storm hits south near Matagorda, Houston will get tropical storm winds (75 mph-ish) and a lot of rain (which we need some, but not flooding). If the storm hits Galveston head on, the forecasters say, “think Alicia,” which means that much more wind damage (100 mph +) and rain.

The Convention Center has been evacuated because the Red Cross doesn’t keep major shelters open in “danger zones.” The closest shelter is being set up about an hour north of Houston in Huntsville. I really feel for those Katrina evacuees who were placed in apartments in Galveston. Galveston is currently under a voluntary evacuation and will announce a mandatory one tomorrow morning.

All school systems south of Houston are closed until Monday. My roommate’s job is even on notice and may close Friday night. Roomie, the calm one, the one who doesn’t panic made a suggestion to get some ice on the way home Thursday if I can find any by then. This should be interesting.

I don’t anticipate anything but stormy weather, but you never know. We have plenty of everything, so I know we’ll be okay. I’ll keep you posted.

Operation Compassion changed the workdate again, moving it up to this weekend. After all the moving around and the numbers of people falling below 500 by yesterday, I decided to look for other ways to help as some evacuees settle into life here in Houston. I’ll keep you posted.

Yet again, assignments to serve in what is now referred to as “Reliant City” change from day to day. Reliant City is comprised of the Astrodome, the George R. Brown Convention Center, and Reliant Park. My work day got moved up to September the 24th because as of this weekend, less than 10,000 people remained of the initial 25,000 that arrived just a short time ago.

Many people flew, courtesy of a major airline, to all corners of the US to start their lives over with their families. Others have found apartments to live in, thus filling the over 70,000 empty apartments the city has within its borders. Hotels are full. People are getting their feet under them and they are able to breathe and contemplate and wonder how to start over.

I have seen, one by one lives being touched. Just down the street from the church I work for are two hotels and those families ate at the church for 10 days, received food, clothes, and job search help. One very surprised fourteen year old had a birthday party. One mother of a three week old commented, “I came here with nothing, but I will have to rent a U-Haul to go back home.” Most of the hotel families have now moved on, thankfully, to apartments or family member’s homes.

Yesterday, a couple still living in one of the hotels came in to the receptionist desk and asked me where they could get help with their car.

Their story unfolded as such. The wife found out this morning that her job was no more. She’s worked there since she was 16. I have no idea what sort of job it was, but she was in her early thirties and I could tell she was shell shocked by the news. Her company, she said, is just closing, no relocation. I have no idea about the man’s job, but she said they’ve lost all their income and their insurance.

As they were driving around town, their radiator broke. When they approached me, they were at the end of their rope.

The man’s eyes filled with tears as he said, “I feel like such a beggar… but, I don’t know what else to do.”

It just so happens the lady manning the volunteer phone down the hall is the wife of the mechanic who has fixed my car time and again the last few years. I called down to that office and they sent her down when she returned from lunch.

While Volunteer Phone Lady with Mechanic Husband talked with the man about his car, I gave the woman all the info for our job ministry, which had received several calls from job agencies offering jobs today.

I love it when a plan comes together. If that man had cried, I would have so lost it, but as it was, their needs, for that day anyway, were met.

Score one for hope.

Chronicle story about Operation Compassion.

THE MEETING:

Already, the refugees have become a moving target in the effort to provide relief. Things keep changing. In 24 hours, location has already changed. Now we are responsible for feeding the 8500 people in the George R. Brown Convention Center. The Astrodome and Reliant Center (which are side by side) are covered now by enough Red Cross (and other) volunteers and supplies. By the time my church takes their turn, we may be sent to yet another shelter housing a large number of refugees. Only time will tell. There are still more evacuees arriving each day.

I attended the training meeting this morning at Second Baptist. All creeds, races and faiths were represented. It was an amazing sight. The priority to meet the basic needs and bypass evangelical agenda at this time was addressed and I was thankful. The level of cooperation of this faith-based effort is high and will have to be maintained for weeks or months.

Many of you know my comfort zone. I have already been stretched out of it, but it’s kind of interesting out here. I went to this meeting by myself as I am still meeting people at my new church and getting involved there and I didn’t know which meeting my work colleagues were attending. So, I walked in and sat down by myself, confident that the sea of humanity would not swallow me whole and I’d be home in an hour or two eating lunch and still be okay. You laugh, but I’ve come a long way, baby.

I sat next to a man who was there from his mosque. On the other side of me was an older couple from Second who happen to be parents of one of the deacon wives at the church I work for. They were so sweet. In all, 4500 people attended the meeting, the first of many this weekend.

A friend of mine said that her apt complex is now full and that is what I am hearing from other places. It was such a God thing that we signed a lease last week and do not have to be looking for a place to live. My friend also said that several displaced Louisiana teens have enrolled at her daughter’s high school on the West side of town. I don’t know of anyone in Houston who is not coming into contact daily with someone affected by Katrina.

Again, prayers are needed. We were cautioned again today that they expect people to still be in shelters after Thanksgiving and that we will be serving more than once. Pray that people stay diligent to the task and that hope can be restored to these devastated people.

I used to think that movies like Mad Max were truly science fiction… that the world of Mad Max would never sprout from the throes of civilization in my United States. And then I turned on the news last night and people were shooting at rescue teams with AK47’s and raping survivors of a catastrophic flood. The looting, the holdups, the riots, the filth, the anarchy and chaos… is only about a five hour drive away east on I-10.

New Orleans is now a hellish cesspool and many of those poor people have lost their minds and any shred of civility to which they had been clinging… and some, some have even regressed to brutality and evil. Even the world of Mad Max seemed to be more civilized.

I can only watch news coverage for about 15 minutes at a time. I usually end up on the verge of tears, my mind twisted by the images it’s absorbing. I can’t even imagine what those people are going through, yet I know that if Houston had faced a category 5 hurricane I could be waiting for evacuation from the Astrodome, if I was lucky.

While people are rushing to aid those affected by Hurricane Katrina, I have stepped back, as I used to do, and see where the greatest need is, or find something that has been missed, and I step in to fill the hole.

As I was sitting here tonight contemplating what will happen when the thousands of eager volunteers trail off after a week or two of action, I got an e-mail from my church about opportunities to serve at the end of the month.

The Mayor of Houston has asked the faith community to band together to feed the refugees in the Astrodome for the next few months. My church, along with other Episcopal churches in Houston, will join the Lutheran churches, the Christian Church, the Disciples of Christ, The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, The Society of Friends (Quakers), and The Hindu Community in providing the food and the volunteers for a seven day period beginning Wednesday, September 28th. I plan to serve Saturday, October 1st during the lunch shift (10 AM – 4 PM). Please keep all involved in your prayers.

In the meantime, I will continue to gather what I can to help the relief effort… donate clothes, and whatever else I can. The first thing that entered my mind was books, because if I was stuck in the Astrodome with no money I’d go bonkers if I didn’t have SOMETHING to do. So we’ll see what I do with all these ideas that pop into my head.

And I need to quit watching the news and let myself relax or laugh and know that to serve I will need my sense of humor as well as my compassion.

There but for the grace of God go I.