Hurricane Rita

[amalthia]

As a few people on my friends list already know, I live in Houston. right now my main concern about the Hurricane is the power going out. I don't plan to evacuate because I don't think the storm will hit where I live that hard, mostly I'm worried about the food going bad in my fridge if the power goes out for too long. I mean the power goes out during minor storms, can't wait to see what happens during a bad storm.

Anyway, I'm also not sure when the hurricane is supposed to make landfall??? I hope it's not until after Saturday because I'd like to be able to download my favorite shows. mainly, BSG and SGA.

Basically, this is the first time I'm living in a city that's close enough to the coast where an hurricane can hit and it's a new experience.

So just in case I go offline later this week and don't answer emails, chances are the power went out, and my husband and I are going to have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches until the power comes back on.

Comments

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

You don't think?

I don't know much about Hurricane Rita, I don't know what you've been told/warned whatever. But if they HAVE suggested that people in your area should evacuate, please, please do. Forget the food, who cares about that? It can be replaced. Please don't take risks with you life.

*hugs you* Take care of yourself.

[amalthia]

hmm update on plans. After I posted that message, found out the hurricane moved up to a category 5 and now tom and I are discussing going to San Antonio to stay with my grandmother over the weekend. I'm already planning what I'm going to take with me. I don't think my apartment will get flooded but we don't have parking on the second floor so I figured at the very least us leaving will save the car from getting flooded.

We should be fine, just need to figure out what to pack. :( At the same time I'm really hoping this flood heads towards Mexico or fizzles out in the coast.

Anyway by Thursday afternoon/evening we'll know for sure where the hurricane is going we'll get out of dodge before it hits.

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

*hugs you* Take care. Sorry about the trouble packing - I'm sure you'll be fine. Take care of yourself and remember everything can be replaced except you. *snuggles*

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

i'd second the evacuate if you can...if you don't, make sure you have plenty of water, fill up the bathtub, etc. for flushing; have CASH and your cars gassed up, lots of ice [it'll keep ther frozen stuff cold longer and eventually when you have to start eating the defrosting food, you can at least continue cooling the things in your fridge for a little longer) [i actually saved most of my meat and seafood in the freezer and we lost power after Katrina for almost 4 days], batteries for your flashlights and radio (i bought a battery operated TV a couple of years ago and it's been a life-saver...next big one's the generator!); do you have a gas stove? otherwise, do you have a cajun cooker or a grill with a cooking place?

finally, are you in a stone house? do you have a secure inside area in case of tornadoes? (it kind of looks like you guys may be getting the northeastern part which is not only the worst winds but also spawns off tornadoes pretty badly...)

eh...and sorry if you know all this stuff...

sending good thoughts and slowing down the winds thoughts your way!

[amalthia]

actually I live on the second floor of an apartment complex, it does have a stone fascade, and I'm already planning what to move away from the windows. All of a sudden these three large windows that make up 1 wall that provide a lot of light in the apartment look like a recipe for disaster.

Anyway, since the hurricane appears worse than it did when I first posted my message, unless it fizzles out by tomorrow we're going to San Antonio for the weekend.

I hate the idea of evacuating. I know me being here won't make any property damage better, but I hate leaving my home, and it looks like I'm going to have a lot of work to do tomorrow moving all my books to high ground and covering my bookshelves with blankets. I have a walk in closet with a door that's rather sturdy. I plan to put whatever we don't take that I don't want damaged in there. it looks like it's going to be a long day tomorrow.

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

my heart totally goes out to you! we did the moving all the furniture into the center of the room, covering up etc. 3 times in the last year, so yers, it sucks!!!

three last things (and then i'll stop being the know-it-all :-): if you aren't gassed up, do it ASAP! if much of houston evacuates, gas may run out (plus, the later you go, the longer the lines). leave *early* to San Antonio, b/c if the hurricane comes, more and more people are leaving as it comes closer (plus the deteriorating weather conditions!); take *important* stuff...one of my former profs whom i ran into had forgotten his lap top with all his research in NOLA; one of my friends evacuated from the MS gulf coast but didn't take her photo albums...we always have a box with important documents, photo albums, disks with all our important work...in fact, when we lived in NOLA, we used to take out the hard drives (b/c you don't want to move computers, but our dissertations were right there next to the passports and cats :-)

and now i'm really shutting up and just thinking good thoughts for you and my other houston friends!!! *hugs*

[amalthia]

You don't have to shut up, I've never been through a hurricane and you might mention something i hadn't considered. I planned to put my photos in the closet but maybe I should bring them anyway...I'm going to try moving my computer desks away from teh windows and more into the apartment. ...ah the amount of work. :( oh well I just hope all this work is unnessary.

we already have a full tank of gas and plan on leaving as soon as my husband gets home from work.

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

ok :-)

well, it doesn't sound like you're gonna get hit where a second floor apartment will get water, but think about what you would *hate* to lose! better safe than sorry!

and you sound like you have things under control :-) good luck!!!!