Post-Hurricane Ike in Houston

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I hope everyone and their families in Houston are doing fine and with power (if not hopefully soon).

-Paul :-)

Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.
Hi everyone!

Still no power for me - I'm in Spring Branch and we had a lot of tree damage which played havoc on the power lines & poles. Projected date for restoration was today, so I am hopeful.

Thankfully, I only had minor house damage - nothing big enough to let in the rain & wind. In the meantime, our street is slowly coming back to normal - each house hiding behind enormous stacks of limbs and brush at the curb. I have worked out a complex 'generator management' arrangement with my neighbors, so I can even come to work without worry. My shift starts at 3, and I have to bring more gas.

My own "after action" review has resulted in modifications to my longstanding hurricane plan. For one thing, I have added another item to my "three Houston essentials" (gas grill, chain saw & generator) list -- my Sprint aircard! With it, I was able to maintain Internet connectivity throughout this huge mess. Even though I didn't need them this time, I am purchasing sufficient blue tarps to cover my roof & keept them in my hurricane supply.... my neighbor had a terrible time finding one to cover his shingle damage.

What 'new items' is everyone else adding to their hurricane kits?

SUGGESTION::heartbeat:yeah:

My heart and prayers go out to all of you who suffered Ike and other disasters. It's good to hear that being prepared isn't just the motto for Boy Scouts!

:twocents:

Before the next event when electricity goes down, it would be wise to investigate possibilities of having solar energy. I know it's expensive, and could blow off your residence, but it can be placed in an empty lot on the ground. I don't know how long that energy can be stored or is available, but you could find out by calling the solar energy companies in your area. If you live in a condominium or other community with a homeowner association, the expense of installing solar equipment could be shared and insurance obtained to replace it, if it is damaged.

Having a battery operated vehicle is also a possibility. For some reason (?political?), the Toyota RAVs that are totally battery operated, handle well, accelerate speedily and cost nothing to recharge, (if you have solar power) or $1.83 if you don't, haven't been permitted here for several years. No matter how much oil is retrieved from pumping offshore or otherwise, it's bound to run out sometime...... and relying on other countries for it leads to high cost situations such as we have now.

Water barrells (?sp) to collect rain water for bathing, cooking, etc. should be a "must get" item for you. At least something could be salvaged from the storm!

After hearing about gas stove-top fires ignited by emissions from pest eradicating "bombs", it might be good to use electrical stove-tops. My favorite one is the "magnetic" conduction method, but it's expensive - yet no coil is in it that gets hot like regular electric "elements". Only the contents of a stainless steel (no aluminum or copper pans can work with them) container heat up. There are single convection cooking plates that resemble the "hot plate" of yesteryear, that cost $200. Nothing ever boils over with them, when set correctly.........

You may also want to have dried food packets like astronauts use, for about a week. Some weight management plans have them, but they're expensive.

Wishing you a good, speedy recovery from this assault on your well being!

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TERRIBLE THINGS THAT SOME PEOPLE DO

there have been some reports of scavangers going through debris looking for credit cards and ids that might have been a house that evacuees had to leave

if you were out of your home during this time check your credit report for any charges you didn't make

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Girlfriend gave me a "pre-hurricane" tip to add to my list -shave your legs and shampoo your hair!:chuckle

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Specializes in ICU.

Thank goodness it is all over!! We lost power at our house for 10 long days, and yes the first two days or so where hot and humid! We ended up buying a generator for wayyy more than we would have before the hurricane.. but, now we have a generator. I live in Spring, just north of Houston.

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WOW, being a California kid, the last few years has really demonstrated (more than I already knew) that we have it good on the West Coast.

I hope everyone manages as well as they can. And another season of hurricanes reminds me....I can handle Earthquakes!

I posted this article on another hurricane-season-related thread, but it is worth posting again. In preparation for the next disaster (natural, emergency, etc.) to hit the US, it would be more than helpful for all of us to review and consider the efforts of the CNA/RNRN as they attempt to organize us in the medical community. We can't change weather and we can't predict emergencies, but we can be prepared to respond as effectively as possible!

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I couldn't order carrot cake from Outback Steakhouse in Lawton, Oklahoma because the waitress said that due to Hurricane Ike, their distributor had not made deliveries in over a month!

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Thank you for all the prayers in concerns! God bless you all!:nurse:

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