They finally did use both sides of the freeway going North to Dallas, and then the bus blew up with the elderly, so they moved it without removing the bodies before the medical examiner arrived to do death certificates, which has never been done before, to get the traffic flowing again. They are trying this time to schedule the returns of people, but some people are not listening and trying to come home on their own. Our City has been incredible in trying to keep people safe, crews working around the clock in the City to return power and scheduling pickup of debris quickly and dealing with all the unexpected problems with the Livingston Dam. I have been listening to the radio where all channels are on the air trying to help people with problems. Neighbors are helping each other and looking out for their elderly neighbors who are dealing with the heat.
We lost power again about an hour ago and within thirty minutes our power was back on again. I say "God Bless our energy workers" and keep them safe. We do not need to call them as their computers can tell them exactly where the problems are and we also have at least five hundred workers from other States here helping our City. Our Mayor is doing a fine job of handling this situation and is not afraid to ask for help if he sees the need. Food, ice and water is being delivered to the areas that need it and our gasoline supply is getting better each day. I feel our City will be back up and running in good order very quickly. Many people, even down on the island of Galveston have returned and found they had little or no damage. That is amazing, like having a tornado come through a street and on one side every thing is good and well and on the other side pure destruction. I am sure we will hear of more damage as those who come home find it. I have not heard that happened, but know that it has before.
When Carla came through here in 1961, our bay area was destroyed mostly by tornadoes that came in behind it and then again in 1983 when Alecia came through, flooding was all over the city and our flood plan was re-evaluated and this time those people were told to evacuate. Without the direct hit, the floods did not happen and those homes remained safe. Many people are thinking if it happens again, do we leave or stay this time. To me that could be a dangerous situation until it is known where they predict it to land. I see this could cause a problem of people getting out too late and I'm sure our administrators will put this on their agenda to try to reach a solution to protect those people, even if it is to match people here who could take them in on higher ground and I would surely do that as I have extra bedrooms and quarters that may be vacant at the time, in the event I did not have family coming to stay with me. I heard of people stopping to eat and being taken in by the Cafe owner and feeding them and keeping them at his home for nothing.
I too believe that the Governor, Mayor and administration of the City of New Orleans wobbled by not letting the Federal Govt. come in when it could have prevented so much destruction. They were so indecisive and now we see the results of more destruction. They could surely take some lessons from Texas, I believe. I felt so bad for those that had not left shelters here in Houston after Katrina had to evacuate again, but our Mayor was right in getting them out early and hope the people of Arkansas will assist them in making arrangements to go wherever they want to start over, if they choose not to stay there.
My husband decided that it was safer not to put the art we brought back from the bay house down there again and I can hear him nailing them up downstairs. He has been a blessing to me so that I have not had to do much to prepare for this, and I believe this as he has usually been away at these times and I had to do it all with the children's help. We used to empty it all out and then take it back about two weeks after and I can remember saying that it has become too much to take care of and I was not going to do it again, it would just have to blow away and I would make sure it was all well insured. That is one thing I have noticed most since getting older, things are just things and attitudes change often about those things. I can just hope that it is another twenty or something years before we have to deal with this again as it has been that long since one hit Houston and by that time I may not be here to deal with it nor worry about material things again. Just hoping we don't get a repeat of these times soon, cause I do expect to be here then....
Naomi |
