09.29.05
find the best
The Houston Press put out its annual Best of Houston… or just Best of issue today.
Best Local Blog: Off the Kuff
Read the rest to find more great stuff and great people in Houston.
09.22.05
resources & links for Hurricane Rita
Being of the “don’t reinvent the wheel” school of thought… the Harris County Public Library is doing a good job of providing links and info about Hurricane Rita.
You can also try the Houston Chronicle’s complete coverage of the hurricane for ongoing info on what’s happening in Houston.
At some point someone is going to remind everyone outside of Houston to look at how well we did one of the most massive evacuations in history. Of course, that assumes that Houston will survive… which I always do.
09.20.05
Hurricane Rita
In case this has escaped your notice, Rita is on her way to Houston:
- TS Rita could target Texas after Florida; KHOU CBS Channel 11 2
- Katrina convinces Galveston residents - 300 attend a meeting to hear city discuss its evacuation plans; Houston Chronicle 1
- Galveston mayor announces voluntary evacuation; KHOU CBS Channel 11 2
- Houstonians review preparations for Rita; KHOU CBS Channel 11 2
Reminders:
- Houston Chronicle links expire after a few days because they’re archived. If you want to access these articles after that, you either have to be a subscriber or go to the Houston Public Library and access the database using your Library Power Card.
- KHOU CBS Channel 11 requires a free registration.
Hurricane preparedness
From the Houston Office Of Emergency Management:
09.18.05
Hurricanes increasing in strength
ABC13.com posted a story from the Associated Press that, as a resident in a Hurricane-friendly city, I found very interesting.
Hurricanes getting stronger study finds
The number of hurricanes in the most powerful categories — like Katrina and Andrew — has increased sharply over the past few decades, according to a new analysis sure to stir debate over whether global warming is worsening these deadly storms.
While studies have not found an overall increase in tropical storms worldwide, the number of storms reaching categories 4 and 5 grew from about 11 per year in the 1970s to 18 per year since 1990, according to a report in Friday’s issue of the journal Science.
It’s been more than 20 years since a strong hurricane has hit Houston, and many argue that the city is not prepared. I don’t know about that. I do know that I’m not certain that my family would be prepared to deal with the fallout of something like what recently happened in New Orleans. If there are those of you out there that believe otherwise, then you’re lucky… or deluded.
The American Red Cross has a “Get Prepared” section that should provide valuable information on getting your family ready for the worst-case scenario.
09.10.05
no respect
In Houston, we get no respect from the rest of the country.
Hurricane Katrina… its aftermath… work involved in responding to that… my back issues… baby brother going away to basic training for the National Guard… all have contributed to light blogging. If it weren’t for that, there would have been countless posts about Katrina, resources for its survivors and other info on how Houston has stepped up to respond to our Gulf Coast neighbors.
Yet, despite all the volunteering and the donations and the fact that Houston literally responded before the state of Louisiana or the federal government, what do we get? An article in the New York Times that, basically, says we’re an opportunistic bunch of people profiting off the catastrophe.
Nice.
Having spent the afternoon in the George R. Brown, seeing firsthand the survivors and the volunteers, I don’t understand how this article ever made print.
Shame on you.
09.07.05
Dome City, Reliant City
There are so many evacuees at the Reliant Astrodome and at the George R. Brown Convention Center that they have been issued their own zio codes. Media calls one of the sites “Dome City” or “Reliant City”. That should give you some indication of how many people we are living in those locations.
09.05.05
it could have been Houston
It wasn’t too long ago that Houston was under water. Any who was here five years ago remembers the consequences and aftermath of Tropical Storm Allison.
Hurricane Katrina could have hit Houston. Would we have been any better prepared?
KHOU CBS Channel 11 asks that question in What a Category 5 hurricane would mean for Houston.
“I think we’re probably as well prepared as a flood-prone community can be. You know, we’ve had lots of experiences with this,” said Bedient.
But as people continue to move to the Gulf Coast, they only become more vulnerable and more difficult to mobilize when that red swirl comes here.
What is Houston’s evacuation plan? Perhaps that merits some investigation. Oh, yeah, the Houston Chronicle already did that.
ARE WE READY?
Houston’s storm plan needs work
City leaders recognize that the document doesn’t address scenarios like the one unfolding
In February, the Houston Chronicle reported serious problems in evacuating the elderly, disabled and poor from a storm target. Seven months later, that problem continues to exist in Galveston, whose very location makes it the most vulnerable in a hurricane.
“We still haven’t been able to really come up with a fine-tuned way, in my opinion, to deal with seniors, special-needs population and the economically disadvantaged,” Galveston County Judge James Yarbrough said.
In Galveston County, at least 30,000 people do not have transportation to escape the threat of harm in the event of a serious storm. Complicating the evacuation process is that only one major highway goes in and out of Galveston Island.
White and Harris County officials freely acknowledged last week Katrina opened up a whole new set of disaster scenarios.
Houston has millions of people to evacuate, and the largest physical city in the country. While we may not live in a bowl like New Orleans, we do have our own set of challenges. I shudder to think about it.
09.04.05
unusual shelters
This is proof that all avenues of shelter are being considered:
- Carnival cruise ships to house evacuees in Galveston (free registration may be required) - “Federal officials are chartering three of Carnival Cruise Lines’ ships for six months, part of a plan to provide shelter for as many as 7,000 people displaced by devastating Hurricane Katrina.”
- Relatives’ home becomes site of family reunion - “When the 15-member Dingeman family finally arrived at their relatives’ home in Pierre Part, La., they thought they were coming to a relatively empty house. Instead, it was full of Hurricane Katrina refugees, just like them.”
- Galveston-based cruise ships cancel trips for six months - “Federal officials are chartering three of Carnival Cruise Lines’ ships for six months, part of a plan to provide shelter for as many as 7,000 people displaced by devastating Hurricane Katrina.”
- Convention Center Opens To Evacuees - “Evacuees arrived at the George R. Brown Convention Center late Friday after it was opened as a temporary shelter for thousands of evacuees from New Orleans, Local 2 reported.”
- San Antonio to take in 25,000 more from Louisiana - “The state of Texas has agreed to take in an additional 25,000 Louisiana refugees from Hurricane Katrina and plans to house them in San Antonio, Gov. Rick Perry’s office said today.”
- First evacuees arrive to stay at former air base - “Barefoot, bewildered and some carrying only their stowaway pets, more than 2,500 Louisiana evacuees arrived on buses and airplanes Friday to take shelter at KellyUSA, a former military installation that could hold 7,000 homeless victims of Hurricane Katrina.”
- Brown Convention Center is home for now - “Carolann Thomas, 47, a special-needs caregiver from New Orleans, was getting used to her third new home in five days this morning at the George R. Brown Convention Center. She was there with her daughter, Katie, 22.”
Reminder: Houston Chronicle links expire after a couple of days. Articles are archived after a few days. If you want to access these articles after that, you either have to be a subscriber or go to the Houston Public Library and access the database using your Library Power Card.
Resources & Lists
I’ll be adding to this as I find more:
- Schipul has a wonderful list of resources on their page “Latest Update on Hurricane Katrina Resources in Houston, Texas“. (found via Metroblogging.)
- Harris County Public Library is blogging new resources as they become available.
- The Houston Public Library has a page dedicated to “Hurricane Katrina Information from the Houston Public Library.”