I'm afraid the news is not good for my Houston fam. Reports from people in their neighborhood who did not evacuate are that their house was flooded with 5-6 feet of water. So, pretty much everything that wasn't in the attic or the top of a closet has been destroyed. Emotions are running high.
Their neighborhood is still not safe to enter. Water is still standing, power lines are still down, and debris has made the streets impassable. So, they can't go home yet and see the damage for themselves. They'll be going home as soon as the city says they can return, and they'll assess what, if anything, is salvagable. Their home is still standing, so that's good, and they have already registered with FEMA, so they'll hopefully have an estimate in the next week or so as to how much their flood insurance will pay and what exactly must be repaired or replaced.
No question they have a lot of work ahead of them, cleaning up and rebuilding their home. But both sides of the family are already pitching in to help, and everyone in our brood got out safely, and that is the most important thing. Things can be replaced. Structures can be repaired. But lives lost - that would've been an irreparable tragedy.
One word I must say. Houstonians are awesome and amazing. What you saw in Katrina, you will NOT see with Ike. You will not see people waiting for the government to do what needs to be done and screaming about whose fault it is and expecting someone else, anyone else, to take care of the people, the city, the present or the future. By Saturday, the people who hadn't left were already beginning cleanup and clearing the streets themselves, not even waiting for city crews, much less FEMA or the federal government to start fixing things. Private entities set up relief stations, and when one of them needed help passing out free ice to stranded citizens, they put a call out for volunteers, and within hours, they had a full parking lot of volunteers, passing out ice and helping their neighbors.
The private sector stepping up and helping. Private citizens stepping up and helping. No waiting. No whining. Just doing. That's my city. I love Austin with all my heart and will most likely be here for the rest of my life. But Houston is where I was born and where I grew up, and I'm so proud of it. It's a can-do city. The people there are strong and compassionate and quality. When they've won national titles in sports, there's no rioting, no looting. Just celebrating together as a community. And when they're hit with disaster, there's no fighting, no falling part, no crying about who is to blame and who is going to come in from elsewhere to fix it. There's pulling on their boots and getting to work - pulling together as a community and doing what needs to be done.
Because that's what they do. That's what Houston is. I'm proud of you, Houston.
2 comments:
I agree.
My brother was there within 4 hours after the storm on Saturday as part of a clean-up effort and will be there for the next couple of weeks or more. He is, on the side, taking care of my grandmother - THANK YOU JOHN! Her apartment complex fared well, minus the electricity, water and phone. They had a HUGE cookout on the roof of the parking garage yesterday - she said it was the best time she's had since moving in there! HAHA She's made some GREAT friends this week through all of this.
My in-laws will most likely be without power for at least three weeks. I fully expect to see them here in the next week or so.
My parents are still without power and water, but their phones are working again. No damage there, but they watched the boat house next to Patrick Dempsey's place blow over during the storm and break up into a zillion pieces in the water. Scary stuff.
I am SO SORRY to hear about Scott's house, but I am so grateful they got out when they did. Loss of property is devastating; loss of life is catastrophic. Thank goodness they are okay.
Z, I'm SO glad your family is safe, and I wish them the best is salvaging their property. While I've never lived in Houston, I've had family there over the years myself and still have some there now (they are fine, by the way). And you are right, it's a can-do city, without a doubt. We all should be proud! I'd like to think Austin would be the same...
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