On The Left Tip: Some of My Relatives Evacuate

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Some of My Relatives Evacuate - Some Don't.

So the big thing for my family today has been ascertaining the well-being of my family members, all of whom are in the direct path of Hurricane Rita.

One aunt, uncle, cousin and grandmother are together and headed to San Antonio. The trip would normally be about four hours. Now, thirteen hours into their evacuation, it would appear that they will make it. Contraflow has been in itiated on I-10 west and, at last check, my uncle was doing about 50mph. The big issue was the shortage of gas. He kept watching his mileage and gas levels and knew that he would be about 5 gallons short of San Antonio at their current pace. We managed to get a text message to him (it's nearly impossible to call on cell phones into the region) that gas tankers were actively refilling major truck stops along I-10 westbound and I-45 northbound. He stopped at one and when I managed to get through on his cell he was sixth in line and there was no danger of gas running out at that station. They will make it to their San Antonio hotel room tonight.

My second uncle is evacuating to the northern part of Houston. He has boarded up his home on the southern edge of the Houston suburbs. He has used the Red Cross disaster list to take with him what he may need for three days. He should be ok.

The last uncle, aunt and two cousins are staying in their south Houston suburb. My EMT nurse aunt has to be at the hospital as a first responder. My uncle has decided to shelter-in-place at their home, which is on relatively high ground (all things considered). They have boarded up their home. They have additionally identified an interior room in which they have placed plywood to board up doors for further protection if the winds get really ridiculous. They are the most at risk - he is keeping his two children, 12 and 15, with him. I'm most worried about them as he is diabetic. He has considered that and apparently is fortunate enough to have an 11,000 watt generator so he can keep his medication refrigerated.

So there you go. I can't wait until this is just over and this storm-stress subsides.

posted by RenaRF at 5:24 PM 2 comments

2 Comments:

Jerry said...: I am really disappointed in President Bush!

First and foremost he failed to stop the hurricane Katrina before it hit the Gulf Coast. Even worse, he should have stopped it before it first hit Southern Florida. Since he failed to take this first action, one would have expected that he should have, as a second thought, moved the entire states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to central Texas before Katrina came ashore.

Next, he failed to keep the levees in New Orleans from breaking. You would think that our Commander in Chief would have sent Rumsfeld or at least someone in authority to put his or her finger in the dike. Here again, President Bush should have known that the levees wouldn't hold. Remember, he has the best intelligence organization in the world.

If that wasn't bad enough, he failed to assemble the national Guard on a minute's notice. Aren't they, after all, the present day "Minutemen?"

I know that it took God 6 days to do His work but the leader of the free world should have been able to beat His time. (Actually it took 6 days after the hurricane to get things stabilized so maybe that's par for the course.) Remember, he had experience when he responded to the tsunami victims. Didn't it take several weeks of continuing rescue operations to stabilize that area? With that training, he should have had everyone sitting in planes with the engines running at the end of the runways before the hurricane struck. As a matter of fact he should keep them all at that level all the time because you can never tell when there might be an emergency.

Bush also showed his careless disregard for property damage by concentrating efforts in the flooded areas where people were trapped. By all rights he should have been primarily concerned about getting power back on to the casinos along the Gulf Coast. After all, which is more important--a few peoples' lives, or preserving the government's income from gambling sources?

What blows my mind is how President Bush could have reasonably expected people to take any responsibility for themselves. After all, with only a few days notice how could you expect that anyone would take the time to fill up a few jugs of water and stash a few cans of food just because a category 5 hurricane was headed their way? Besides FEMA's suggestion of having 4 days of water and food is just a suggestion. It isn't mandatory.

Bush also failed by expecting local officials to take on any responsibility. After all, isn't it the present Federal Government's responsibility to provide everyone with everything that our ancestors use to do for themselves?
Based on all of the above it is clear that President Bush and his administration are the only possible ones to blame. This calls for a full investigation by all of those totally blameless so that they may reap as much political gain from this tragedy as is possible.

God Bless John Kerry & Teddy Kennedy; 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...: Don't you love comments like those? Anyway.... I hope your family are safe and sound, and may God be with all of those in the path of Rita.; 9:11 AM

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