I’m home. I had some pithy things to say, but as usual, I've forgotten them before getting a chance to post. I do my best thinking while driving, but it's hell trying to type on a keyboard at 75mph. Also a bit unsafe.
Lessons for the Houston-Beaumont area:
1. Think outside the box and expect the unexpected. Be flexible. Treat it like the military does; have a plan for everything, even the stuff you think would never happen. Then you don't have to make it up on the fly.
2. If you try to evacuate 2.3 million people down just six highways, expect traffic jams. (I-10, 290, I-45, 59, 146, 69.)
3. If three of those highways lead to the same town of 30,000, it can't handle five times that population heading its way.
4. Let people figure out their own evac route. Just keep a handle on the intersections and gas stations. Cramming three lanes of people into a single two-lane road is STUPID.
5. Hurricanes are fickle. Just because this one was a bust for Houston, doesn't mean the next will be. (Rita promised the blow of my life, but in the end, she just blew me off. Just like a damn woman….)
6. Our technology has limits. Mother Nature doesn't. Plan for that
7. The only thing that sucks worse than packing for a hurricane that might wipe out your home is unpacking afterwards.
7a. Well, ok, other than actually losing your home, that is.
Things I learned from Rita:
1. I own too much crap for someone living in an evac zone.
2. Dial-up sucks.
3. Have your “evac kit” ready. If you live in an area subject to storm surges, have a quick way to the roof, and supplies to survive there in 100+ degree heat for two days .
The Kit:
Think of this kit as a “alien abduction pack.” If aliens kidnapped you tomorrow, you could grab this small pack in one hand. You might have to toss it in the car and run, or you might have to climb into the attic to escape floodwaters. (note: most of this is PER PERSON. If you have others in your family, they'd better be tasked with bringing their own!)
1. Three days of clothes. Underwear, shorts, t-shirts, socks, 1 pair sturdy, comfortable shoes (no socks and/or flip-flops are NOT acceptable if you may be fleeing through floodwaters.)
2. Two 20-oz bottles of water. You need more, but we're going light here.
3. Medicine: see list below.
4. Copies of critical documents. Seal in watertight container.
5. Small flashlight.
6. Small mirror. (think signalling for rescue–your arms are real small from 300ft. up but that reflected sunlight grabs attention.)
7. Lighter or matches.
8. Cap or hat to keep sun off head; sunglasses.
9. Small towel or washcloth. I really have to agree with the Hitchhiker's Guide–when you’re running, always know where your towel is.
Medicine List:
1. A 7-10 day supply of all prescriptions you must have.
2. Aspirin.
3. Stool softener: Constipation is bad.
4. Anti-diarrehal. The opposite is worse.
5. Calamine lotion (or other anti-itch/irritant). Mosquitoes, poison ivy, ants…
6. Bandaids.
7. Alcohol or other antiseptic.
8. Anti-fungal.
9. Sunscreen, if you have room.Seal in watertight container (like a 1 gallon freezer bag). Rotate every three to six months for freshness.
Observations and gripes:1. The human race had no capability of surviving catastrophes prior to FEMA. I base this conclusion on the number of local officials standing in front of cameras howling “where's FEMA???” instead of doing their damn jobs.
2. Louisiana sucks even more than I rememeber. It's a state that richly deserves the government it elected. La. mis-spent the money they were given for levees, and now want even more… with no federal strings, controls, or oversight on how they spend it.
3. A report from LSU on why the levee failed got deep-sixed faster than you can say “defective workmanship.” Hint: explosives weren't involved. Neither was “over-topping.”
4. I wonder how much more of this will be required before people start thinking that moving to a coastal flood plain is a bad idea?
5. I said three weeks ago that Houston would perform much better in the face of the same challenge that hit New Orleans. While not perfect, I think our performance bears that out. We had a plan, we executed it. Order was kept. Note this: despite flaring tempers and freely available firearms there were no incidents of violence reported during the evac.* Or should that be “despite flaring tempers, because of freely available firearms…” Folks can get awful polite when their lives may depend on it.*I am aware of at least one armed robbery of someone loading up to evacuate.