Earlier today, this was the predicted path of Hurricane Ike, which may make landfall tomorrow night.My sister, Becky (yes, my daughter is named after her), and her family live in the area of the lower yellow-and-blue star that I've placed on the map. My brother, Wally, and his partner, Roger, live in the area of the top yellow-and-blue star.
All of them went through the attempted mass exodus from the Houston area when Hurricane Rita blew through in 2005. This time, my sister's saying that she's staying put, but Wally and Roger plan try to head out for Lafayette, Louisiana, tomorrow morning.
I cannot allow myself to think anything but that they will all be fine, especially because Wally is not only my brother but also one of my best friends. I'll be keeping my cell phone on 24 hours a day for the next couple of days. I'll also be fingering the lovely stones on what I use as a worry chain that was made for me my a sweet friend when my nephew, Jordan (Becky's son), was shipped to Iraq as a member of the Marine Reserves.
Updated at 3 p.m., 9/12/08: Got a call from my brother. He, Rita (his dog), and Roger have made it to Lafayette, about 200 miles away from home. Both guys work for the same company, which has a branch there in Lafayette. The staff members there have put aside food and drink for the guys, and there's even a shower available, so they'll have a place to stay for a few days. I'm hoping that they'll be safer there than they would've been in the Houston area, and I really hope that when they get back, their homes are still standing and relatively unscathed. I've called my sister's house, but no one is answering the phone. She is directly in Ike's path. I'm scared.
Updated at 3:55 p.m., 9/13/08: My brother has spoken with people from his neighborhood who stayed put, and his house is fine. He, Roger, and Rita will head back home from Louisiana tomorrow or Monday, depending on road and power conditions.
My sister, who stayed in her home with her children, said her home is fine too. There was some water seepage under her front door but no flooding or wind damage to her home.
Amazing!
Ike Rita hurricane EditorMom
5 comments:
It looks awful, I hope all will be well.
Let's pray that Ike just turns into a storm.
Thinking about your family and hoping they'll stay safe. I think the emergency response here in TX is much better organized and prepared this time around than it was for Rita. I just hope Ike mellows out before coming ashore.
Katharine, my thoughts are with your family. I, too, hope all will be okay.
Glad you added the updates; that IS good news.
We are in NW Houston; the damage to our home was not significant, and we're all fine. (Wouldn't it be ironic to die in a traffic accident due to all the traffic lights still out in the area?) I'm just stunned by the images from the coast, though. I'm glad your family came through Ike relatively unscathed.
Holly Jahangiri
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