Rita Update Thursday Afternoon
Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.
Maria and her family will be coming over in the next hour. That way we can get all set up before we hunker down. The Lord of the Rings plan will be activated at 1500 hours. (Writing in military jargon makes me feel more prepared. Roger that.)
I read a blog that said that the reason the roads are so full is because areas that didn't need to evacuate are evacuating.
Ok, we are in the Woodlands--we'll get high winds which blow intermittantly right now, but we are supposedly far enough north, just outside Harris county and into Montgomery county, that we shouldn't evacuate. Everyone should stay put. We shouldn't "clog the escape routes".
And yet, yesterday stores were closed and shelves empty. Same for today. If it is so safe, why not keep the stores open and operational, the restaraunts feeding people, etc? If it is so safe, keeping normal services serving would do a lot to diffuse the siege mentality and calm fears.
The Hurricane won't hit shore in full force until 11-2 a.m. tonight. All people are doing right now is sitting and watching their TVs and freaking O-U-T.
So, either we should be worried and it is bad, in which case we should have boarded up homes up here. Or, we are safe enough out here that the stores can be operational at least until noon.
The enterprising woman who owns our building also owns about five donut shops. Guess what? they were all open and she is making a killing! She sold out of donuts and was making them as much as possible.
She is an individual business owner. Small business owners stay going as long as possible because thier livelihoods depend on staying open. One of the problems around here, and some of you may think I'm crazy, is that because all the businesses are national chains, the liability of staying open probably supercedes the money that could be made by the HUGE business they would have.
In addition, because of the short-sighted debacle on I-45, supplies simply could not get in here. So, now the Woodlands has lots of extra inhabitants and there are no supplies in the stores and no gas.
Here I am bitchin' about the lack of planning, but I'd like to direct you to my post Wednesday morning. Getting out of Houston, or into Houston, for that matter on I-45 is a pain in the arse with moderate traffic.
Corsicana (is anyone from that forsaken stretch reading this?) has had construction going on for the eight years I've lived here. Friends who have lived here for 15 years said it has been going on for as long as they have been here. ANNOYING and worse than annoying: PREDICTABLE.
So, sitting and waiting and having the luxury of time to ponder what needs to be addressed the next time. Perhaps with this storm the wind, rain and flooding will better teach us for the future.
Maria and her family will be coming over in the next hour. That way we can get all set up before we hunker down. The Lord of the Rings plan will be activated at 1500 hours. (Writing in military jargon makes me feel more prepared. Roger that.)
I read a blog that said that the reason the roads are so full is because areas that didn't need to evacuate are evacuating.
Ok, we are in the Woodlands--we'll get high winds which blow intermittantly right now, but we are supposedly far enough north, just outside Harris county and into Montgomery county, that we shouldn't evacuate. Everyone should stay put. We shouldn't "clog the escape routes".
And yet, yesterday stores were closed and shelves empty. Same for today. If it is so safe, why not keep the stores open and operational, the restaraunts feeding people, etc? If it is so safe, keeping normal services serving would do a lot to diffuse the siege mentality and calm fears.
The Hurricane won't hit shore in full force until 11-2 a.m. tonight. All people are doing right now is sitting and watching their TVs and freaking O-U-T.
So, either we should be worried and it is bad, in which case we should have boarded up homes up here. Or, we are safe enough out here that the stores can be operational at least until noon.
The enterprising woman who owns our building also owns about five donut shops. Guess what? they were all open and she is making a killing! She sold out of donuts and was making them as much as possible.
She is an individual business owner. Small business owners stay going as long as possible because thier livelihoods depend on staying open. One of the problems around here, and some of you may think I'm crazy, is that because all the businesses are national chains, the liability of staying open probably supercedes the money that could be made by the HUGE business they would have.
In addition, because of the short-sighted debacle on I-45, supplies simply could not get in here. So, now the Woodlands has lots of extra inhabitants and there are no supplies in the stores and no gas.
Here I am bitchin' about the lack of planning, but I'd like to direct you to my post Wednesday morning. Getting out of Houston, or into Houston, for that matter on I-45 is a pain in the arse with moderate traffic.
Corsicana (is anyone from that forsaken stretch reading this?) has had construction going on for the eight years I've lived here. Friends who have lived here for 15 years said it has been going on for as long as they have been here. ANNOYING and worse than annoying: PREDICTABLE.
So, sitting and waiting and having the luxury of time to ponder what needs to be addressed the next time. Perhaps with this storm the wind, rain and flooding will better teach us for the future.
posted by Melissa Clouthier at 10:34 AM
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