Monday, August 28, 2017

Flooding Update

Copied straight from facebook because I am wrung out and absolutely have to get some sleep tonight (not that my struggles in my dry house all safe in beautiful weather are notable here, but it is SO HARD to be far away and USELESS at times like this). It's been a day of texts and calls to family and friends, google searching for updated pictures and flood conditions, and wishing so very much that anything I could do from here would be helpful at all to my family down there.



But without further ado, this is where tonight finds us:

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My brother, trapped for 2 days at a friend's house far across town and then under a mandatory evacuation order there, was able to make a break for it and drive through the water to get back to his condo in The Heights today. He is not under water and other than non-stop worry about my parents, he is fine.

My parents woke up to the lake water having crawled 75 feet forward from its usual place in the lake to swallowing their pool, depositing foreign boats and jet skis in their yard, and lapping at their back door. They moved all the furniture, pictures, and heirlooms they could upstairs just before the Coast Guard informed them they were under a mandatory evacuation order and their house may not be standing when they get back. They tried to drive out, nearly flooded, and reversed back. They stood in the pouring rain with their bag of dog food, suitcase, and 3 dogs and waved down a high-water-vehicle. They were dropped at the nearest spot above the water line, an open parking lot a few streets over and stood in the rain until a nearby family drove by and asked if they needed a place to stay. My parents and all 3 dogs are currently sheltering at the Good Samaritan's house.

It was hard, so hard, to leave behind their just-finished dream home, filled with passed-down family furniture, memory items (my grandparents' wedding album, my mom's wedding dress, my wedding dress, baby clothes and items from their college days... my heart just aches) and all the new pieces that are part of my childhood memories that they've lovingly picked out over the years. The antiques they crammed into our travel trailer that they bought on our family road trips... my great-grandparents' dining set, my great-grandfather's chess set... just so many things that have heart and history. It's just stuff, but it's ours, and it hurts.

The water levels continue to rise and are expected to do so for several more days and their home may not withstand it. But, they are dry and they are safe. When one of us last got in touch with them, they were eating popcorn and watching a movie with their hosts. After the terror and shocked sadness of abandoning their home hours in the pouring rain hours earlier, with white-capped fast flowing water approaching the house on both sides, that update, combined with the surety of their safety, is enough.

My brother is endlessly searching for routes to get to them, but it's unlikely he'll be able to do so tomorrow, so they may be heading to a shelter in the morning. [Updated update, a friend may be able to get to them!] For now we are so thankful for the kindness of strangers and the fact that their phones, while intermittent, continue to work. So please keep them and all of Houston in your thoughts- there are so many people so much worse off, and donate to some of the wonderful local relief organizations if you can. I'll update tomorrow when we know more.

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Thank you all for your messages today. In between pointless googling and twitter searches, they were a bright spot of support and internet friendship and I appreciate it more than I can say. I hope my Houstonian and Gulf Coast readers are doing okay. Every time the reality of this nightmare gets me down, I'm so buoyed by the pictures of people helping others. It's little, but your messages buoy me. Thank you.

40 comments:

  1. Wow. I don't know you, but you are one of two or three families I "know" in Texas. I've been thinking of you, your family, and your grandfather. I'm glad everyone is safe, but it must be heartbreaking to think of what could happen to your parents' house and all of those tangible memories. I'm hoping things start to improve amd the damage is limited.

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  2. OMG how scary. I'm so glad your parents are OK but how devastating about their house. Please keep us updated, as you can. I, too, feel helpless here in Austin. :(

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  3. Sending dry thoughts to your family and everyone else in Houston, and glad to hear they are safe!

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  4. OMG, what a scary experience for your parents .... Thank G-d for good people. Thinking about your folks ( and going to text my brother, also in Houston, again)

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  5. Your post brought me to tears. Thank God your parents and their dogs are safe. Crisis brings out the best in people, and they will get through this.

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  6. It's just stuff, but it still hurts to think of losing it. Fingers crossed it is all there, and more or less intact, when your parents are able to get back. And indeed what a relief that they are safe and dry, and with friendly folks. For those of us far from the US, and no connection to Texas, you make this all feel very real, and made me want to help. Thanks for the donation link.

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  7. I'm halfway across the world but can't stop thinking about your family and others in TX. I'm so relieved they are safe (and so thankful for good samaritans!) but it must have been incredibly hard for them to leave their home. Although it's just things, it still painful to think of so, so many people losing their possessions and homes that they've lovingly accumulated over a lifetime. I hope your parents' home withstands the flood. Please keep us posted.

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  8. I am so, so glad they are safe. What an absolutely terrifying event. Thinking of you.

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  9. I'm so glad they are safe. How scary. Thank God for the kindness of strangers.

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  10. There are no words. Prayers for your family and all who are in harm's way.

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  11. I just ache for you all, for your dream house. Glad to hear they're still safe and that people are good. Please, God, let the rain stop.

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  12. keeping you all in my thoughts

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  13. Oh sweetie...I just don't have words...I'm grateful to hear the good news (and it IS good) that they were able to evacuate and find shelter even if they had to leave so much behind to do so. We lived in Houston during Hurricane Allison, and the pics I'm seeing look familiar and heartbreaking! Please know that you and your family are in so many of our prayers, and even if many of us don't know you-know you we all love you just the same!

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  14. Oh my goodness, I am so sorry for what your family is going through. I can't imagine having to leave my house like that not knowing what will happen to it. Add to that everything going on with your grandpa and it must be just overwhelming. Continuing prayers to everyone.

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  15. Keeping you all in our prayers. How scary this has to be!

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  16. I am so sorry for what your parents are going through. Reading about their evacuation situation made me cry. My childhood home flooded during Hurricane Floyd and I know how much it hurts to loose all those memories. Even though it is just stuff, it still really hurts. I also know how helpless you feel when you can't reach your family and physically be there to help. But in the end, at least your parents are safe. Its so encouraging to hear about people helping each other out in times like this. You continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

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  17. So many things to deal with for your family. Hoping for the best for all of you.

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  18. Thinking of you and your family.

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  19. I don't know if I deleted my last comment, or published it half-finished. Anyway, I don't know you personally, but as a fellow mama/TX attorney/Orange Theory lover I feel a certain kinship and I love your blog. I hope your parents are OK and get to a safe place. And I hope their house survives. For what it's worth, I lived in NOLA during Katrina, and typically the second floor of even a severely flooded house was fine. The Coast Guard was possibly just trying to scare them to make sure they would evacuate? I'm thinking about you and your family - please keep updating.

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  20. Heartbreaking. Thinking of you and your family, hoping for the best.

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  21. I've been thinking about your family every time I hear another update about Harvey and all the devastation it has caused in Texas. Although we've never met, I have read your blog since Landon was an infant (and I was pregnant with my daughter), and I feel like I know you, like so many others here have mentioned. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and all the others who have found themselves in the midst of the devastation that Harvey is leaving.

    My next comment, I am going to word very carefully, because I truly want to understand, and it should not be taken as a judgment in any way, shape or form - but why did they wait so long to leave? I know that in situations like this, judgment is not helpful, and that is not my intent at all - but I think when many read articles or hear stories about situations like this, they smugly think "I would have left long before it got to that level of concern", and yet, here are your parents, who (seemingly) have the resources to leave, seem like beyond sensible people, yet they didn't leave until things became impassable. Again, I am truly seeking understanding - were things not expected to get that bad where they were? Did the authorities advise against it? I would like to be able to articulately explain to others when this comes up in conversations, as it almost always does whenever a crisis like this occurs.

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    1. Wendy - please look up what happened in Rita. In floods, people are far safer in their houses than on the roads. Imagine being stuck in one of the highways that are now a river. Far more people would be dead.

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    2. Yes, the authorities advised against it. There was some disagreement between the Mayor and the Governor, but the end result was a recommendation not to evacuate. Besides the extremely high cost of evacuation, this recommendation is largely based on the large number of deaths from Rita. Also, all of the deaths so far from Harvey have been of people attempting to evacuate, and nobody has died in their home.

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  22. Ed is contacting you now. They can stay with us if they still need a place!

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  23. Watching the Weather Channel constantly. What is the name of your parents' neighborhood or lake? Please continue to update. You are in our thoughts.

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  24. Sending prayers and hugs to you and your entire family (including your sweet grandfather)!

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  25. I am so sorry. I'm glad your parents and brother are safe. Bene Brown has had some good posts on FB. Evacuating Houston during the flooding would have been even worse than what we have right now. SO MUCH WORSE. Cars were stranded on the roads die to running out of gas. Add major flooding. I am so glad your family is safe. I am so sorry for this ordeal and the stress. Stay strong. Liz

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  26. Prayers going up for your parents, brother, and everyone in the middle of this horrible mess. Donations and prayers just don't seem to be enough during times like this and it's so hard to be far away and not physically be able to help.

    Thank you for updating us and hopefully the next update you post will be filled with nothing but good news!

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  27. So glad to see your update this morning. Though we've never met, I'm another longtime reader (since lobster baby Landon! omg...). I'm so relieved all your people are safe, and praying it stays that way. And YAY for your Grandpa's condition improving! Haha of course he had to call to check on your adorable little banshee (the scene in The Exorcist where the girl crawls down the stairs backwards and her head spins around came to mind reading that story lol). :)

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  28. So glad to see your update and glad parents, brother and dogs are safe. Hopefully the CG was just trying to make your parents aware of the gravity of the situation and the important mementos and heirlooms won't be a total loss.

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  29. Oh Dear! I am so very sorry for your worry and angst. I will continue to hold your entire family up in prayer, for fortitude, strength, and thanksgiving - yes thanksgiving, for the kindness of strangers and ability to get out of there.

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  30. I'm so, so sorry your family is going through this! Even if it is "just things," it's so painful to contemplate the loss of a home. Even though I don't know you, I've been reading your blog for so long I feel like I do. Your family is in my prayers. I'm so glad that for now they are all safe. Continued prayers for your grandpa too.

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  31. I am so glad your parents and brother are safe. Thinking of you all.

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  32. Keeping you and my family in my thoughts. I also saw this article tonight regarding impending (as in, this Friday, Sept. 1) that could dramatically impact insurance claims for flooding. I'm sure it's far from their minds, and it will be some time before the full extent of their losses are known (to the extent they can be measured, in any event), but perhaps you could assist and file the claim on their behalf? https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2017/08/28/lawyers-harvey-victims-file-insurance-claims-law-changes-sept-1-risk-losing-money

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  33. Oh my goodness. Your poor parents. Keeping them in my prayers - I can't imagine the prospect of losing everything.

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  34. Hi Wendy! I understand your question, it's one I would have if I wasn't a Houstonian myself. In short, evacuation is significantly riskier and deadlier than staying put. This NPR article (http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/28/546721363/why-didn-t-officials-order-the-evacuation-of-houston> is helpful in explaining why an evacuation wasn't ordered at the outside. As for my parents individually, we've been through a lot of floods. Big ones. 100-year ones. This turned just out to be a 1,000-year one. While we knew it would be bad, you're generally still safer in your house than you are evacuating. In addition, it's just really, really hard to abandon your home and not know what's happening to it. Some people can do it immediately and they're already gone. That's great; they're safe, and they left before clogging roads was an issue. Al I can say is my parents just aren't that way. It's hard, because I'd kill for them to be safe with me in DFW, but I knew there was no way in hell they'd even consider it, so it's not a realistic option. This is their home and their heart; leaving it under duress and threat of potential loss of life was still awful and hard and my brother had to yell at them to do it. And they'll drive every day from now until the roads are clear to attempt to access it. Overall Houston had significantly less loss of life than other comparable natural disasters and it's because people stayed home until they were evacuated as needed to a nearby dry location. It's odd, and it's been stressful, but at the end of the day, fewer people died in this SIGNIFICANTLY worse weather event than they did in prior weaker ones simply because they stayed in place.

    That doesn't really answer everything because at the end of the day it's in part personality-based. But as to why everyone (or my parents, specifically) didn't leave- it's because they weren't supposed to, and it wouldn't have been safe if they all did. Houston is huge. More than 6 million people can't leave at once. Or even over 2-3 days. So you stay. (And your far-flung family members worry about you every moment you're there.)

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  35. I'm so sorry. Hugs to you.

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  36. Thanks for the reply, LL, and for not taking my question the wrong way. I'm from PA and live in DC Metro area, and don't really have experience with flooding. It's something I wonder about when I see pictures of rescues from disasters like Katrina and now Harvey.

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  37. So sorry for your parents' losses. Thanks for letting us know. Keeping you all in my prayers.

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