Lessons of Allison for people breathing a sigh of relief.

[opera ghost]

This is exceptionally long, but it's as short as I could make it to get my point across.

June, 2001.
Houston, Texas
The First storm of the season.

"It's just not the same as a Hurricane" was my never ending refrain as I watched Allison churn in the Gulf. I told my firends, my family, to wait it out and just settle down for a nasty storm. They'd been coming to me for weather for years- I was THE hurricane expert that everyone knew... and here it was- a tropical storm. I was proven right as we bunkered down for a nasty wind storm, snug as a bug in a friends home. The lights never went out- not even a flicker. I held my hand up to the window and thought how cool it was to feel drafts that heavy. I watched branches from neighborhood trees fly down the street. Somehow not a house on that block managed to have a bit of wind damage... although the wind was truely awesome. I went home more cocky than ever and told everyone that that was that! A tropical storm wasn't bad at all.

That's when I started to hear about some flooding. But hey- with a tropical storm- some people are going to have flooding- you know? It wasn't anyone I knew. I helped my boyfriends aunt slosh the water off her back porch and clean out her gutters so that further flooding woudln't be possible- after all Allison was far away and there was pretty weather moving in.

On the 8th of June, 2 days later, we celebrated my mom's birthday- and watched the forcasters talk about the remnants of Allison moving back towards Houston. At that time it seemed like it would only be a slight worry. The TV news casters seemed unconcerned so that night I went out with my boyfriend to a local comic shop we played Dungeons and Dragons at. We had people in from all parts of the city, one guy from league city- his wife was 8 months pregnant and due any day. One guy caught a bus to the comic shop before the rain began. Several others drifted in from surrounding neighborhoods. It wasn't our regular shop- about 10 miles from my house, and about 8 from my boyfriends- but I had him pick me up because I heard there was still some standing water out that way and he had a minivan. I was driving a sportscar that wasn't paid off yet- so the prospect of standing water was less than pleasent.

People were late. The storm had already started in some parts of the city as early as 10. But by 10:30 we were all there- but several people were looking outside with worry... the standing water had begun to grow with the light rain. The gentleman who's wife was pregnant- and an hour away was especially worried and kept trying to talk us into calling the game on account of rain. Some people made fun of him- but no one complained when he drove off... We played for about 45 min before the contant drizzle of rain had everyone a little apprehensive.

When would it blow over?

All storms blow over eventully- they break after an hour or two and the bayous have a chance to pull the rain away from the low lands. The bayous were our lifeline- and I lived right next to one. After about half an hour of heated debate on whether people should strike out to home and who would give our bus-bound guy a ride- we went back to the windows of the store front and realized... deeply horrified- that that option had been removed.

At first it looked like the rain was hitting the rain soaked street outside the shop-that was pretty normal... then we realized that the sidewalk was gone. The water had rised quickly and unexpectly and we were trapped. Cars were turned so that the engine would be out of the still rising waters- but no one could escape the island of the parking lot. On guy got adventurous and wanted to see how deep it had gotten- so he walked in up to his knees... and came back disheatened- and covered in fireants. We sloshed him off with a water hose and huddled in the shop- waiting for the rain to quit- the water to go down.. and eventully it did. We, my boyfriend and I, were the first to leave- the only ones equipped with a grand caravan and an adventurous nature- we struck out towards my house. You see, my boyfriends house was right next to a smaller bayou tributary and became an island in flooding- we had, at that point, written it off- we couldn't get there- the only hope left were the high roads back towards my apartment- they'd never flooded before. but we coudlnt' even make it that far.

We got half a mile and had to pull into a gas station. The streets looked clear- but there was debris and many intersections went in and out of water that no one could guess the depth of. It took 7 hours to get those 8 miled to his house- my house was blocked on all sides, but somehow West University was above water. all the while it was raining- other people were stranded on gas station islands- some people were crying hysterically. A 2 year old was almost swept away in the current before my eyes when she toddled over sleepily towards her car.

When we finally made it to his house- the sun had already begun to peek through the clouds.... it was gone shortly later as the flooding continued- always more and more rain. When I fianlly amde it home- I was stranded once again- on an island, the water a foot form my downstairs neighbors doorstep- watching as Braes Bayou filled. Wathcing as it flooded. Watches as the neighborhoods around me were decimated by the rising waters.

And I watched as the waters slowly started to retreat. The sun came out. The birds sang. Half of my doctors practice was beneath Methodist Hospital- and the water did not clear out for days. When it did- it wasn't neat. It wasn't clean. Sludge sloshed through the once pritine halls of the basement of the hospital. Power was out- the heat and the smell drove anyone who would go down there out quickly. The computers were a write off- the water rose too fast Friday and Saturday- there was no one there to save them. Soem fo the actual hospital documets were savedby nurses and doctors braving the waters- but our offices were just too deep. The multi million dollar machines that were used in the radiation therepay for hundreds of cancer patients a month... lay quietly in thier underwater tomb. My bosses cried. I watched as my boss stood at the edge of the medical center and just cried. It was gone- half of our practice, half of my liveliehood... was underwater.

My boyfriends aunt spent weeks rebuilding the portion of her house that rotted while she was out of the country. In my neighborhood- carpet rolls were on all the front lawns. People wandered around lost and crying- watching the bayou as it slowly receeded... watching as thier things were washed away. Hundreds of cars were totaled in the attempt to flee the rising waters.

And Allison was "only" a tropical storm. She hit an area that is aware of the danger of hurricanes. It wasn't the wind we had to fear- our buildings were built to code to withstand the initial winds. But the flooding was unimaginable... It was like living in a nightmare. Hurricanes cause at least as much flooding (although people hit by a hurricane rarely have 2 days for the ground to try to soak up the first round) and more wind damage.

Even a category one is a monster that should not be taken lightly- people will die if they're not prepared. ESPECIALLY is this hurricane hits portions of the coast line that havn't been hit in years. Just because she WAS a category 5 does not mean that she should be ignored as a hurricane if she is smaller- even a tropical storm can bring a city to it's knees. Even a tropical storm can kill.

I firmly beleive that some of the true devistation of the cat5's which fade before they hit land is the feeling of relief by residents in it's path

"It's not a cat5- I can take it!"
or
"Wow- it's only a category 3 now! I (my parents, my friends, etc etc) can wait that out"

ALL hurricanes. ALL tropical storms are dangerous. Ask the people who are getting flooded by the remnants of Henri. Ask the people who are still rebuilding 2 years after Allison. No breath of relief shoudl be taken by those who are in Isabels path- take that breath after you survey the destruction. the difference between a category 5 and a category 3 may only be as subtle as one or two trees left standing- or a roof gone versus a roof gone AND a wall collapsed from the wind. Regardless you will have hudreds of people without homes after this- the only breath of relief to be taken is that they might be able to rebuild from the askes instead of starting from a pile of rubble.

And trust me- as someone still rebuilding (Doctors are still rebuilding the office that was destroyed in Allison) 2 years later- that's not much of a distinction when you're running for cover or preparing for it to come your way.

[Rainband]

Great perspective..thanks

[GalvestonDuck]

Excellent, OG!

[caribepr]

Great points and really well written also...could be a short story, I wanted to know what happened next;)

[TUscALooSA]

Allison's impacts were also very far-reaching. Here is my story with photos:

http://www.der-geograf.com/allison.html

[Deenac813]

Great post & story.. We had flooding like that during Hurricane Irene.. my neighbors backyard was a lake & kids were rowing their boats in it.. All storms need to be taken very seriously!

[Houstonia]

As corny as it sounds, anyone who lived in Allison's path two years ago will never forget her.

It was also the begining of a very very bad year...


On a weirder note, I would like to know where y'all hang out and play D&D at!!!

~H~

[opera ghost]

As corny as it sounds, anyone who lived in Allison's path two years ago will never forget her.

It was also the begining of a very very bad year...


On a weirder note, I would like to know where y'all hang out and play D&D at!!!

~H~

Alan (boyfriend turned husband) thinks that Pheonix closed down recently (That's where we were- in the montrose area) But I know that C3 is still open in the Shepherd/59 area- and that's where we currently play when we play- we're in between D&D games right now Aside from that- D&D at friends houses during the summer when we have enough friends in from college to get a group together

[abajan]

ALL hurricanes. ALL tropical storms are dangerous. Ask the people who are getting flooded by the remnants of Henri. Ask the people who are still rebuilding 2 years after Allison. No breath of relief shoudl be taken by those who are in Isabels path- take that breath after you survey the destruction.

Each system is unique: some turn out to be quite devastating, others turn out to be pussycats. But I do agree that no breath of relief should be taken till they've passed because of their inherant unpredictability.

Great story, though. Good food for thought.

[deb_in_nc]

I remember when Irene came through, she dumped
18+" at my house. Luckily we live at a higher elevation than most of the areas around here. It ran off real fast here. I thought like you that it would be a little windy and some rain. That was in 24 hrs. I guess I was a lot luckier than most around here.

Debbie

[MsBooKitty1]

Opera Ghost...how well I remember sitting here in awe and watching the tv all night. I couldn't believe what was happening to ya'll and I was only an hour away. We had some rain...but very little compared to what ya'll had.

When you see an 18 wheeler covered in water....it gets your attention.

My heart went out to all of you.

[AussieMark]

I agree

Didn't people breathe a sign of Relief when Floyd weakened to a category 2 about about this time

[Stormsfury]

Exceptional post, opera ghost.

SF

[Pebbles]

I agree

Didn't people breathe a sign of Relief when Floyd weakened to a category 2 about about this time

Something I hope everyone remembers! It's not over and the flooding situation isn't much better this time around.

[tallbunch]

Great stories!

[GalvestonDuck]

As corny as it sounds, anyone who lived in Allison's path two years ago will never forget her.

It was also the begining of a very very bad year...


On a weirder note, I would like to know where y'all hang out and play D&D at!!!

~H~

Where have you been hiding?

And congrats -- you're now a tropical low!