deb, Save the Children has a Hurricane Harvey relief fund that is highly recommended.
And evacuation plans are on a case by case basis.
@deb922 I saw this list today:
http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/ways-can-help-people-hurricane-harvey/
They are only evacuating areas that will definitely flood. In those areas they give the exact evacuation route to take. In one area there were no safe ways out so they told them to make their way to the town hall and from there National Guard is taking them to shelters. Lots of people with boats are helping people get to town hall. The information is excellent. They are telling the right people to leave and the right people to stay put if it is safer.
The lunch room tv was tuned to CNN today, and this image is now playing over and over in my head: 5 wet cats siting quietly in a small wire cage while a guy is loading the cage into a boat… just sitting there, no fights, no howling… under pouring rain. A man helping an old guy carrying his doggies in a plastic cooler…
Daughter’s friend lives in Houston. Two days ago when daughter checked on her she said they didn’t even have a puddle outside the house. Yesterday mid day she send a photo of their car in the driveway with water up to the windows. Yesterday evening when I checked she said they were okay. Not long after that they were being evacuated. Things can change VERY quickly. Our thoughts are with all of you in the path of the flooding.
@busdriver11 The current recommendation is to stay put and off the roads if you are in a house that is not flooded and not in a mandatory evacuation area. The mandatory evacuation areas now include areas around rising rivers and reservoirs. It’s been raining all day, about 6 to 10 inches in most areas. The street in front of my house is flooded and impassable again. Many roads in Houston, including major freeways, are still flooded and impassable if you’re not in a boat. In simplest terms, “you can’t get there from here” is where many Houstonians find ourselves tonight. It changes quickly. People trying to get out of the mandatory evacuation zones on the west side today were told recommended routes, by government officials, only to find those routes flooded by the time they got there. It’s still a very dynamic situation. I’m praying that the emergency rescues and shelters will be running more smoothly by tomorrow. Things sounded a bit more organized at the last news briefing. Thanks for your interest and concern. These are tough questions we will be asking for a long time. Our abc station, KTRK, is broadcasting on their internet site if you want a more complete picture of what it looks like. Not sure what the national stations are showing.
How is San antonio
@busdriver11 Glad you got out of dodge before Andrew hit!
Last year there was a “1000 year flood” just a couple of hours away from this new one, near Baton Rouge and Lafayette, LA. More than 2 feet of rain fell. I donated then to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. Not only did they need money for food, but their warehouses and office had flooded so they needed to replace computers and food that had to be discarded. That flood came up rather quickly as well.
This time, I will give a donation to the Houston Food Bank. I’m not sure if they flooded, but people will need their services either way.
The MD Anderson Cancer center has flooded and has stopped treatments until Wednesday the earliest. They could probably use donations as well.
If it’s anything like last year, there will be lots of rebuilding going on for months. I will try to find a good list of organizations that help with that. I know Home Depot has pledged 1 million dollars or something. A drop in the bucket is better than nothing!
There have been frightening reports of a chemical spill and many possible releases of toxins in the Houston - Port Arthur areas. Yikes…
Honestly, I had no idea Houston was the 4th largest city in the US. What a logistical nightmare. This really could happen anywhere, even if the details are different. I’m grateful that Houston is pretty flat, if there were hills, all that water would be rushing, like it did in SC a couple of years ago.
San Antonio is fine. People should come here.
About flood insurance - it doesn’t have to be hideously expensive. I think we pay $500-600/year. Get it now if you don’t have it and then if something like this happens near you you won’t be left holding the bag. If you have flood insurance, it will transfer to the next owner of your property so that is a good selling point for savvy buyers.
Thank you @greenwitch. Great ideas. Any pet rescues to donate?
http://www.nola.com/pets/index.ssf/2017/08/want_to_help_pets_displaced_by.html
More ideas here too, some of them pet relief ideas.
I love that the Houston Chronicle is up and running, even if it’s probably not being delivered!
I was thinking about this last night. I’d be scared to drive knowing that when night came any bend or hill could lead to a lake where there used to be a road. Water you can see is bad enough. Water you can’t – especially water that might carry snakes and gators – is more than I’d want to handle.
Trying not to be political here, but practical (although the irony makes me want to cry…)
If you have an insurance claim, you need to file BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1 (this FRIDAY), or a new TX state law goes into effect that will seriously limit your rights vs. your insurance company.
http://www.educationviews.org/affected-hurricane-harvey/
http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/28/news/texas-insurance-bill/index.html
ETA- this doesn’t affect federal flood insurance, just private insurance and your ability to sue later if they don’t pay.
@BunsenBurner The list I posted a page back recommended the SPCA
https://www.spca.org/news_hurricane-harvey
Thank you!!!
I’m an atheist, so don’t take this as an ad for religion, but major religious charities are good in disasters. Catholic Charities is one such. https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/CCUSADISASTER
Just not Joel Osteen.