Re: Ike

Not great but less horrible than last week.  Went back to work today.
Thanks 4 asking dear.

On 9/22/08, Kitty <kmrsy@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> And how are you feeling now, Pam?
>
> Kitty
> neIN, Zone 5
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pam Evans" <gardenqueen@gmail.com>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 5:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [CHAT] Ike
>
>
> Very DELIGHTED to hear you & the babies are ok!   Very sorry about the roof
>> and the house.  I think Ike was as bad as Alicia, and she was terrible. Is
>> there anything you need that I can send to you?   I mean it.
>>
>> On 9/22/08, TeichFauna@aol.com <TeichFauna@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Hi all.....thanks for the many birthday wishes and concerns.  I
>>> appreciate
>>> it very much!!! Needless to say, this was a memorable birthday, not  one
>>> that I
>>> would want to repeat though, not any time soon....if ever.
>>>
>>> Wow, how much we take the everyday things in life for granted.  Boy  does
>>> it
>>> feel good to have electricity back after 9 days!!!  We are lucky,  there
>>> are
>>> still over a million in the Houston area without it, and we were
>>> also  lucky to
>>> have a bit of a break in the heat right after the storm....having to live
>>> without A/C, ice, etc.
>>> We were fortunate to have running water, and gas stove instead of elect.
>>> so
>>> we were able to light the stove with a match to cook much of the food
>>> before
>>> it  spoiled.  I sure learned a lot about what to do prior to a storm that
>>> nobody usually tells you about....such as empty as much of your freezer
>>> and
>>> refrigerator as possible the days before a storm is to hit.......even if
>>> it
>>> doesn't come your way, at least you have a clean frig. LOL   But we  were
>>> always
>>> told that a full freezer keeps the food longer....HA, not for
>>> 9  days....despite
>>> daily visits to the FEMA trailers almost 20 miles away for ice,
>>> etc.....of
>>> course much of it was melted by the time we got home....but every
>>> bit  helped.
>>> Apparently FEMA didn't think the surrounding Counties other than
>>> Galveston
>>> and Harris needed supplies....but that is another issue.  Luckily  as
>>> power
>>> was
>>> restored to many businesses closer to us, we were able to get a  little
>>> ice
>>> through their generosity.
>>>
>>> They said that Ike was only a Cat. 2, however the storm was as large  as
>>> most
>>> Cat 4 storms, and thus had the storm surge of a Cat 4  or 5.  This became
>>> apparent on Friday morning, 20 hours before  landfall, when Galveston and
>>> the
>>> coastal areas were already experiencing  significant flooding due to the
>>> tides
>>> being much higher than usual.  By  noon, 12+ hours before landfall, the
>>> experts
>>> were saying that the flooding  was worse than they had seen with Edouard,
>>> Rita
>>> or even Alicia.   The  city of Houston, although not directly on the
>>> coast,
>>> was bracing for the worst  by then, because all the storm drains from our
>>> streets (Houston and  surrounding counties) flow to the many Bayous,
>>> which
>>> in turn
>>> flow into the  Gulf.  The Bayous were already rising prior to the actual
>>> storm
>>> surge  getting there.
>>>
>>> The winds picked up friday afternoon, by friday evening we had already
>>> lost
>>> power.  We were right on the edge of the eye, so our winds never did let
>>> up
>>> at all, except changing directions.  The back half of the storm had much
>>> higher winds, in excess of 100 mph, which did the most damage to trees,
>>> houses,
>>> the downtown Houston area, etc.  The storm surge was much greater
>>> than  anyone
>>> could have anticipated.  All in all, many paid too much attention to  the
>>> "Catagory 2 rating" and didn't anticipate Cat 4 or 5 strength winds
>>> and  surge.
>>> Far too many didn't evacuate thinking that they had riden out many  Cat 3
>>> storms, so a Cat 2 would not be so bad.
>>>
>>> On a personal note....we did suffer a bit of damage with the storm. We
>>> didn't flood, although the water did come into the house a bit, but not
>>> bad  enough
>>> that we were not able to keep a handle on it.  However, our  neighbors
>>> huge
>>> tree just blew apart and most of it landed on our yard and  roof.  Of
>>> course at
>>> night we didn't realize much, since it was at the other  end of the
>>> house.
>>> There was so much noise, we didn't realize what really  was happening,
>>> and
>>> with
>>> the pouring rain and everything pitch dark, was hard to  see what was
>>> crashing where.  The next morning we looked out the window to  see a lot
>>> of
>>> debris
>>> all over our yard, all the fences down, and the back yard  flooded.  Did
>>> see a
>>> spot on the cieling in the living room  dripping...put a bucket under
>>> it.  It
>>> was still pouring continuously  and tropical storm force winds that
>>> day...but
>>> we went out several  times to try to locate the box turtles that we were
>>> unable
>>> to find the days  before the storm to bring in. Did locate all but two,
>>> unfortunately.  DH saw a huge branch on the roof, that had pulled down
>>> the
>>> gutter
>>> to my office....through the rain and debris, and at an odd angle  it
>>> didn't
>>> look like too much damage to the roof other than several shingles
>>> damaged,
>>> and
>>> some shingles gone.  Came inside to find that the cieling had  fallen in
>>> the
>>> living room, and then heard another crash, the cieling to the  office
>>> came
>>> down.  We then saw that the plywood sheathing had areas where  it had
>>> caved
>>> in
>>> from the large limbs hitting the roof. You could see clear  out to the
>>> sky.
>>>
>>> Anyway, needless to say, we spent the next 4 days putting up and securing
>>> tarps on the roof, moving tons of wet things, a lot of books that  I
>>> didn't
>>> want
>>> to part with...so I put paper towels between each page to absorb  the
>>> water.
>>> (Had learned that from a flood we had 20 years  ago.) Unfortunately I did
>>> find damage to several old family  pictures.....that probably hurt the
>>> worst.
>>> DH moved furniture  and cut out the wet carpet and removed it.  Needless
>>> to
>>> say, our  house literally looks like Ike marched through it.  We have
>>> boxes,
>>> books, papers, etc. stacked on every chair, table, and any other
>>> surface  one can
>>> imagine.  It's like a maze getting through the house.   Definitely a good
>>> thing that we dont' have to "show" anything  at any plant shows for the
>>> next
>>> months, because if I thought my  plants weren't perfect before....you
>>> should see
>>> them now.   (smile)   No, it's not that bad....despite how terrible
>>> disastrous
>>> the  yard initially looked, after removing an awful lot of debris, a
>>> lot  more
>>> survived than didn't and hopefully will bounce back nicely.  The  shrubs
>>> and
>>> trees are very lopsided, and many needed serious pruning to cut  out the
>>> damaged limbs, but hopefully in a year or so it'll all be back
>>> in  shape.  However,
>>> despite all this, we were very fortunate......we  still have a house, we
>>> still have our lives, our "kids" are fine (although  shaken
>>> up)......there
>>> are so
>>> many that sustained far more damage, some not even  having a house to go
>>> home
>>> to.  And countless people still unaccounted  for.
>>> Like many others, I still can't sleep through the night, waking up  with
>>> every noise.......but that too will pass.
>>>
>>> Anyway, thanks again, and please keep the folks here that are less
>>> fortunate, and those in other states in your thoughts and prayers.
>>>
>>> Noreen
>>> zone 9
>>> Texas Gulf Coast
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
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>>>
>>
>> --
>> Pam Evans
>> Kemp TX
>> zone 8A
>>
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> 4:08 PM
>
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-- 
Pam Evans
Kemp TX
zone 8A

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