Our First Hurricane Season in TX - tips? (Houston, Dallas: renting, hotel)

[Sampaguita]

We've been here about 6.5 months now and I see that Hurricane Season is just around the corner.

Having never lived in the Houston area before, I am wondering if there are essentials that we should have on hand for preparedness (http://www.khou.com/images/0605/hurricanepreps.pdf - broken link) and disaster supply kits (http://www.khou.com/news/local/galveston/stories/khou070514_mh_emergencykit.6b759d6b.html - broken link). The links are from khou.

What do you think of those lists & recommendations? Are any of them overkill? Unnecessary? Anything left out?

We are renting a house up in The Woodlands - the brick house is surrounded by trees and has large windows and/or glass doors everywhere.

We would probably not try to ride out any severe hurricane warnings simply because DH has MS and is in motorized wheelchair so evac'ing him in an extreme emergency would be dicey. Not like I could easily get him up to a rooftop to await rescue nor would we want to burden emergency workers if it can be avoided by early planning. We also have 14 month old children.

Thanks for weighing in!

[jfre81]

I don't think you will be needing a rooftop rescue in The Woodlands. You're more likely to have a tree busting your roof from the outside rather than you busting it from the inside with a hatchet.

The basic hurricane preparedness stuff is pretty much what you need. A generator would be nice to have.

[Malvie]

A generator (sufficient size!) and gasoline (multiple large containers) are pretty solid necessities. Of course, if you plan to evac, you would need to prepare differently---keep the car packed with clothes, duplicate prescription drugs, etc. Our problem was the lack of services after the blow, not the blow itself.

Otherwise, as someone else said, the lists from your sources are accurate.

A survey of your house, wherein you look to see any branches that might be threatening roof, windows etc is good.

If The Woodlands floods, we're all down the tubes (it likely won't ever flood up there, other than just flooding from the rains themselves---and we had a foot of rain in 6 hours here just the other day. The flooding in Katrina was caused by levees breaking, not from rain.).

[citizen_jane]

I agree with the others. The most likely scenario in the Woodlands is a tree falling on your house and/or an extended power outage. Prepare for those 2 outcomes.

If you do decide that you want to evacuate then please, please, please do it early and before they people that are in mandatory zones are on the roads. They MUST leave and you're taking up resources because you want to leave. Hotel rooms will be difficult to find and if you're in one then someone from a evacuation zone can not be.

[eloon]

When we moved here last July we went out and got a big rubbermaid tub and filled it with all the essentials: canned food of enough variety to last a while, batteries, flashlights, hammer, nails, screws, duct tape, small thing of bleach, etc. Can't even remember what all is in it now. A battery powered radio and some fans aren't a bad idea either. There are plenty of lists online that you can use to draw from.

I think it's nice having almost everything we'd need already put together in one place. Do it before hurricane season really gets going before they start jacking up the price on flashlights and such. It's just comforting to know that we're covered in the event of a power outage. The Thursday before Ike last year, I went ahead and made a trip to Lowes and Kroger, just to pick up a couple more things that I wanted to have (and to Spec's!), and it was much better than running around like crazy trying to think of everything we needed and buy it all at the same time everybody else was as well.

[EasilyAmused]

JUST PLEASE...WOODLANDS PERSON... don't cram onto the roads and evacuate to Dallas before the Clear Lake and Galveston people have a chance to get out first.

[Poltracker]

A good way to learn is to attend your local workshops and/or the Houston Galveston Hurricane Workshop see the link here: NWS Houston/Galveston | Tropical Weather | 2009 Houston/Galveston Preparedness Meetings (http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/tropical/meetings/meetings09.htm - broken link)

Next week is hurricane preparedness week and a lot of info will be available here: National Hurricane Preparedness Week

[Kandy]

No worries! Just watch the newspapers and TV next week and prepare to be bombarded with Hurricane preparedness week. The biggest concern in your area is trees (falling on homes) and power outages. ~K~

[LizzySWW]

I think you'll be fine up in the Woodlands. Maybe power loss & some trees down. Have a generator & a chainsaw!

[txstate]

Get to know your neighbors during Ike I saw the most amazing thing ever in Houston, neighbors and people who didnt know each other lend a helping hand when the city was trying to come up with a plan. Proactivitness ( made up word) is the key.