Let it snow!
Here in south Texas nobody gets excited about a forecast that calls for some sleet or freezing rain. But talk about snow and everyone’s ears perk up!
Houston Hurricane Information
| Note: This information was compiled from a collection of hurricane resources gathered after Ike. I thought most of this information would be useful for future hurricanes or tropical storms in Houston, that is why I am posting this. – - Thanks! |
| Monitoring the Weather and Determining Whether To Evacuate |
| Monitoring the Weather and Determining Whether To Evacuate |
Everyone must make their own decision whether to evacuate. Some factors include:
- - The severity of the storm – websites listed below can help with wind and flooding predictions
- - Your health and the health of your family members – hospitals in the area might not be open, medicine like insulin might require power/refrigeration that could be unavailable for quite some time after the storm
- - Young children – living without A/C and lights can be difficult, along with lack of refrigeration (e.g., milk)
- - Your neighborhood – if you have property that is likely to flood or trees that can come down on top of your house, you might be more likely to want to leave the area
Weather Underground is great website for tracking the hurricane. I like the “5 Day Forecast” and “Computer Models” links under “Tropical/Hurricane.”
http://www.wunderground.com/
Storm Pulse is another great website
http://www.stormpulse.com
National Hurricane Center (NOAA)
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml
http://nationalmap.gov – find the elevation of your house above sea level. This is a USGS site. Click on Go to Viewer on the left, then in the viewer click on Find Place and you can point the map to your address. Note that the streets are overlaid on a topo map, and the placement isn’t exact – in my neighborhood the drainage ditch is visible in the terrain, but it’s located about where my house is according to the street maps, so you have to kind of check the elevations around the area where you live to get a good sense of about what it is. Also keep in mind I don’t know what the resolution of the data is – it could be significant.
http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/safety/SeniorStaff/2005/JSC_Senior_Staff_1_Pager_2005_0404.ppt - JSC simulation of hurricane flood waters. Simulated flooding in the Galveston and southeast Houston areas at different storm surge heights (clear lake area is towards the end of the presentation). Eerily, this was done in April of the year that Katrina and Rita occurred! Note also that the hurricane categories are based only on wind speed and are for “average-sized” storms. Large storms such as Ike can cause a much greater storm surge and damage than their “category” would imply.
http://houstonhidefromthewind.org – this site was on the City of Houston website and provided the predicted sustained wind speeds from Ike by zip code prior to the storm. The site does not appear to be functioning right now, and zip codes that had mandatory evacuation orders only stated that fact instead of posting wind predictions. Perhaps they’ll reactivate the site when the next storm is headed this way.
http://www.tsarp.org – Tropical Storm Allison Recovery Project has interesting information developed after TS Allison flooded much of Houston a few years ago
http://flood.firetree.net/?ll=29.5657,-95.0890&z=3&m=4&t=2 – Interactive Flood Map – Drag the map to your location and set keep increasing the Flood level in meters until you find your properties threshold.
Harris County Flood Control district has a free hurricane tracking program that also has useful info like maps of evacuation routes & contraflow lanes, and disaster checklists – it’s updated every year. http://www.hcfcd.org
Monitor local media broadcasts such as 740-AM Radio, the designated Emergency Alert System for this area, for current storm information.
| Monitoring the Weather and Determining Whether To Evacuate test test test test t |
| Early Preparations |
| Monitoring the Weather and Determining Whether To Evacuate |
Decide if you will evacuate for a big storm (if not evacuating, still make some preparations including a list of items you would need in case of evacuation). Some folks will opt to not evacuate despite warnings, but I know I will be evacuating. Keep in mind that in addition to high winds and water levels, you also could lose power, water and access to any stores, etc. for quite some time, and your car could end up trapped in your garage if the streets are flooded, stranding you.
If you opt to stay, make sure you have enough food, water, batteries, radios, flashlights, gasoline, etc. to stay (see National Hurricane Center website and other websites for a better list).
Do not under estimate your prep time for getting out the door (gathering the critical items such as medicine/documents/pictures & getting your house ready …etc). It can take a lot more time than you think. Create a checklist so you know what you are going to do prior to GO time. Having your portable file box(s), house prep materials already purchased takes a lot of pressure off and makes it quicker to exit the area when the time comes.
Determine who you will evacuate with. If you don’t have family with you, talk to others in the group and you might want to find a buddy that is also solo. Talk to the newer folks and make sure they have a plan. A note from Karina:
- - I highly recommend evacuating with someone else – either in the same vehicle or a caravan. I was really glad to be with friends when we were all stuck in that horrible traffic during Rita.
Determine where you would go. Hotels will book up fast, so you might consider making reservations that you can cancel if it looks like you won’t need them.
Gas up your car and buy a gas can in case of severe traffic or after-hurricane shortages. Note from Karina:
- - Definitely fill up your gas tank and make hotel reservations early. Prior to Rita, the hotels outside of Houston were filled up by Tuesday, most people left town Wed/Thur and Rita didn’t hit until Saturday. Just earlier this month when Edouard was on his way here, local gas stations were out of the “cheap” gas by the time we all left work.
Figure out how to board up your house or install hurricane shutters – don’t wait until the very last minute to start thinking about this or else you won’t be able to buy the supplies you need (stores will sell out). If a hurricane turns our way, you’ll want to already know what you need to buy and beat people to the hardware store in the days leading up the hurricane. You might want to talk to your neighbors about a ‘you help me and I’ll help you’ exchange.
Valuable commodities after a hurricane are generators and chain saws (in addition to gas to run them). If you use a generator, DO NOT keep it inside or near a window – many people die after each major hurricane from carbon monoxide poisoning from the exhaust. Also, recognize that you are not a lumberjack, so use serious caution.
Walkie-talkies are very valuable for communication between vehicles to discuss route and so on. Cell phone lines get jammed up, and we use a lot of minutes calling friends & family for traffic/route/status.
You can check the “Be Prepared” link on the left column on this website to see some ways to prepare.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
IF YOU HAVEN’T WEATHERED THIS TYPE OF WEATHER BEFORE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE COME SEE SOMEONE ON THE MANAGEMENT TEAM
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| Early Preparations |
| Monitoring the Weather and Determining Whether To Evacuat |
Many people fall and hurt themselves during hurricane shutter installation or during cleanup after the hurricane. Be very careful, don’t lean, etc.!
Here’s some info on hurricane shutters that was presented to the MOD Safety & Total Health committee as well as links and stuff Karina collected:
http://modspops.jsc.nasa.gov/mod/MOD%20Meetings%20%20Reports/MOD%20Safety%20and%20Total%20Health%20Committee/Safety%20and%20Total%20Health%20Day%202005/hurricane%20shutters%20MOD.ppt
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/shutters/index2.html
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/weather_sub/shutters.html
http://www.pbcgov.com/pzb/building/hurricane/AppendixI.pdf
http://www.plylox.com/
Water Container for Your Bathtub
http://www.waterbob.com/Welcome.do;jsessionid=C465428862A0E104D4DFB0BACF1FEA5E
You can also get collapsible 5 gallon water containers (designed for camping) – Karina got some at REI for $8 each and they fold up to store in the garage. If you decide not to evacuate, you’re supposed to have a gallon of water per person per day and assume at least 3 days without power after a storm, maybe longer before they confirm the water is safe to drink.
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| Early Preparations |
| Evacuation |
Here is the Houston evacuation plan.
http://www.houstontx.gov/oem/evac.html
Houston area traffic maps for your Blackberry or mobile phone:
http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/mobile/
http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxforms/12-302.pdf – State hotel tax exemption form. Check the 3rd box (Other), and write Hurricane Ike evacuation in the “Exempt Status” box. Fax to your hotel and request that they refund you the tax. If you got your room via Hotels.com or something, you may have to do this through them instead of the hotel directly. Governor’s proclamation: http://governor.state.tx.us/news/proclamation/11227/ . More info on the TX State Comptroller’s website: http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/disaster_relief_faq.html – scroll down to the bottom of the page for info on this topic (tells how to fill out the form).
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| JSC Operations |
| Monitoring the Weather and Determining Whether To Evacuate |
For hurricane threats, the Director of Center Operations will declare the JSC’s threat levels in accordance with JSC Hurricane/Severe Weather Plan (Appendix 2, JSC-05900, JSC Emergency Preparedness Plan). When no threat is posed to JSC, the level is 5. As a hurricane develops and poses a threat to JSC, the levels are dropped and continue to do so if the threat persists. The Center Operations Directorate declares JSC threat levels based on the Hurricane Category (as measured by the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale, which increases as strength of storm increases), predicted path of the hurricane verses location of JSC, and any local and environmental factors at the time.
JSC website has an emergency alert area on the home page:
http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/
Inside NASA/EOC website
www.nasa.gov/eoc
Call the Emergency Information Lines (EIL) as needed to stay abreast of the Center’s status for reopening. The local telephone number is 281-483-3351. In the event that local communications are disrupted, JSC has a toll-free EIL hosted at the Marshall Spaceflight Center (MSFC) at 1-877-283-1947. Both telephone lines typically carry the same information, but the toll-free number will be available regardless of where employees are located (i.e., if evacuated). Ham radio volunteer operators at JSC and MSFC will be used to provide updated information during normal telephone disruptions.
On your desktop on the lower right corner is a SyREN icon. You can put your phone number in it and you will get updates via automated phone calls
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| After the Hurricane |
| Monitoring the Weather and Determining Whether To Evacuate |
Call this number and/or check this website to determine when to come back: The JSC Emergency Information Lines 281-483-3351 (local) and 877-283-1947 (toll free) will continue to be updated with recorded messages for employees on the status of JSC. Also, the Inside NASA/EOC website www.nasa.gov/eoc will be updated as long as communications remain intact. If required, you can also call the JSC Employee Information Service at 281-483-6765 to obtain information.
Call your NASA group lead and/or your contractor supervisor to check in. 100% of our folks will need to be accounted for (that they are safe, any damage to their homes, where they are staying, etc.).
In addition to reporting your status to your supervisor employees are encouraged to call the Employee Information Service toll free number 877-470-5240 to report their location.
DRIVING: People will blow right through intersections that have no light – be very, very careful. Drive slowly and treat all intersections with non-functioning or red flashing traffic lights like a 4-way stop. Be prepared for debris on the roads. Not all traffic lights are operating consistently and many traffic signs have been damaged in the storm.
These safety reminders bear repeating:
- - If you use a generator, DO NOT keep it inside or near a window – many people die after each major hurricane from carbon monoxide poisoning from the exhaust.
- - Recognize that you are not a lumberjack, so use serious caution.
- -Use PPE – gloves, safety glasses, dust masks.
- -Many people fall and hurt themselves during hurricane shutter installation or during cleanup after the hurricane. Be very careful, don’t lean, etc.!
League City website is frequently updated with information on whether you can drink the water, which businesses are open in the area, etc.
http://www.leaguecity.com/
For power outage and restoration maps:
http://www.centerpointenergy.com/staticfiles/home.html
Good forum was up for Hurricane Ike to ask about neighborhood statuses. They will likely have it set up based on sections of Houston, Clear Lake, etc.
http://www.khou.com/forums/index.php
There was also some helpful info on
http://weatherblog.abc13.com/
For gas:
http://gasbuddy.com
http://houstongasprices.com
Around site after the hurricane:
- - Shoes – wear closed toe, flat shoes with a gripper sole. Slippery walkways exist at JSC as crews work to clean up leaves and other debris. Make sure to wear your sturdiest shoes when returning to JSC for your safety.
- - Water in ceiling tiles and light fixtures – if you see it, don’t poke it! Many ceiling tiles and light fixtures got wet during the storm and may become wet in subsequent rains. Most have been addressed but if you see one that looks like it is holding water, leave it alone and contact your facility manager to have it taken care of.
- - Fire alarms: Due to fluctuations in power and sensors, there are likely to be several building fire alarms that trigger next week. Please treat every fire alarm seriously and evacuate your building to your pre-designated location. Once out of the building, report to your organization’s fire warden.
- - Take a look around. Please report any minor damages or office condition concerns to your respective Facility Manager. They will have specific instructions on office assessment and repair.
- - Clean out the fridge. Avoid eating any foods in small refrigerators on site. Contents of personal use and organizational use refrigerators should be cleared of spoiled food. Alert your building custodial staff of wastes to be disposed of from your refrigerators.
- - Stay out of the way. Please don’t attempt major clean-up or repairs in your area.
At home – check the vent lines in your attic. Even if the hurricane left the stack sticking out of the roof, the line may have been broken inside your attic. So as you’re assessing damage up there, check the integrity of the vent lines. You’ll be glad you did when it comes time to start the furnace.
If the email system is down, those with Blackberries can communicate directly via phone towers using Blackberry PINs:
http://ird.jsc.nasa.gov/PhoneServices/psdocs/Site%20Documents/bb_pins.xls
PIN-to-PIN communication briefing:
http://ird.jsc.nasa.gov/PhoneServices/psdocs/Site%20Documents/BlackBerry%20PIN%20to%20PIN4.ppt
| Securing Your Homeand Determining Whether To Evacuate test test test test t |
| Important Numbers |
| Securing Your Homeand Determining Whether To Evacuate test test test test t |
Centerpoint Energy: 713-207-2222 Report Power Lines Down
Social Security Assistance: 1-800-772-1213 (if you haven’t received your assistance)
TXDot: 713-802-5076 or 1-800-452-9292 (Road Closures)
FEMA: 800-621-FEMA (3362) or www.fema.gov (Housing Assistance)
Red Cross: 713-313-5286 (Shelters)
The Red Cross updates Points of Distribution on a daily basis: http://houstonredcross.org/
Missing Persons: 713-313-1656
Report Price Gouging: 800-252-8011 or 713-755-2648
SPCA Pets: 713-861-0161
PoD Locations: 713-881-3100
Debris: 800-207-2325 (How to Set up Debris for Disposal & pickup schedule
JSC vs. Ike
| Johnson Space Center |
| Effective since: Sunday, September 14, 2008 1:30 PM EDT |
| NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston remains closed and likely will be limited to recovery operations for the next week. Johnson may not be open for normal operations until the week of Sept. 21.
The 65-member team that rode out Hurricane Ike at Johnson has begun to transition to recovery operations, cleaning up debris, restoring power and other center facilities and infrastructure. A damage assessment team determined that the Sonny Carter Training Facility near Johnson appears to be undamaged. The International Space Station continues to be controlled by NASA flight controllers who were dispatched to the Austin, Texas, area and Huntsville, Ala., prior to the onset of the storm. It is too early to know what effect, if any, the hurricane will have on upcoming space shuttle launches. Johnson employees are encouraged to call the JSC Emergency Information Line locally at 281-483-3351, or remotely, toll-free, at 1-877-283-1947, for updated information, including when they should return to work. In the meantime, employees will continue in an excused leave status until the Center reopens. Please call the Marshall Hotline at 877-470-5240 to check-in and give your location. We want to account for all employees as quickly as possible. In the event employees may require additional time off to secure their homes (e.g. regain utilities) , supervisors will have the ability to grant additional excused leave. We’ll provide more guidance later in the week. |
Bend over Houston Ike is coming…
Alright so I woke up this morning with a phone call from my buddy Kurt telling me to check the news because Houston just issued a mandatory evacuation for Galveston and several zip codes of southeast Houston which of course my zip code was included in the mandatory evac. I’m trying to hurricane proof my apartment as fast as possible and pack enough clothes to last the duration of my exile from home.
I will give some more updates when I finally get to Austin.
Coming to a city near you…
(MJ) out