Hurricane Season

High anxiety. No...not the Mel Brooks movie.

June 1 marked the beginning of Hurricane Season. I never really worried about hurricanes until I moved to Houston in 1992. And that was a couple of weeks before Hurricane Andrew slammed Florida and headed into the Gulf.

So for the past 15 years I get a knot in my stomach when the forecasters start with their predictions. This year Channel 2 KPRC the Education Station stated that they will NOT scare us. I think everybody did a good job of that with Hurricane Rita in September 2005.

I was one of the 2.5 million residents who fled when Rita was predicted to be a Category 5 heading toward Galveston-Houston. I wasn't worried about flooding but I was worried about the wind damage and the possibility of being without utilities after the storm.

So I loaded up the car with items that couldn't be replaced:

• photos that my parents had given me of my grandparents
• photos of friends
• some clothes (including one pair of: Kenneth Cole shoes; Cole-Haan shoes; Diesel shoes; New Balance running shoes; Puma shoes)
• one bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet and one bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay
• and of course my best buddy and companion Calvin (see above photo)

I guess I was naive in thinking that it would be a short trip so I didn't take much food or water and I paid the price for that later. With limited water and a small supply of Power Bars, Clif Bars and Calvin's food and treats we left Houston at around 400A. It took us 27 hours to get to Joe & Helen's house (aka my parents) in Haltom City.

Calvin was a real trooper (except for the time that he tried to jump out the window of the car and I had to grab him by the tail). I rationed the water until I was able to purchase some in the wee hours of the morning from a vending machine in the middle of who-knows-where.

Gas was a valuable commodity. It reminded me of a Mad Max movie.

I've tried not to second guess the decision to evacuate because I know what was in my mind when I made the decision. The next time a Category 5 is heading for me I may leave sooner than later. I'll definitely take more water with me and a variety of snacks.

In the meantime, I need to stock up on my hurricane supplies. Which reminds me of a news story from a few years ago that was forwarded to me. On the eve of a hurricane that was due to make land fall in Louisiana, a resident who did not evacuate was asked if he had his hurricane supplies. He replied that he had his loaf of bread, beer and cigarettes.