Should I Stay or Should I Go?

That's me, stuck on a downed tree during my last kayak camping trip.

Stay in town for the weekend, or go on the annual Sabine River kayak trip, that is.  It's a three-day kayak camping trip that takes place along the Texas / Louisianna border each Labor Day weekend. 


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The new tropical disturbance in the Gulf is frightening me.  I want to go, but I'm not sure my paddling skills are adequate to cope with 50 mph winds and flooding rivers if that storm develops.

Not only would it be a much-needed weekend escape, it would make a great post for my new travel blog.  I may have to sit this one out, though.  Maybe I remember enough details to post about my Village Creek trip...         

Flood Insurance

And Ike was just a cat 2.  Keep in mind the seawall is 17 feet high and normally far from the water's edge.  The building at the beginning is the Balinese Room that Z Z Top immortalized.  It did not survive the night.


Should I buy flood insurance?  I've moved into a hurricane evacuation zone, and watching The Weather Channel's reports on Irene have made me think.  My my new chair ought to be safe since I live on the second floor, but I keep my new tents and expensive backpacking gear downstairs in the garage.  Storm surge from a cat 3 storm could swamp everything down there.

I'm waiting for a quote from the insurance company that has my car and renter's policies.  I think they had to call FEMA.  The agent said it could be as low as $150 yearly if I'm not in a flood zone.  Does being in a hurricane evacuation zone for cat 3 storms put me in a flood zone?

Do you have flood insurance?  Would you carry it if you lived in a second floor apartment?   

  

Tropical Storm Hermine

(EZRA) 22/52: The rain cleanses the world, originally uploaded by ilovestrawberries (Carmi).

Image from Flickr

I woke up yesterday morning to the sound of rain. I snuggled under the covers and enjoyed the sound of the raindrops hitting the roof a little while longer before I dragged myself out of bed to start my day.
A few hours later, it seemed the storm had passed and my daughter was preparing to join a friend for a bike ride. Then we heard thunder. She decided to go anyway. "She'll learn," I thought to myself.

Then I turned the TV to The Weather Channel to get a look at the radar. What's this about a tropical storm? Where did that come from? There was nothing in the Gulf yesterday morning...was there? This is what happens when you don't pay attention during hurricane season - storms sneak up on you.

The rain was coming down in sheets now, so I called my daughter to find out where she was. "We're under a bridge." There is a section of the hike / bike path that goes under the main road to a shopping center. My bike rack holds two bikes and I offered to go get them, but she said they thought they could make it back during the next break in the rain. About an hour later, she walked in the door soaking wet.

Today was even wetter than yesterday. We are under a flash flood and a tornado watch, but they did not cancel school. They did not even cancel after school programs, so my daughter is in her Cosmotology late lab. It makes me very nervous when she has to drive in this weather. I hope it doesn't rain like this tomorrow, or it will flood. I'm safe in my third floor apartment, but I worry about the roads.

Hurricane

Ike

Jennifer

MySpace Video

That's footage from Ike, which blew through here a couple of years ago.  The voices belong to me and my friend.  We went out to take video earlier and locked ourselves out of the house at the height of the storm - not the most intelligent thing I've ever done...

My daughter was more traumatized than I thought.  I'm having a difficult time convincing her all we'll get from Alex is rain.  She wants to know if the electricity will go out.  Of course I can't guarantee it won't go out at all, but it's not going to be out for days or weeks.  Some people had no lights for a month.  Hurricanes are not fun, that's for sure. 

She's worried about driving to school tomorrow.  I told her if there's any water on the road not to drive through it.  She said, "What am I supposed to do?  Just stop?"

"Yes,"  I replied.

She gave me the annoyed teenager glare.

"Turn around.  Don't drown."

"How can I turn around?  There will be people behind me."

"They'll be turning around, too."

At least there isn't a river she can get swept into between here and school...I don't think... 

Lights Out

Vector 3LED Recharge Night Light (VEC186) at CompactAppliance.Com

I decided to cook dinner early today, which is good because the lights went out and stayed out for a couple of hours.  My daughter came out of her room, upset, and asked if I paid the bill because it's not even raining.  Yes, I paid the light bill.  She can't get on the internet or watch TV without power.  What is she going to do?  I suggest reading a book and she looks at me as if I've suggested that she could clean her room (another valid option). 

She decided to do her nails.  Not just paint her nails, but put tips on.  She pulls out the glues, acrylics, and several other aromatic (not pleasantly) potions.  Without the A/C running and providing ventilation, it's not long before the entire apartment reeks of acetone.  I can't take it any more and make her put it away.  What is she going to do now?  She told me she hoped there isn't a hurricane this year because it's only been an hour and it sucks already.

Other than it being a little hot, I don't remember having such a hard time entertaining myself without electricity when I was a kid.  We played with a deck of paper cards...or ivory dominoes.  Yes, it is fun to play poker at the same table as Sven in Sweden and Nga in Asia, but I still like to play with friends that are physically in the same room. 

Where I live, we have to be prepared for power outages all the time.  The image is of my favorite emergency lighting.  I have two of them and want to buy more.  During Ike, we placed them in the bathrooms.  If you unplug them while they are not in use, they'll last for days if not weeks.  One of the teenagers took it in his room and ran the battery down - during daylight hours.  It lasted at least 8 hours of continuous use.

Now I keep it plugged in an outlet in the kitchen.  The batteries automatically recharge without overcharging, so you can leave it plugged in all the time.  The light comes on automatically when the power fails and provides enough light for the entire kitchen and living room area to move around without crashing into the furniture.  I don't have to stumble around searching for the flashlight or trying to light a candle which I'm afraid to leave burning with the cats around, anyway.

I had to do a Google search to find the exact model I have.  I've never shopped at that particular site.  I'm sure you can find them or something similar at Target or Wal-Mart.  I found some similar items on Amazon.  I linked to the ones with the best reviews.