I thought I’d do get some essential supplies tonight ahead of the Saturday morning rush on the stores. I think that was a good idea. The River Oaks Kroger’s was relatively busy for a Friday night and a lot of people were stocking up on water and canned goods. The store wasn’t gutted like it was before Hurricane Rita arrived but it was obvious that a lot of people had started stocking up early.
I expect that sometime this weekend we’ll see grocery stores shifting into emergency mode if Houston stays in the cone of uncertainty. That usually means more cashiers and pallets of water stacked throughout the store. The stores should be fine through the weekend but if the storm continues to head in our general direction they’ll be gutted quickly. I wouldn’t wait until Monday or Tuesday to get essentials.
I know that I’m staying and I’m not worried about my safety during the storm – well not that much anyway. My primary concern is looting and crime. I live in a nice part of Midtown that’s bordered by a section of town that isn’t so nice. It was a little dicey around here during Rita.
I was planning to pick up a Mossberg shotgun in the morning but I may hold off on that plan. I ran into an HPD officer that I know and he told me the police presence is going to be intense. He said everyone will be in uniform and on duty if the storm heads our way. If officers can’t make it to their usual station due to weather they’ll be required to report to duty at the nearest station they can find. He lives in the building and assured me that HPD will maintain a presence if the storm strikes. At times like this I wish that I still had my trusty FEG SA-85M even though it’s a bit much for home defense.
I still have a few more things to pick up. I have enough water, tuna, beans, and granola bars to last about a week or ten days. I have enough batteries to power the radio, police scanner, and portable TV for a week. I have medicine and first aid supplies. I have a full tank of gas. I just need to pick up a new flashlight and grab a few hundred dollars in cash and I’ll be ready for anything. The effort won’t be wasted if Dean goes somewhere else. This is all good stuff to have on hand anyway.
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umm you didn’t seem to indicate any preplaning to help anyone else ? Will you be assisting in church group work ?
I’m not involved with a church but if the storm turns towards Houston there will be a significant amount of work assisting friends and family.
If you’re asking about general volunteer work then the answer is that I do what I can once my friends and family are secure. You can find posts about that in the weather category back in the Rita and Katrina days.