What about hurricane potential in Spring/The Woodlands area? (Houston: apartment, insurance)

[OkieMom]

Speaking as a concerned mom.... my kid lives on the Spring/The Woodlands boundary (I-45 and Rayford/Sawdust area). Is that far enough inland that they won't have a ton of damage? I realize a lot depends on where exactly a hurricane would land and depending on tornadoes. This is my kid's first hurricane season in Houston so I'm a bit concerned. Thanks!

Okie Mom

[SDBreaux]

Originally Posted by OkieMom

Speaking as a concerned mom.... my kid lives on the Spring/The Woodlands boundary (I-45 and Rayford/Sawdust area). Is that far enough inland that they won't have a ton of damage? I realize a lot depends on where exactly a hurricane would land and depending on tornadoes. This is my kid's first hurricane season in Houston so I'm a bit concerned. Thanks!

Okie Mom

You have to understand something about the Houston area. Most of the surrounding communities depend on central Houston for jobs, recreation and educational opportunities. Even if a hurricane did not impact The Woodlands or Spring area, the cost of losing vital structure in the city of Houston would take a huge toll on the entire region. You may be surprised how dependent much of the metro is on central Houston.

[Poltracker]

I would not worry unduly, however, persons in the Gulf Coast area should always be prepared even if it just for a long duration power outage which is likely with any strength hurricane. If a stong hurricane approaches from the right direction, Spring/Woodlands could be impacted but not as severely.

[01Snake]

With all the rain you've had up there, it won't take much to knock over those tall pine trees. That will be the biggest problem for those people further in from the coastline.

[MrsBreeder]

Hi! With the exception of 1999 to 2004, I have lived in The Woodlands since 1990. Here's what I can tell you.

#1: We haven't had any direct hits (or even close) since I've lived here. Of course, it is bound to happen, as people say, but all the frenzy from Katrina and Rita really gets everyone in a tizzy. The Gulf Coast is a big place but, yes, we should still be prepared.

#2: The worry here would be the trees and possibly the wind (depending on where your child lives-- IE an apartment.)

#3: Most people I know who left during Rita (we did not) left because they worried about the electricity. While I know there were blackouts around town, we had electricity the entire time.

#4: Officials say not to evacuate from here. I45 (all eight lanes) were completely backed up in 2005. If your child is worried, he could probably go to a shelter. Do not get on the highway (even if there is a hurricane-- we're currently worrying about just a slight possibility) and clog it up for the people coming from down South.

[mjewell]

He'll need flashlights, batteries, canned & boxed food, bottled water and a hand operated can opener. A cooler with ice for the perishables and a grill for cooking helps a lot too. It's good advice to have these things on hand during hurricane season anyway. If the storm is likely to hit here he should board up the windows or at least duct tape them to reduce the risk of damage and injury. If he has a yard or patio he needs to put everything loose away so nothing flies around. Tell him to plan as if he won't have running water or electricity for 3 days (although that's never happened to anyone I know). The worst case is power may go out or there may be a bit of damage from rain and a few fallen trees. As long as he stays away from unboarded windows and doesn't go exploring outside during the storm (yes, some idiots do that) he'll be fine.

The good news is there's always plenty of warning before a storm hits. With common sense and early warning there's no reason to worry. You'll probably see the news coverage showing the very worst damage or flooding in the area - DON'T PANIC. It's just what reporters get paid to do and it's a pretty good indication there isn't much to report if 3 news stations are in the same yard. The phones may go down temporarily but they're always fixed quickly.

On the bright side, it's a great time to defrost the fridge, grill everything in the freezer, talk to the neighbors and drink up all the tequila!

[OkieMom]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. A tad bit ironic that after worrying if Hurricane Dean will hit Spring, my area in Oklahoma gets majorly flooded by Hurricane Erin. We lost some shingles in the storm last night (8 inches of rain in a few hours - something you Houstonites can relate to) and some leaks in the ceiling. I'll be calling roofers and my insurance company tomorrow. Maybe I should move to Houston for better weather. LOL

OkieMom (about to float away........)