If you’ve lived on the Texas coast for long enough, you figure out which hurricanes you can ride out, when it’s better to prepare to the best of one’s ability, and when to evacuate.
The last time we evacuated the Reddell homestead was for Hurricane Harvey in 2017 – a category 4 storm.
Category 4 hurricanes tend to produce some complete structural failure on small residences along with heavy, irreparable damage and the near-complete destruction of gas station canopies and other wide-span overhang-type structures are common.
Most mobile and manufactured homes are often flattened along with many trees, except for the hardiest, which are uprooted or snapped, isolating many areas.
Category 4 storms cause extensive beach erosion, while terrain may be flooded far inland.
Total and long-lived electrical and water losses are to be expected, possibly for many weeks.
Regarding our little evacuation though, it was only for about 24 hours to my Aunt Cindy’s ranch in Wharton County.
Even then, that’s not an experience I’m excited to recreate either.
I mean, sure we have fewer pets and equipment to transport this time, but our timetable is also vastly different, too.
We’re putting the paper together in the middle of our 4th of July weekend because of the uncertainty for power and internet service.
Instead of barbecuing, heading to the beach, or hanging out by the pool, we’re pulling together as much information as possible to put out a paper this week.
Our actual print deadline is Monday afternoon for the first time slot available Tuesday mornings – so we’re working furiously to get everything wrapped up by Sunday afternoon at the latest while simultaneously prepping the homestead.
Or, well, I should say we’ve elected to divide and conquer in each family member’s respective areas of expertise – the newspaper for Mike and me while mom and my sister Ashlee take care of the prep work.
Right now, we’re monitoring the path of Tropical Storm Beryl as it crosses the Gulf, but aren’t planning to evacuate.
After all, if forecasters are predicting that it’ll only be a category 1 hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Matagorda Bay – where’s the worry?
Ashlee and I managed to make it to HEB by 6 a.m. Saturday to take care of our food preparations and restock some of the regular groceries we usually get for the week as well.
At that time, there wasn’t really any madness or swathes of empty shelves – but I’m sure that’ll only start cropping up as time goes on.
I’m also sure we’ll make other store runs before Beryl makes landfall, but I’m hoping that we don’t experience any power outages for long periods of time.
After all, no matter how prepped you initially feel that you are, there’s always one item you forgot and have to find amidst the chaos.
Plus, it’s not like Amazon will deliver in a hurricane.
Either way, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Beryl stays a category 1 storm and by the time you read this everyone and everything is OK.