I have just tuned in for the first time in several days with any real attention to the news.
I see that about an hour and a half ago as I write, N. Korea launched a missile over Japan.
My prayers go out to the people of S. Texas. Wow.
Many times I have urged readers to have a plan for natural disasters and the need to bug out fast, especially if you have children and others who depend on you. The need to bug out might come in the form of an angry ex-boyfriend.
Everyone, make plans. Make sure you have enough food, a way to secure and purify water, defend yourselves. Be sure to have documents and anything of that nature that can’t be replaced. Perhaps digitize important information and precious photos and keep them on something like an Ironkey 1GB Secure Flash USB Drive. US HERE – UK HERE For your mobile phones, perhaps a small unit that can power your handheld even my solar. A big option is like the JuiceBox, but it is heavy. Smaller could be like this power-bank. US HERE – UK HERE Consider any medications you might need. A hand held radio, such as a radio (get your HAM licence!) could make a huge different when cellular coms are down. US HERE – UK HERE.
Just think about what you need and what might happen. Where will you meet if you are separated? How will you move yourselves? What can you quickly grab and carry? What will really cause dangerous suffering if you lack it?
Look. Terrible things can strike suddenly. However, I hope never to read an email that any of you were seriously hurt or killed in some problem for which you could have prepared for ahead of time with relative ease.
And so, the most important thing, examine not just your material lives frequently, but also frequently your spiritual lives and …
GO TO CONFESSION!
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Texas is God’s country, and He doesn’t abandon us. We have a governor and a citizenry who realize that awesome privilege and responsibility to our fellow Texans. We wish Americans could see how much we all have in common rather than focusing on what divides us in this country. Sometimes you need a crisis to remind you about what’s important.
Here in College Station, Tx we’re seeing a lot of Houston refugees and sending a lot of assistance. Trucks are loaded with food, people are helping evacuate Houstonians, and businesses are making sacrifices to help out. We are trying to be “our brother’s keeper.” Many opportunities to reach out with the Gospel through actions and words.
And my boys and I even had time to serve at a Nuptial Mass in the EF with and FSSP priest while the hurricane raged on. Even horrific weather can’t stop a sacramental union (much to the couple’s relief).
That’s Texas for ya!
People in Houston were much better prepared after Ike and Allison. Evacuation orders were not made in most places, but given that we had a relatively short time between the development of the storm and its landfall, evacuation of 2 – 5 million people would have left thousands on the road once the rains came. We learned drom Rita that evacuation is sometimes worse.
What is heartening is seeing how everyone helps one another. It seems like everyone with a boat, canoe, or Explorer 200 is out helping people in need.
Got my ham license partly due to your inspiration – thanks and 73 Father.
KM6LYT
[Outstanding!]
Any recommendations on a water purifier? I assume power may be out if water needs purification.
p.s. Though I guess power may not necessarily be out if we are talking about fallout from somewhere else.
jkking: Congratulations on your ham license. Someday I’ll get mine.
Speaking of comms, a friend has a sister who lives outside Houston. From his email to me: she says the Cajun Navy and dump truck drivers have been giving their cell phone numbers to local reporters, then local TV puts the numbers on the air for rescue service. It seems that those with flooded TVs access the phone numbers through social media or the local TV station’s web app. My friend adds that there are apps for radio stations and “scanner” apps to listen to the Coast Guard etc.
He also wrote that his sister said there was a rumor that went around social media that proper immigration papers were required at shelters. Not true, she said. Shelters take in all and their pets- it’s unknown who started the rumor and why.
She also said there was a great photo somewhere on Twitter of a man driving a jet ski in a flooded living room out the front door with grandma holding on smiling.
pac76: All these are on Amazon. For home use try Berkey. For camping or trekking the countryside try Mini-Sawyer, Katadyn, or LifeStraw. Or use a small bottle of bleach with an eyedropper, eight drops to a gallon. There’s also PolarPure/Iodine tablets. In a pinch, I hear that a clear bottle in direct sunlight all day works. If you heat water get a WaPI gauge for pasteurization, saves a lot of fuel compared to maintaining a rolling boil.
First, visit your local market and buy a pack of paper coffee filters. Filter dirty water (standing rain water for example) through an everyday coffee filter first, it removes hard to see grit and extends the life of your filter system. Hope this helps.
My guess is these filters are demonstrated on YouTube.