Thursday, August 28, 2008

Please Pray

[photo courtesy of Weather Underground]

Please pray for all of us who live on the Gulf Coast. Gustav is making progress and is likely to hit landfall the first of next week. He keeps slowly shifting westward and now Houston is in it's cone of possibilities.

I am so thankful that we live in the Katy area now. Before, when we lived in the Clear Lake area of Houston, we were just minutes from the water. We fled the Houston area along with everyone else when Rita threatened us. I am convinced that had Rita hit us we wouldn't have had a home to return to. Still, being in Katy is not a guarantee that we won't be hit with hurricane force winds and flooding. We won't get the worst of it but we can still be hit hard.

So, we are preparing for the worst. Gregg is making sure the car's gas tank is topped off. We are putting together the necessary items we'll need if we can't evacuate. I'm gathering our "must take items"... photos, clean clothes, a few precious books that can't be replaced, Pepper's travel crate (with Pepper obviously in it when we leave), and charging the ever important portable dvd player. There is so much to think of and do before the first of the week. And here we were looking forward to a leisurely long weekend.

Hurricane Katrina and it's effects on New Orleans will forever be in the minds of people everywhere. But in the wake of that tragedy alot of people were looked over while in the midst of their own crisis. One of my closest friend's home was badly damaged in Rita (she lives in Beaumont with her family). Rita didn't pack the punch that Katrina did but she did do alot of damage. Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and areas of Texas were badly hit that year (not just New Orleans). So, while most of the focus is on New Orleans right now, please don't forget the rest of the Gulf Coast area in your prayers.

For those of you who live on the Gulf Coast, please be prepared for this storm. Don't wait until the last minute to figure out what you will do if Gustav heads your way, make a plan now. Let family and friends know in advance what your plans are (we might be heading your way Mom & Dad!). Stock up on the necessary items to ride out the storm, even if you are prepared to evacuate it's possible that weather/traffic will prohibit your leaving. Basically, I'm telling you to... Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. There is nothing wrong with being prepared for the worst. In fact, you want to be overly prepared than not enough.

Personally, I pray that Gustav will do the exact opposite of what the weather stations are predicting and fizzles out.

2 comments:

Glenna said...

Your in our thoughts and prayers! Good for you for taking the warnings seriously and being prepared.

Kimberly said...

Glenna ~ Thanks. I went to the store tonight for just a few basics and the shelves are already getting thin. I picked up a case of water and consider myself lucky.