Rita
Entry posted by Guest ·
1,466 views
Evacuating from Rita was one of the scariest experiences in my life. I live in a mandatory evacuation zone which was scheduled for evacuation on Thursday at noon. I decided to leave Wednesday at 1pm, just as I got home from work. I had already made hotel reservations at a Holiday Inn in Fort Worth which accepted pets (no freakin’ WAY were Princess and Murphy going to be left behind or stuck in a shelter. Not when we have alternatives.).
I cannot describe how difficult it is to look around at your belongings and your home and quickly sort out what matters most to you so that you can pack it up and leave everything else with the possibility you may never see it again. All the stuff you always thought you couldn’t live without is seen in a much different light. “I can’t live without my television!†When I have to choose between gadgets and sentimental items such as my late grandmother’s handmade paper dolls, the gadgets stay behind.
I wasn’t the only one leaving. If you’ve ever seen the movie Independence Day, you probably remember the scene in the beginning when the aliens have just arrived and everyone is packing up their cars to get out. That’s what my area looked like. Everyone gearing up to leave.
Armed guards stood in stores limiting people to 2 cases of water. Everything was being boarded up and shut down. Police were everywhere making sure people behaved themselves.
Leaving
It’s a good thing I left so early, but I had the hardest time leaving my family behind. My stepdad works at NASA and had to stay to shut the place down. Mom wouldn’t leave without him (they’re soulmates), so they were going to leave at Thursday at 3am (with Murphy) and meet me in Fort Worth. We all had reservations at the same hotel, so we’d be together. I kept hounding them to leave earlier, but they couldn’t. If I hadn’t had Mom’s promise that they were going to be okay and meet me up there, I don’t think I could have left.
When I was on the other side of Houston, I stopped at a gas station to get a map of Texas. I have a map of Houston, Louisiana, Oklahoma and even Florida (I’ve taken lots of roadtrips), but no map of Texas. Because it was almost 100 degrees C outside, there was NO WAY I was going to leave Princess in the car. I thought that because I was just getting a map and getting out, it would be okay to take her in with me, especially given the circumstances. That jackass behind the counter threw us out! Waving his arms up and down in the air, he literally screamed, “OUT!! OUT!!! NO!! NOT ALLOWED!!†Princess and I had to stand outside the door and beg people to get us map. Finally, one young lady did and she got us a GREAT map. Even had all of the labeled back roads and such.
Next, I had to pee. Apparently, the jackass behind the counter wasn’t going to let us in so I could potty, so I tried the Wells Fargo bank on the other side of the parking lot. After some light begging, that gentleman let Princess and I (the bank was closed mind you) in so I could use their bathroom. I didn’t get to pee again until I was well outside of Austin several hours later, but this guy saved my bladder.
Princess took the trip really, really well. She’s my travel buddy and has been on several long roadtrips with me. We’ve even driven to Atlanta and Kansas City together. She’s the best little travel companion. As long as I keep her full up on French fries (they stave off car sickness), she sleeps the entire way. Perfectly content in her crate with her woobie. I stopped as often as I could to let her stretch her legs, but for the first 7 hours of the trip, I totally forgot to give her water. Seven hours!! What kind of rotten Momma am I?! I just kept feeding her fries all the way. Between the fries and the Harry Potter on audio tape, she was a happy puppy. Even happier when I finally got it through my head that she ju-u-u-u-st might be thirsty.
The entire way up there, I kept calling my parents to let them know where I was and that I was safe and to keep making them promise that they were going to follow me.
I was getting so tired on that drive that for the last hundred miles, I kept having to pull over in rest areas and picnic areas just to rest my eyes for a moment. I was so tired that I was getting really dangerous on the road and almost went through a barricade. I got a brief second wind when I saw a sign that said “Fort Worth 50 milesâ€, but the headlights that kept shining in my eyes just made me want to sleep right then and there.
I made it to my hotel around midnight. By that time, I had been up and moving since 5am, had barely eaten, was worried sick about my family and terrified that I wasn’t going to have a home or a job to go home to. Exhausted and stressed, my good nature (if there was any of it left) was running thin.
The 2 receptionists at the counter were yakking on the phone about their weekend plans. I stood there fuming and trying to get their attention. One of them covered up the mouthpiece, looked at me and said, “Do you have a question?†in a very annoyed tone.
I lost it. I saw red and yelled through my gritted teeth, “No! I have a reservation!!†I’m a normally very sweet person, but I quickly got really nasty. When the other one interrupted our “conversationâ€, the twit to whom I was speaking actually turned to talk to other person, and then quickly thought better of it as I think my head was rotating by that time. I even yelled, “Oh no! Go ahead! Don’t let ME bother you!†She checked me in, gave me my room key and told me to have a nice stay. “Where’s the room?!†“Oh it’s around back. Is that where you parked?†If I don’t know where the room is, how the hell am I supposed to know where to park?? I parked out front like every other dumbass Sweetheart!â€
It was 1am when I finally got to the room, got the essentials in the room, walked the dog and turned on the news to find out where Rita was. Nevermind a shower, I was too tired. Finally made it to sleep about 2am…almost 24 hours after I had gotten up last time and 1 hour before my parents were to leave Houston.
Fort Worth
I spent most of the next day worrying about my parents and watching the news. The phones were in and out; I didn’t know where they were and I kept seeing the news reports on TV. The gridlock, the bus explosion, the reports of people being held up at knifepoint for supplies, the gas running out, cars running out of fuel on the side of the road and the idiot governor of Texas saying that everything was going okay despite a few “glitchesâ€. It was one of the worst feelings in my life, not knowing where my family was or if they were alright. It was one of the best when my phone rang and it was them…still in Houston. Slowly inching their way towards Austin and NOT stuck in the I45 gridlock. Heavy traffic, but Daddy’s truck holds a lot of fuel and they were fine. Had snacks, water and everything.
They’d keep reporting back throughout the day, and every time I saw their number on my cell phone’s caller ID, I’d answer, “Where are you?!†That was it. Eventually, Dad answered with, “Hi Erica. How are you doing?†in a extremely calm voice to which I replied, “Where are you?!â€
It took them 18 hours to drive from Houston to Fort Worth and when they got there that evening, the hotel had lost their reservations. Luckily, Daddy got them another room. He has that special gift. It’s amazing. They were so tired. Mom and I dined in the hotel restaurant and brought him up a plate of food which had biscuits that were so rubbery, they held their shape when you stretched and squished them like Play-Do. I kid you not. I made a muscle man out of one.
It was that evening that the hotel decided to have its annual fire alarm test…without telling any of us that it was just a test. Six floors, one working elevator…you do the math. It ain’t pretty. And after THAT, the people in the room across from mine had to be thrown out by no fewer than FOUR Fort Worth police officers.
The forecasts still had Rita barreling down on Houston and making a Tropical Storm pitstop in Forth Worth, so we went to the local grocery store to grab some food and water to keep in our hotel. We stocked up on some extra books as well. Just in case.
At this point, I’d like to mention something. It was my friends who were calling to make sure we were all safe. Including Sunlite. A few of my other pen pals (with whom I’ve been conversing for over 5 years) were calling to make sure we were okay and to get updates. Not the rest of my relatives, one of whom is a Weather Channel addict. It was my friends, and I’ll never forget it. It was such a comfort. I didn’t feel so alone.
Friday night, while my family slept, I stayed up watching the Weather Channel. It wasn’t until about 2 hours before it made landfall that they actually knew where it was going to hit. While I’d never wish a hurricane on anyone, I was so thankful that it didn’t hit Houston. I finally fell asleep, worrying about how to get home.
Going Home
Saturday morning, we had an emergency family meeting. We decided to try and beat the traffic going home and go ahead and leave the hotel. This meant no shower, leave with the clothes we were wearing and pack up as quickly as possible, which we did.
Anticipating a lot of heavy traffic, we took the backways home. We had topped off our gas tanks in Fort Worth and it was a good thing. All the gas stations were out. About halfway home, we found the ONE gas station in a tiny, po-dunk Texas village (it didn’t even have a sign to announce that you were there) within hundreds of miles that still had gas. It closed up right when we were leaving after having filled up.
We finally got close to home later that night. It was so strange to drive through my area and see virtually nothing open, everything boarded up and almost not a soul on the streets. I started crying with relief before I even pulled into the parking lot at home. My apartment complex was still standing. Leaves littered the ground, some units were boarded up, and there were hardly any cars in the parking lot, but it was still there.
I walked in and started crying harder. My home was still there. I even had electricity and running water. After packing all my stuff back in, I called Sunlite and cried all over her. She was the best. She just let me bawl my eyes out.
For I don’t know how long, I kept walking around my apartment touching the walls to make sure they were still up, flipping light switches on and off and turning the faucets on and off. I was so thankful that my home was still there.
As my parents were unloading the truck at their house, police came by and watched them to make sure they weren’t looting.
The Humor
Okay. Y’all know me well enough that I have to share the humor and there was plenty.
Gas Prices
It was 11 hours of hard driving to get from Houston to Austin to Fort Worth. I wasn’t going to take Interstate 45 because of the gridlock. As soon as I got out of Houston, the traffic cleared and I didn’t have any problems getting gas either. Something that really amazed me was that the good gasoline was cheaper in the rural areas than the regular stuff in Houston…and some of the locals were refusing to pay that price! “You’re not willing to pay $2.59 for Supreme? Would you mind moving your car so I can fill up then?â€
Potty Break
After about 8 hours leaving Houston, I had finally passed through Austin (I was really surprised at how small Austin is compared to Houston) and found a rest stop where I could pull off and actually go to the bathroom. No pets allowed my butt! Princess came with me. I rediscovered how difficult it is going to the bathroom with an excited dog attached to one wrist. Unzipping my pants became a personal challenge which took several precious moments and there were a couple of times Princess jerked so hard my head hit the door. While I was on the potty, Princess poked her head under the wall between my stall and the one next to me. She scared the living daylights out of a cleaning lady. “A RAT!!! IT’S A RAT!!!†I don’t know what they feed their vermin in Austin, but I’d like to think that Princess is cuter than a rat. When I told my coworker that story, he shook his head and said, “That lady doesn’t realize how close she came to getting beaten.â€
Railroad Crossing
Once, when we rotated drivers and Mom was driving with me in the back of my car, we were stopped at a railroad crossing. We were following Dad, but someone else cut in front of us so that he could roll down his window and talk to his wife who was driving anther car. After traffic in our lane moved ahead a little, this guy and his wife were still talking. Dad backs up, gets out and approaches the man in front of us. Mom and I sat chanting, “Don’t get shot, don’t get shot.†Everything worked out and we pulled around to follow Dad again.
The next railroad crossing, I was driving in my car myself with Princess. We come to another set of tracks and have to stop for traffic. Not wanting to be separated again, I look both ways and, seeing that it’s clear, rest on the tracks. After all, it’s just an ordinary red light. We should be moving soon. As I’m waiting, the railroad lights go off, the arms start coming down and there I am, stuck right in the middle of the tracks. I can SEE the damn train coming. I honk my horn and just as the arms are about to box me in, traffic moves.
The Bed
While in Fort Worth, Princess and I had a king-sized bed. I have photographic evidence that she can take up the whole thing. I’ll post it as soon as I get the film developed. She and I had a little tiff over the bed. I didn’t feel like sleeping on the edge with my butt hanging over the edge.
Miss Barks-A-Lot
When we were leaving the hotel, I let Mom hold on to Princess so I could check out unhindered. It took a few minutes, and when I came back out I took Princess’s leash back and started babytalking to her. “How’s my little angel-poo?†Mom gave me “The Look†and started, “Angel???? This dog is no angel! She was throwing a fit the minute you got out of her sights!!! She has absolutely no leash etiquette whatsoever!!!â€
I look at Princess and in a babytalk voice ask, “Awwww….Is that true?†as I pet her little head.
Mom then automatically starts defending the dog, “Don’t get mad at her. She just loves you so much.â€
It Would Be Open
There is a Chinese restaurant down the street from where I live. It’s been there for years. It has the worst food. It’s been investigated for paying slave wages and illegal immigrants. In the midst of every other business closed and boarded up, it was open and hopping with business. Having learned from experience, I still opted for a granola bar and a bottle of water for dinner.
Gas
Houston is the energy capital. When we got home, the energy capital we call home was completely out of gas. Houston…out of gas. I still can’t help but chuckle.
The Shower
Having to leave Fort Worth so quickly meant not taking a shower or brushing teeth or changing clothes. By the time I got home, I was sticky, sweaty, smelly, dirty and exhausted. I just wanted a hot shower. Unfortunately, there was no hot water. Just cold. I still washed my hair twice and scrubbed every nook and cranny. Freezing cold, but feeling great.
The Conclusion
Evacuating from Rita was one of the scariest points in my life. I could have lost everything. Many did. I learned a lot about Texas. San Antonio and Austin were wonderful to us during the evacuations. Dallas and several small towns were not. Just watching Dallas’s own news channels, I learned that they didn’t open their shelters until close to the last minute, claiming “fatigueâ€. Small towns were refusing evacuees gas, wanting to hold on to it for themselves. Many evacuees were actually chased off with guns.
On the other hand, San Antonio sent people to help reopen Houston stores because so much of our population was still out of town. Many of my coworkers went to Austin and at the shelter, many Austin residents were picking up Rita evacuees and taking them home. My own coworker and his girlfriend spent the weekend at a couple’s house who just said, “You can come home with us.â€
I won't forget the friends that called me when my other family didn't. I won't forget how kind some other Texas cities were and I sure as hell won't forget the ones that weren't.
I'm so thankful for the family I have (meaning my parents), my doggies, my home, my wonderful car who didn't let me down and my friends.
3 Comments
Recommended Comments