26 September 2005
Tow fees paid for cars abandoned in Houston
SAFEclear + FEMA = free tows for Hurricane Rita evacuees who abandoned their cars.
On Houston freeways only:
Evacuees forced to leave cars along freeways because they broke down or ran out of gas may face another nightmare — paying expensive tow and storage fees to get them back.
It all depends on location. If the car was left on a highway within Houston, the city will pay the bill.
Anywhere else, you're on your own.
Frank Michel, the city's communication director, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the city $124 for each car towed under its Safe Clear mandatory tow program.
''The tow operators have agreed to do away with the rest of the fees," Michel said.
Chris Streeter, owner of a trucking company, is among the unlucky ones.
She's looking at more than $700 to retrieve her 18-wheeler, which was towed by law enforcement from Interstate 45 in Spring, an unincorporated area, after its alternator went bad Thursday.
Streeter said her towing bill is $633.59 for the cab and $59.54 for the trailer. She also has to pay the impound lot $35 per day, she said.
''I was stunned when they told me," she said. ''It's just unreal. You're gonna have a lot of people upset by this."
Is this SAFEclear's last hurrah?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/26/05 05:56 AM |
24 September 2005
The New York Times drops in on the West Alabama
At one point, Chron.com had posted the following as part of a Ken Hoffman column, but then it just inexplicably disappeared in that annoying manner that is all too familiar at Chron.com:
You know, I kind of like Houston this way. It was easy getting around. I had the place to myself. It was like sitting in a movie theater showing a Jennifer Lopez movie.
Hard to believe a hurricane was on its way. In fact, it was so pretty outside, I put the top down on my car and drove around Houston for a few hours.
I stopped by the venerable West Alabama Ice House, which was holding on to its "OPEN" sign for dear life.
"We have no idea when we'll have to close, but we know it's coming soon," a bartender said.
The beer joint may have been open, but Free Hot Dog Friday was suspended. That's worse than the end of the world.
That was a fine bit of writing. It's too bad that it just disappeared. *poof*
For the record, Pete Markantonis tells us that hot dog night was suspended because all of the grocery stores were closed, and he couldn't get buns for the hot dogs.
The Icehouse also got a little attention from national media, and I can even link to it since the New York Times didn't obliterate any mention of the place from its web operation:
Michael Marchand, an offshore oil-rig worker, sat at the outdoor bar at the West Alabama Ice House late Thursday afternoon, putting away a string of Budweiser longnecks. He looked incredulous when asked if he intended to flee.
"To go where?" Mr. Marchand said. "Have you been watching the highways on television?"
Still, he said, he will probably stick close to home when Hurricane Rita hits rather than wandering over to the Ice House, his habit in previous storms ("They always stay open"). This storm did not look like one to mess with, he said.
They DO always stay open, which is one of many reasons that they're named Best Icehouse in Houston on most such lists (except of course if we're talking about the Chronicle's sad little "best of" collection).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/24/05 11:00 PM |
Mayor White takes aim at state for gas shortages
via KTRK-13:
Days after the evacuation that saw tortuous delays on Texas highways, Houston's mayor says the handling of gasoline supplies is "totally unacceptable."
Speaking to reporters, Mayor Bill White says that's a part of the state plan that needs improvement.
People trying to flee north from Houston sat in traffic all day or night, and some ran out of gas. Those who could make their way to gas stations often found the pumps empty.
Texas Governor Rick Perry appeared to be trying to avoid a repeat of the traffic nightmare as he urged those evacuated from the Gulf Coast to hold off returning. Perry says a plan is being devised to stagger their return. He said more time is needed to restock fuel supplies and retailers drained as people headed away from the danger zone.
I don't know the ins and outs of the evacuation plan's fuel strategy, but I still think three big things factored into the massive traffic mess we saw: Hurricane Katrina was fresh on everyone's minds, city and county officials were calling for voluntary evacuations (and as Beldar points out, the media didn't clearly emphasize WHICH areas were included in those voluntary evacuation zones, and city and county officials didn't clearly say that higher-ground residents should stay put), and late Wednesday Rita strengthened to a strong Category 5 aiming right for Galveston.
That's why an evacuation plan built to move no more than one million people instead had to handle almost three million people.
RELATED: Ken Hoffman on local TV news overkill.
MORE RELATED: Tom Kirkendall is pondering evacuation strategy:
[...]if Alicia and Hurricane Carla in 1961 taught us anything, then it's that most Houstonians survived the storms just fine by battening down the hatches and remaining in their homes. Moreover, the recovery from such a storm is facilitated in many ways by having property owners tending to their property immediately after the storm rather than attempting to find the back way home from afar.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: I don't get the criticism of "the media" for not emphasizing which voluntary evacuation zones were voluntary. There was a mandatory evacuation map that I saw EVERY media outlet reference that clearly spelled out mandatory evacuation. If people are too stupid to figure out that areas outside that map are therefore "voluntary," then they are just too stupid to figure that out. Let's not go blaming "the media," which I thought did a pretty darn good job in this crisis (and I'll wager that I watched and listened to as many hours of it as anyone).
Two days out, when it was 12 am and I was watching every media outlet say we had a category 5 bearing down for a direct hit, *I* wanted to get the heck out of town. And honestly, I appreciated Michael Berry's candor in saying, "if you can get out, you should consider getting out." Folks sitting 80 miles inland can question my (and his) judgment all they want. And my answer to them will be to stick it up their tailpipes.
We got very lucky, but I don't think any inner loopster who made an individual decision to get out of town needs to answer to anybody in the Suburban Keyboard Corps of Cadets for that decision. Personally, I'm glad all of this new construction in the inner loop (like my home) wasn't tested by a direct hit of a really bad hurricane. And I'm also glad the Alicia-tested home in which I rode out this storm didn't have to take a direct hit.
It's hard for me to question anybody who planned for the very worst to happen. Maybe that's the backpacker in me. I assume the worst will happen, and count it as an outstanding trip to the woods if there are only minor snafus.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/24/05 06:42 PM |
COH, Harris County and HISD taking care of those in need
Councilman Michael Berry was just on with KTRK-13's Miya Shay saying that many vehicles that had been abandoned on Houston freeways and streets, because they had run out of gas, were given five gallons of gas by MAP trucks, and a note was put on each car's windshield letting them know that the city of Houston/Harris County had provided a bit of gas. Also, many abandoned vehicles have been towed to the North Shepherd and I-45 Park and Ride. People looking for their cars are urged to call (713) 884-3131 (HPD) to find out where their car has been taken.
And in addition to HISD buses helping with Rita evacuation efforts, HISD also answered a request from Mayor White's office and opened 10 short-term, emergency shelters for people who were unable to evacuate or who had special needs:
HISD school principals, regional superintendents and facilities managers quickly set up emergency short-term shelters. Our employees made sure the evacuees had food and water and a place to sleep last night. State Rep. Rick Noriega, who managed the operation for the city, praised HISD for its "great, great work" in running the temporary shelters. The city worked well with HISD in coordinating the effort.
At 9 p.m. Friday, HISD was caring for 4,692 evacuees in 10 short-term emergency shelters, including 2,600 at Barnett Field House, 825 at Delmar and 626 at Sam Houston High School.
According to HISD's press office, by this afternoon about 450 evacuees remained in the HISD shelters with no way to return where they came from:
Although HISD did not transport any of these evacuees into the HISD buildings where they spent last night during the storm, HISD has volunteered to transport them back out again.
“Some of these people are from Galveston, Kemah, Beaumont, Port Arthur, and even New Orleans, and they really have no place to go right now. So we are working with the Red Cross and will transport them on our school buses to Red Cross shelters,” Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra said.
Others came to the HISD facilities out of the medical center and other areas in Houston, and HISD will work to return them.
HISD was asked by the city to open emergency shelters for some of the people most in need, people who could not evacuate, or people with other special needs. HISD school principals, regional superintendents and facilities managers quickly set up emergency short-term shelters, making sure the evacuees had food and water and a place to sleep last night.
Yet more examples of the proactive leadership we have witnessed over the past several days.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/24/05 03:36 PM |
Thankfully, not much to see up here
I braved the (not so fierce) wind and rain earlier, and here is documented proof that we are feeling very blessed this morning:
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/24/05 12:38 PM |
White/Eckels press conference (12:10 pm - 12:30 pm)
Here is a liveblog (from local television) of the press conference from Mayor White and Judge Eckels:
White: Please heed the President's request to stay where you are and not try to return to the area right now if you have left. It's critical that emergency providers be able to get to people who need their help.
"Judge and I are asking employers" not to require people to return to work for at least Monday and Tuesday.
School officials are conferring and will make announcement within an hour about closings. NO school district will be open on Monday. Officials are discussing dates and times of reopening.
Eckels: Reiterating -- Please don't try to come back. The city isn't ready yet. Wait until we get power back in the city.
White: No reason to return for fear of security of property. There have been some isolated incidents of misconduct, people arrested, but law enforcement at high level of alert. People's property is being watched after.
[note from Kevin: I did see a high level of police presence on my trip over to midtown, much higher than normal]
Rick Noriega: [Discussion of safe zones]
White: Emergency convoys en route. People please keep off those routes. I-10 and US 71 in particular. "DO NOT COME BACK UNTIL WORD IS GIVEN BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES." Just because some local authorities have said their cities are safe and secure does not mean you should return. Please wait until state authorities give the word that it's okay to return.
Paul Bettencourt: [preliminary assessment of damage]. Call 713 881 3100 to report damage for structures only (for damage assessment purposes).
White: Again, NOT the time to return unless you are essential personnel (medical, emergency).
Will be announcements through the day about fuel and METRO service. WAIT for announcements.
Q: Short of setting up roadblocks, how do you stop the flow in?
White: Confident people who hear will hold back. Have requested appropriate traffic control personnel from the state, but statewide resources are stretched thin with storm.
Q: [Unintelligible]
White: Has been touring bayous and watershed. Water is higher than it was this morning. Don't assume all flooding risk is over. We haven't seen Allison flooding so far, but there's still rain. Don't assume we've seen the worst.
Q: [Unintelligible]
White: [couldn't hear because KTRK stupidly cut away to show the President's jet taking off. STUPID cutaway! Over to KPRC] Something about refining.
Eckels: [More refinery talk].
Sheila Jackson Lee: [Butts her way in] People should stay in place.
[Kevin: How helpful, Queen. Seriously, why is this buffoon in the way of people who have been handling this matter?]
Q: [Unintelligible]
White: "Several breakins at several sites." HPD out in force and highly visible. Vigilant. We don't see the situation that we've seen in many cities in this situation.
Next press availability 5 pm.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/24/05 12:19 PM |
Quick take: Southwest Houston to midtown and back
We just drove over from the Sharpstown area to check out the townhouse in midtown.
The townhouse was fine -- no flood or structural damage. Electric was off when we were there, but it has been off and on through the day (we know from calling and the answering machine picking up, or not). Frozen goods were still frozen well, so I don't think power has been out much.
Damage we could see from Southwest Freeway was minor -- some debris, and a few billboard signs blown off, but not much beyond that.
From Kirby to West Alabama and the Icehouse, there were a few downed limbs, but not much more damage. That area had electric. The Icehouse also had electric, and hadn't suffered any appreciable damage. Callie's brother sold most of his stock yesterday, and it's not clear that he'll be able to get resupplied and open today, although he does expect to have ice. How ironic that one of the few Icehouses in Houston that really WAS an icehouse back in the day may be selling ice again later today.
Electric around the southern edge of midtown was out, from Elgin beginning a little before main to roughly Jackson. But some parts of midtown did have power, as we could see from the traffic signals, so I wouldn't think it would take too long to get that part of town back online.
We're back in Sharpstown (we'll move back to midtown later), and discovered two businesses open -- a Mexican carniceria/fruteria around Beechnut/Club Creek doing BRISK business, and a liquor store on Beechnut near Braes Bayou that seemed to be doing slower business.
Incidentally, the bayous we checked out have little water in them, so KTRK has probably reassigned Deborah Wrigley to a more interesting beat.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/24/05 11:39 AM |
Coming home
Up here in Spring, almost to The Woodlands, we have had wind and rain (duh!), but our power is still on. That means we are having good coffee this morning -- mmmmmm!
Since a good portion of the Houston area dodged the brunt of Rita, talk now will turn to how to get almost 3 million residents back home without the terrible gridlock we saw Wednesday and Thursday. I heard one news report (maybe KTRK-13) saying there was discussion of HISD delaying the opening of schools until after Tuesday so there is less rush for people to get back, and contraflow lanes being opened again for the return trip.
I dunno. I'm not sure there is anything that can be done to minimize the returning human crush. But I tend to be a pessimist.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/24/05 07:04 AM |
Eyewall hits land
Rita's eyewall has hit land, away from Houston and near Cameron, LA.
In the Sharpstown area, we're seeing some decent wind gusts, but not much rain really so far. The rain will probably come later, but so far we've been spared much bad weather. Television coverage suggests Galveston is getting hit hard by wind.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/24/05 01:31 AM |
23 September 2005
Want a beer in Montrose? The West Alabama is serving
We hear the West Alabama Icehouse may be on KTRK-13 later.
Callie's brother is still serving up the brews at the place, and business is booming. This apparently has a chance of being televised "news."
I love the Icehouse, but that's not the place I'd pick to ride out a storm.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/23/05 08:55 PM |
There goes the military convoy
KTRK-13 is showing (via their Traffic Jam Cam) a convoy of 18-wheelers cruising along the 610 South Loop at Fannin.
The anchors say it's a military convoy.
"It's good to see," says Ilona Carson.
Neither she nor Tom Koch seems to know what they might be transporting or where it's going, but the news is slow in Houston at the moment. Radar shows a pretty strong band bearing down on central Houston and beyond, though.
UPDATE (9:01 PM): KTRK's Gene Apodaca reports that the convoy is pulling into Reliant Park, where a command post will be set up. He's talking search and rescue equipment, firefighting equipment, and all sorts of other equipment.
Ilona Carson asks the question I'm thinking: Can they move this equipment easily to the east, where it looks like they'll be needed more? Apodaca says this is just prepositioning of equipment as close to the storm as possible, so they can respond rapidly.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/23/05 08:38 PM |
KPRC: Kemah boardwalk is "bowing"
KPRC-2 just threw it down to Kemah, and apparently the boardwalk is "bowing" just a bit.
Tilman Fertitta's entertainment complex is likely to take quite a hit, even if the storm heads east.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/23/05 07:46 PM |
So close you could see his nose hairs
The jackal media just interviewed an elderly man on a gurney who survived that bus that caught fire earlier, resulting in the tragic deaths of a number of passengers.
I watched it on KHOU-11.
I thought it was really in poor taste to do that.
What say you, kind readers?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/23/05 07:38 PM |
Isolated reports of looting
Via Michelle Malkin, here's John Little, at Blogs of War, with a report of looting:
Well I just found out why the media was in my parking garage. Looters struck last night and trashed 12 cars. We usually have very tight security but the gates were left open by management due to fears of power outages. I need to go check my car now.
Update:
My car is fine but the mood in the area is tense. I ran across two neighbors carrying hunting rifles who were actively searching for a guy they suspected of breaking into more cars. They agreed to let me photograph them from the neck down. Hopefully, HPD will send one or more officers to our neighborhood. I think there is risk of additional looting or worse.Update II:
Quite a few HPD cars in the area now. It's going to be an interesting night.Update III:
I'm hearing more looter calls on the HPD scanner frequencies. This doesn't seem to approach the level that we saw in New Orleans but I'm worried about this evening.Update IV 6:33pm CST:
Via the police scanner: Looting in progress at South Gessner and Belfort - A Wal-Mart Store.
Also, an HISD school was broken into last night and three juveniles were arrested for looting:
Houston school district police arrested three juveniles Thursday night who were accused of going room to room at Hamilton Middle School looking for electronics.
“They did this because they thought no one would be paying attention,” district spokesman Terry Abbott said. “We are amazed it was happening even before the storm.”
Thankfully, Texas isn't the District of Columbia.
UPDATE: KPRC-2 story on looting
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/23/05 07:38 PM |
Back to the bayou
KTRK-13 just threw it back to Deborah Wrigley at Braes Bayou.
It's still mostly empty, just like it was last time we blogged on this.
That's hardly surprising, since it really hasn't started raining yet in this area.
The news is REALLY slow right now. And honestly, we're thankful for that.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/23/05 07:28 PM |
Beautiful sunset
I'm looking out of a window facing west, and watching a beautiful sunset.
The cloud cover is above, but not that far west just yet.
From earlier forecasts, I expected it to be much worse by now. Houston looks to be spared from the worst-case scenario, but our friends to the east look to be in for a tough time of it tonight.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/23/05 07:08 PM |
KPRC talks with Judge Eckels
KPRC-2 has Judge Eckels on, and he's answering questions.
Some of these question that people have called in with have been amazing.
Here's one:
I'm in West Houston, and just wondering when I can go back to Clear Lake?
Judge Eckels and Mayor White have been very patient answering questions like this. In contrast, they make me hit my hand on my forehead and wonder just how stupid people can be. That's one of many reasons that I have a little hobby blog and Robert Eckels is running county government. :)
The judge did just praise FEMA for their cooperation with Houston/Harris County authorities.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/23/05 07:01 PM |
Looking dark in Galveston
KRIV-26 just threw it down to a camera in Galveston.
It's looking pretty black down there, resembling dusk. Since it's still pretty light up here in the Sharpstown area, it looks as if the really heavy cloud cover has hit the island.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/23/05 06:52 PM |
KTRK: Hey, lookee here at the empty bayou
KTRK-13's Deborah Wrigley is out on Braes Bayou reporting duty at the moment.
That may become interesting later, but right now there's not much to say. The bayou is at a trickle, the clouds are gray, there's some wind, and there are a few sprinkles.
Houston-area bayous are liable to be much more of a problem tomorrow.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/23/05 06:32 PM |
Tim Heller sounds a little sad
KTRK-13 meteorologist Tim Heller seems finally to be conceding that Galveston/Houston probably aren't going to take a direct hit from Rita.
While he's been dutifully putting up the computer models (which started to move impact to the east two days ago), for the past few days he's also insisted on inserting a line that extrapolated Rita's "impact" from the current track and simply "straightlined" the storm right into Galveston/Houston.
It looks as if he's finally going to retire that dotted line. Good riddance.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/23/05 06:26 PM |
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