In a comment below, Cap'n Bob says: "My main worry for you is flooding. Now that I know Hill St. is not on a hill, I wonder if you're above the flood plain. I assume you're furiously moving your books to the attic, or at least the high shelves."
Let's set the Cap'n's mind at ease. We're above the flood plain. When we moved here in 1983, we were told to ask only one question before buying a house: "Did the place flood in 1979?" Why ask that? Because 1979 was (and is) the year that made Alvin, Texas, famous (even before Nolan Ryan). Here's what The Handbook of Texas has to say: "In 1979 tropical storm Claudette dumped forty-three inches of rain near Alvin within twenty-four hours, a state record." Virtually the entire town flooded, but not the house where we live. Of course the drainage has changed over the years, but we don't think we're likely to get anywhere near forty-three inches of rain out of Rita. If we do, we might be in trouble. And if the roof blows off, we'll be in trouble. Otherwise, we'll be dry.
And Stan Burns e-mailed me some good advice: Put the most valuable paperbacks in a couple of plastic garbage bags and stash them where it's most likely not to get wet in any situation. Like in my car in the garage.
3 comments:
Your car? I was thinking the upper shelves in your kitchen. You can put the dishes in the car. Glad to hear you're on high ground. I've been tracking the storm and hoping it keeps edging east so the worst you'll have to suffer are winds and rain. I know they can wreak havoc, but with luck the winds will lessen as they go inland. The prognosticators say that when that happens the rain will stay with you for longer stretches, creating flooding.
Anyway you look at it, it's a pain in the ass.
Your house didn't flood? Showoff... our house had about 18" of standing water in that flood. The then-owners did a great job of remodeling, though.
(this is what i get for being lost on the internet)
Some people had a lot more than 18 inches of water inside the house that year. Must have been really something. And I'm glad I missed it.
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