The Cleanup

What is it like to live in a city without power?

On the first day or two, the most unnerving thing is the darkness. We're so used to the ever present street lights, the low level illumination of businesses closed for the night and the warm glow from restaurants and bars, that it comes as quite a shock to drive the streets in complete darkness. Objects (often misplaced hurricane debris) loom up out of the gloom as you approach, flood waters reflect your car headlights back at you, and intersections become hazards as people negotiate through them without the guidance of the usual lights.

After this initial period, as we become accustomed to the darkness and no longer reach out for the light switch as we enter the room, as the headlamp or flashlight becomes a familiar companion by the bedside, other senses start to take over. Perhaps the most surprising (and yet predictable) is the smell...

With no airconditioning, waste disposal systems or hot water, families quickly remove household waste from their homes and start to pile it on the curb alongside the tree debris. Additonal waste lies scattered along the streets where it was deposited by the hurricane winds. With temperatures initially in the 90s, the city starts to smell 'ripe' and people wrinkle their noses as they step outside.

Thankfully by Monday the city services have moved into action - garbage collection and tree debris collection are slowly moving through the streets but it will clearly be another week or so before they cover every neighborhood. Local day laborers, normally found waiting for construction work have now found new employment as tree fellers and repairmen. The few houses with serious damage remain abandoned though as workers tackle the more manageable problems first. Locals continue to wander the streets pausing outside these houses to take photos to share with their friends. One yard bears the sign "free firewood, must collect" - ironic in a city now awash with chopped trees.

On Tuesday, as the awaited cool front comes through and temperatures drop, more people are spending time outside. Houston starts to feel like an altogether different and friendlier city, with neighbors chatting in the street and helping each other clear the yards. It makes you wonder what it could be like if air conditioning and TV didn't keep us enclosed in our homes most of the year.

Long lines form at the few gas stations and grocery stores with power, evoking a sense of wartime rationing. Ice and refrigerated goods are still hard to come by, though as the week wears on more and more stores are getting back to business. With many accepting only cash payment though, lines begin to form at the few available ATMs also.

As power now starts to return to parts of the city while others wait anxiously, rumors spread that some areas may have to wait up to a month for reconnection. While initially everyone was muddling through together, the city now seems divided into the 'haves' and 'havenots' - those that can return to normality and observe the cleanup from afar, and those who are still managing day to day on the genorosity of friends and relatives.

With offices now reopening, the prospect looms for many of returning to work without power - and managing the demands of daily life without the home comforts we are all accustomed to.

Vince Crashpad Photos

We’ve been at Vince’s house since Saturday night…seven of us in a one bedroom house…it’s been…interesting…

The boys arrived first and took control….control of the TV that is! Having discovered that Vince owns Rock Band (the next generation from Guitar Hero) – a game which consists of three people playing guitar, base and drums and one singing – there was no stopping them. The girls (bar Andie) retreated for an early night….

Over the course of the next couple of days we’ve found out lots of new and interesting things…
- A large group can get through an awful lot of breakfast eggs!
- However much camping out on the floor seems like fun for a weekend, it gets real old real fast!
- Air conditioning is a beautiful thing
- Getting 7 people organized to do anything at the same time is an exercise in frustration and best avoided altogether
- Vince owns more cooking pans than any major restaurant chain
- Eating off paper plates makes the washing up much easier

We’ve also had a wonderful time rediscovering the fun of board games, cooking together, repairing the hurricane damage and hanging out with some of our favorite people. While I’ll be glad to get back to my own house, my own bed and my own electricity, I’ll also be a little bit sad to pack up and leave the warm company of our adventure race family…

…maybe Vince will let us stay indefinitely…. :-)

The Aftermath

Aftermath Photos

As day broke on Saturday morning, we struggled bleary-eyed to the windows to check out the effects of the hurricane. By now the worst had passed (apparently headed out over the Woodlands) but the outer storm bands were still bringing gusting winds and rain. We could already see from the windows that the palms had somehow survived – the smaller trees and a big oak down the street hadn’t been so lucky though and now lay in the street.

As the morning progressed and the winds calmed, Andie and I set out first by car to check the safety of our houses. Both looked to be in good shape bar some fence damage to mine but we saw a lot more trees down across streets which had taken power lines with them. Anything unsecured had been ripped from its moorings including roofing and advertising hoardings.

Soon Tracy rejoined us at the house and we set out on bikes to further assess the level of devastation. Clearly everyone else had the same idea – I’ve never seen so many pedestrians in the city of Houston!

Power was obviously down everywhere, as were many trees which had blocked off a lot of neighborhood streets. We soon came across some more severe damage at the Urban Living building on Washington, which had lost a whole wall including concrete blocks. We turned south down Durham to check out the bayou and found it out of its banks and spread all the way across Memorial Drive on one side and Allen Parkway on the other. As we arrived, a guy was trying to tow a flooded car off Memorial Drive – but as the police appeared it soon turned out that it wasn’t his car and he was trying to invoke ‘rights of salvage’ – unfortunately for him the cops didn’t see it the same way…!

Moving on along the edge of Allen Parkway, the water was fully up the level of the bridges (14ft) and more cars were sitting submerged. As anyone who has ever run the Houston marathon knows, those dips are pretty big! Clearly we wouldn’t be doing much running training around the bayou trail for a while unless we wanted to bring a snorkel… At one of the bridges we ran into the Finley family who we were pleased to see were in good spirits. We heard from them that there was some worse damage downtown so we headed eastwards to take a look.

Arriving in downtown we quickly realized that we had underestimated the amount of damage we’d find. Broken glass was scattered across the roads, while above us, jagged holes in the building pointed to the source of the debris. After getting two flat tires in quick succession and concerned at the danger from above we made the decision to get out of downtown to a safer location.

Halfway down Washington we were pleasantly surprised to find power on at the Daily Grind and coffee being served…the only problem being that none of us had any money!! Apparently the presence of a major police station nearby had given this grid priority for power supply.

At this point with a third flat tire and no more spare tubes, we accepted defeat and headed back home.

Having cooked by headlamp, settled in for the evening and assuming we’d be spending another night without A/C, we were incredibly fortunate to be offered the use of our friend Vince’s house which was one of the few in the city still with power (thanks again to that police station!). We quickly regrouped there to enjoy the cooler air and where the boys made a priority of checking out the video game selection!

We woke Sunday morning much refreshed from a good night’s sleep only to hear the worrying sound of torrential rain outside. Tracy and I, concerned for the integrity of our houses should the waters rise, made a decision to brave the roads to check on them. After running by my house and ensuring that though the water was high, it wasn’t likely to reach the house, we turned north towards the Heights.

We were surprised to see that I10, easily passable only the night before, now resembled a major river! Shepherd was closed by flooding so we weaved around the neighborhood and tried again on TC Jester. Though the bayou was very high and touching the underside of the bridge (which made us hold our breaths as we passed over it) it didn’t look likely to overcome its banks. Coming across some small floods, we crossed some, navigated around others and finally came to a stop a block from Tracy’s house from where we waded the final few yards! At this point I got to check out the house in her block which had collapsed in on itself mid-construction and landed on the builder’s porch – quite a sight!

Leaving Tracy there I returned the way I’d come and was relieved to get back safely to the house and step back into the air conditioning. By now the rain had stopped and the waters rapidly receded allowing Tracy to rejoin us later that day.

After a few hours in the house, and with movie-fatigue setting in, the boys set about fixing Vince’s broken window, and did a great job of securing it until he can get some glass put in. Tracy and I took the chance to venture out for a run and see a little more of the city. Heading east along the bayou again, it was a strange sight to see all our familiar running trails and steps disappearing down into the murky water. As we circled downtown we caught a glimpse of the Chase Tower which apparently sustained the worst of the damage. Many of the local residents were taking the chance to observe the cleanup from outside the bars that had already reopened, thanks to the underground power supply in downtown.

Moving back to the bayou we saw the boat ramp we use for paddling completely submerged (no-one to ticket you for improper parking today!). Turning around we encountered some foul smelling water surging from a street drain and flowing straight into the bayou. A police car pulled up and moved the crowd along, warning a nearby family “this is raw sewage – you are infecting your child” which we couldn’t help laughing at despite the sad situation.

With night drawing in and a curfew in place we turned back towards Vince’s house. As we ran, every third car seemed to be a police car….I guess this is what it feels like to live in a police state!

Ike Pictures

Pictures during the Ike Storm

By evening, most people in the city are 'hunkered down' with their nearest and dearest...those of us without anyone near and/or dear hunker at Jason's house instead! Among the dislocated are Andie and Lindsey, Alan, Chad, Tracy and her brother and his girlfriend...and of course me.
For a bunch of adventure racers, staying indoors is anathema and we take the opportunity to experience the last of the sun's rays from Jas' roof terrace - we can see the storm clouds circling above us and the winds are already gusting around the building.
At this point before it gets too dangerous we bid goodbye and safe journey to Tracy and her family as they head to their house for the rest of the night.

With the light fading, attention turns to the TV news where we can see the hurricane winds starting to beat the Galveston coast. Galveston residents are being told "get out now or face certain death" - that's pretty motivational if you ask me...

Once the reports become repetitive we switch to movies, games and beer to distract from the winds building outside the window. Though the street looks pretty secure, our main concern is the new palms planted across the street which are starting to look pretty fragile!

Mid-movie and with the storm half-forgotten outside, the power suddenly cuts out and we’re reminded of the severity of the situation we’re in. We head back to the roof terrace and experience the exhilarating full force of the wind and rain gusting around us before heading back in to safety, rather wetter than we were before. On checking the camera I realize that my ‘storm documentation’ didn’t come out so good though!

In true adventure racing style we don headlamps and camp out in the dark as the storm rages outside.

Nicki

Pre-Ike Preparations

Pre Ike Pictures

As Ike brews out in the gulf and the CNN broadcasters proclaim certain disaster, the fine folk of Houston prepare themselves for the worst.

Friday morning - While many people are still at work, the grocery store smash'n'grab becomes intense, with water, ice and bread disappearing fast from the shelves....that is if you can find a cart to put them in. Despite city announcements to 'shelter in place', massive lines also form at the gas stations until all but the most expensive are out of fuel.
Businesses around the city close down by noon and board up their windows - the city starts to take on an eerie appearance...

Friday afternoon - all businesses are now closed and everyone is making preparations for the coming storm. There's now no doubt that the storm will directly hit Galveston and Houston - though the sky continues to look normal, everyone occasionally casts an eye upwards waiting for a sign that things are changing. Many people take this last opportunity to head out of town to safer ground in Austin or Dallas.
For those still in Houston, with food and water acquired, yards cleared and windows secured, there is now little left to do but head to somewhere safe and wait...

Instead I head to the bayou to document the pre-hurricane water levels and am surprised to see them already rising as the incoming storm surge forces water inland. In downtown, few buildings have taken precautions, with the Wedge Tower being one of the only ones to board their doors.

-Nicki

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Friday morning, Linds and I woke up and decided "How about some bike riding?". We went straight for the bike trails considering we'd probably not to get to ride them for a while after the storm (downed trees, muddy ruined trails). Well, trails were great! Apparently quite a few others had the same idea. While out on the trails, we're getting calls from the mothers "Are you sure you're okay?!" Yes, Yes, we'll be fine. I knew we'd be staying with adventure racing friends, and what better way to make sure we're safe but to stick all of our racing survival skills together to pull through this.

That afternoon, we started packing up and headed to Jason and Alan's. We gathered up the beer, food, water, some clothes and toiletries. It felt like we were going camping. We get there and sure enough they've already got the movies and storm watching going. That begins our hurricane party! Power went out about midnight. We must have stayed up until 4am just watching the wind blow up and down the streets, and slowly watching the trees take their place on the ground.

Quite an interesting night pre Ike.

-Andie

Welcome Hurricane Ike

Have you ever wondered...

What happens when a giant hurricane heads straight for America's 4th largest city?
What happens when a whole city runs out of gas, water and ice?
What happens when power goes down and Houston goes dark?
What happens when the waters rise and engulf city streets?
What happens when downtown becomes a danger zone?

...and what happens when you put a bunch of adventure racers together without showers or cable TV for 4 days?

...here's our attempt to document the preparations, events and aftermath of Hurricane Ike...