Severe Drought in Southeast Texas

Drought conditions across Southeast Texas, including Montgomery County and The Woodlands Township, combined with dry vegetation and high winds, have increased the potential for wildfires that could spread at a rapid pace, placing lives and property in harm’s way.
Montgomery County issued a fire ban on April 11, 2011, which prohibits outdoor burning. The Woodlands Township does not allow open burning at any time without a permit, and The Woodlands fire department urges all residents to use extreme caution when using any type of open flame.
“Until conditions improve, The Woodlands Fire Department discourages any use of fire pits, charcoal grills or any other sources of ignition that could cause an accidental fire,” said The Woodlands Fire Chief Alan B. Benson.
“The prolonged lack of sufficient rainfall has led to decreased levels of moisture found in fallen limbs, trees and accumulated debris on the forest floor, which can readily ignite.”
Already, The Woodlands Fire Department has responded to a number of grass fires in The Woodlands and surrounding areas. There have been a number of wildfires in Montgomery County, one in particular in the woods.
“Please be very careful and aware of the situation, and if you should smell or suspect fire of any type, please call 9-1-1,” Chief Benson said.
For more information about the fire ban in Montgomery County, please visit:
http://mctx.org/fire/
For more information about the fire ban from the state’s perspective, please visit:
http://ticc.tamu.edu/PredictiveServices/FuelsFireDanger.htm

Extremes - now the cold and probably snow

The Houston Texas area has escaped, on the most part, extreme cold this year. Yes, here north of the big city, The Woodlands has experienced three freezes, but we have not had the type of freeze that bursts pipes yet. Today, it looks like that good luck has run out. Over the next few days, we can expect the wind to drive subfreezing weather into pipes and plants. We need to take precautions. I am providing one useful online article that has plenty of information from FEMA on cold weather preparedness. Basically, we must wrap pipes and cover plants. But to cover them, we have to wrap them also. The wind will likely be our enemy this time. Therefore we need to secure the covering with rope or string. Cover the root system to minimize the damage to the plants, especially the sub-tropicals. Since we are likely to have snow showers also this week, the information provided on driving is also pertinent to our situation.  I find local drivers completely ignorant of driving safety and inept in handling vehicles in snow. Should we experience snow and ice on the roads, I would quite frankly recommend everyone to just stay at home. It is dangerous on the roads, especially in areas which do not normally experience frozen precipitation.  Otherwise, enjoy the change of scenery and get out in it with the family. I like to go to the parks here when it snows.

FEMA - READY AMERICA - Winter Storms and Extreme Cold 

When it freezes in the South

Here in The Woodlands Texas, it WILL freeze in the winter. In Southeast Texas, often people ask what measures should be taken to protect property and vegetation here, especially if they have not lived here long. First, the natural native plants do not need protection. They will take zero degree weather. However, we must concern ourselves with decorative plants that are usually tropical or semitropical natively. Most can tolerate near freezing temperatures but must be protected when the thermometer drops below 32 degrees. We have several things to worry about. A frost will kill tropicals even above 32 degrees, so we must cover sensitive plants to keep the frost off of them. When the temperature dips below freezing, tropicals must be tightly protected. It is best if the soil is moist. I like to spray my garden with water on severe nights. That helps insulate the root system. Wrapping the plant in a sheet and securing it with string helps to keep warmth around the leaves and branches. However, in a hard freeze that places the temperature at or below about 25 degrees for more than about 6 hours, that often becomes an exercise in futility as well. In those cases, cover the ground and wrap the roots. You have a shot at saving the plant but it may be dead  above the ground until summer. This past year, I had almost all my plants come back in the summer after a very hard freeze last year (18 degrees and below freezing for an entire day). The plants were not even covered, because we were out of town. This year, the same plants had living leaves on them after a 25-degree freeze lasting some 9 hours. Covering and insulating make a big difference to the survival and revival of the plant in the Spring.But you do not want the plants covered for an extended period of time. They need the sun. Depriving them of light for a long time will often damage them.

Protecting the home has other considerations.For light freezes, we do nothing. If the temperature gets below 26, then we take measures to protect non-insulated pipes. Many homes have no protection for their plastic pipes in the attic here. It is best if they are insulated, then you are less likely to have any pipes burst in the case of a hard freeze (below 25 degrees and the freeze lasting for 6+ hours). For a hard freeze, your automatic outdoor watering system is most at risk, along with the more obvious watering hoses. Your watering system has a back flow valve which protects your water supply from water flowing back from they yard. This valve is usually located close to the home and is quite vulnerable to a hard freeze. In the freeze of 2009, many homes had water flowing out from their backflow pipes after the freeze. Residents had to shut off the intake valve upstream of the backflow valve until they could get a replacement part. To protect this in a hard freeze, you can wrap it in insulated material. I use a small oiled tarp and completely wrap the exposed pipe and valve, tying it down with string to keep the wind from pushing air inside the insulation.

Finally, if the temperature drops severely for an extended time, the best course of action is to cut off your water to the house and open all the valves and facets to drain all water from the devices. Don't forget the hot water heater. Turn it off as well before going out of town. If you stay at home, you need not turn it off. We had a full week in a frozen state in the 1980's when the temperature never got above freezing outside. The ground froze that year! The temperature hovered just a few degrees above zero degrees F. for two nights and in the teens and low 20's the remainder of the week. Everyone should be aware that this could suddenly happen any year during the winter months. We usually have a four day warning that a hard freeze situation is possible. Cutting off the water supply should be done if you are traveling out of town for Christmas for more than three days every year you travel, regardless of the forecast. In fact, do it when you plan to be away for a week or more between November and March. Mid-December to the end of January is usually the worst of the winter here.

For a while we had rain

In The Woodlands Texas, specifically in Indian Springs, we continue in a drought. After 9 months of somewhat acceptable amounts of rain, the heavens closed down for the remainder of the year. We had to water the trees and the plants, even in November. At one point in November, my rain gauge had not retained a single drop for 37 days! The year ended with a deficit of more than 10 inches of rain or about 21% under the average rainfall for a single year. Fortunately, we are getting some cold weather to help with the bugs in the trees, but the trees may have considerable issues in 2011 with such a water deficit to start. Of course the critical time is from about May to November, when the temperatures are highest. Several of my neighbors' Pine Trees died during the winter. Let's hope the rainfall turns around this Spring so that we do not have such a hardship on local vegetation and wildlife as we did in 2009.

Winter likely to be mild

The weather forecast for Montgomery County and generally Southeast Texas by our friendly national weathermen is dismal and threatening to our forests. We should have little rain and mild temperatures, but we will receive those dry northers. All of this is caused by La Niña strengthening and holding for the winter. El Niño produces west coast rain that travels here along the lower jet stream. It will not be active, so the prediction. If it holds out, we will again be in a severe drought until next summer when La Niña (if active will affect our summer rains) again brings the rain. So look for continued warm weather with clear skies, but occasional very cold dry air, similar to what we have experienced in October. Of course, the dominating factors cannot be reliably forecast and could change at about any time, so we shall see.

Additional Fire Stations in The Woodlands - emergencies impact

Next summer, a new fire station is scheduled to open on Gosling Road near the bridge over Spring Creek. This will provide easier and quicker access to professional emergency personnel for the residents of Indian Springs, Creekside Park and Panther Creek. There are CERT members in Indian Springs and Panther Creek as well, to help in disaster situations such as a hurricane or tornado. Since I am one of them and currently represent Indian Springs, I would be an appropriate contact in Indian Springs. CERT is not to be used in lieu of the professionals working at the fire stations, but the team is trained to be first responders, so whatever is quicker in dire situations should be followed. A neighbor CERT member can be of immediate help while the professionals could be tied up helping others. Make sure you know a CERT member to contact in case of emergencies as an alternative to 911 calls.     

Hurricane Season for real - now is the peak

We are now in the time window when hurricanes are watched closely. This year we are already in the "Ï"s in naming storms by the alphabet. Low pressure disturbances come off of Africa and sometimes very quickly develop into a named storm. Storms develop anywhere in the Gulf or Atlantic. Are we ready? I have lived through many storms in my time, and have reached the conclusion that someone ought to say what people really need to do, not just parrot what some others have said in the past. I am but one person who can talk from experience.  There is a tendency to think one would be reinventing the wheel if one says anything contrary to the standard checklist and advice given. I say listen to the news media advice but make sure you also take in local experience, some of which is provided here.

I have never had to use water that I stored up - never! Well, we did need water when we evacuated once. So why have that on my list? Grant you, water can be an issue on the island or even onshore where salt water might contaminate the potable water supplies. Tell you what, I will concede that some unknown might affect my water supply, but that day is no different than any other day. So this item is not on my list to stockpile. Plastic bottles of water are wasted in my household each time we stock up for hurricanes. Let's take a peek at what might be practical. Lessons we learned ...

We live significantly far inland, not far enough to avoid storms but then again, not to take a storm surge either. We live in the trees here, so that ought to be part of our risk assessment. Generally, water is not at risk when pumped locally from water wells.  Trees can take out power lines, although our power lines are buried. We are at risk from feeder lines however, and our experience in The Woodlands is that we will lose power, possibly for 2-3 weeks in a severe storm. In Hurricane Ike, we had a direct hit. It was not a very severe storm. However, the eye went right up I-45! Our winds were about 60mph with higher gusts in some squalls. That took out power and put some trees weighing tons into homes and blocking streets. That closed gasoline stations, restaurants and food markets. It brought us all to a dead stop. Our challenge was to clear the trees and wait it out, cooking what was in our freezers, cooling off any way we could and wait.

What to have ready to ride out or evacuate

1. Food - canned and easily prepared meals. Rationing the fuel is important. It has to last one full week. So we need a food shopping list to have on our cupboards for emergencies. Assuming we have a generator, our list also would also include freezer items. Keeping the fridge cool and the freezer cold is a priority.  The ability to generate ice is really more than a luxury. Cooking supplies include gas if you have an electric oven and stove. Make sure you have enough gas for your grill. A gas grill is a life saver after a storm.
   
2. Pets - dog and cat food in the pantry is important. One could allow the pets to eat human food, but that is not a great idea. Keep their diet the same if at all possible so they generate waste that is tolerable to clean up. They will likely be in the house with you for a long time during the storm.
3. Generator - one of the best inventions of all time as part of the toolkit for an emergency, especially a hurricane. After the storm passes, you will want to cool off. The atmospheric humidity is 100% almost always! Have an electric fan for every person in the household. Even a room air conditioner should be considered. You can purchase one and have the entire family in one room with cool air, run by your generator. Some people large generators run by natural gas, always ready to turn on when power is lost. That is the best but an expensive solution. Remember, you may never have to experience a hurricane, so how much money do you put into it depends on your budget and your choice. Having a power backup is not necessary, just a convenience.People panic when a hurricane draws near and run to the stores only to find out there are no generators, no wood, no gasoline, no food on the shelves. Remember to get stocked early. Do NOT operate a generator in a closed area - garage or otherwise. Use them outdoors only to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.   
4. Chain saws and plastic sheets- every ten or so households should own a tree saw. There will be at least one tree to fall on almost every block when the winds top 60 mph in wet soil. The soil will be saturated by heavy rains. If your home is hit, you will want to clean away the tree asap, even in the eye of the storm, should it pass over. Of course that is not a great idea but you might cover some things exposed to the elements during the eye fly-by. Covering water leaks and exposed furniture due to broken glass or the weight of a fallen tree limb is best handled with plastic or tarps. You may also want to have a water vacuum cleaner that can be powered by your emergency power generator. 
5. Candles and flashlights are a necessity. Nothing is darker than being in a hurricane at night! There are no street lights, no home lights, no moon - nothing! Have fresh batteries and plenty of candles. Remember that during the storm, you might not be able to run your generator.   
6. Electronics - Make sure you have every electronic thing connected to a surge protector or not connected to an outlet at all. In addition, during the storm, unplug every everything electronic except what you must use at the moment. Keep your risk of losing equipment to a minimum; you may need it after the storm. There are many electric surges and brown-outs during a storm . Have a battery operated radio on hand with a back-up battery. 
7. Safe Places - make sure you have identified a safe fortified place such as an inside bathroom or closet in your home. Under the stairs is also usually a good fortified place to hang when you feel the winds are at their peak or perhaps a tornado is headed your way. It is a good idea to practice using the room by everyone in your household at the same time. Be prepared.
8. Readily accessible items in the same location: emergency first aid kit, blankets, tarp in the home, table lamps in the family emergency room, flashlights in the fortified emergency room and family emergency room, rainwear including boots for one or two people, rubber gloves for handling tree limbs in the rain and floods, hard hat in case you have to go outside during the storm (this was required in Ike to clear stopped-up water drains). Have mosquito repellent for post hurricane use (two weeks supply).
9. Evacuation readiness - Automobile with full tank of gas, ready to leave. Also have 10 gallons of extra fuel. Don't forget the fuel you will need for the generator if you stay. Have materials for sandwiches and something to drink in case you have to evacuate.  This is where the water comes in handy. Have a plan just in case you need to evacuate. I do not advise just brushing it off by saying "I am going to ride it out." Do a "what if" anyway!
10. Normally used supplies - have enough living supplies on hand for two weeks without going to the store. Write down a shopping list. You may not get a second chance to go to the store. Don't forget diapers, wipes, and other children's necessities and conveniences.
    

Preparations before a storm

• Trim tree limbs away from the house long before the storm arrives.
• Board up windows that are most vulnerable to falling/flying debris such as high tree limbs. A friend had a piece of sheet metal fly through his window during a hurricane.  I've had a small tree limb shatter glass all over our family room. I had a friend who was driving a bus and a 2x4 flew through the radiator, disabling the bus. Protect your loved ones with plywood on the windows where they will be sitting out the storm. Quarter inch plywood usually works just fine. I keep enough in the house always ready. If you run to the store at the last minute, you will not likely find anything you need for the storm. 
• Pick up everything loose outside - make sure you do not have things that can blow into neighbor yards and if you see a neighbor with threatening materials to your home, take care of the issue.  It is a good idea to have a neighborhood meeting to discuss what needs to be done and make contingency plans.
• Store automobiles in the garage. 

During the storm 

• If you have an issue where you need help, you should have your local emergency number at hand. Keep your cell phone charged. In Ike, texting worked longer than other services. Know how to contact your neighbors or CERT (first responders). Walkie Talkies are most reliable in short distances.  In The Woodlands, CERT has a means to communicate out via TWITTER and a means to discuss issues via FACEBOOK (search Woodlands CERT). Also stay tuned to your local emergency radio broadcasting station. The Commentary will also be publishing before,during and after a storm if there are internet services available. Of course we lost those services during Ike.   
• Stay tuned to the radio emergency channel for your area. In The Woodlands, it is KTRH 740 AM. 
• You can expect the winds to gradually increase as the storm approaches. There will be squalls providing sudden intense wind gusts. Clouds will be moving very rapidly. If the storm is predicted to cross land south of Galveston, the Houston area will be on the "dirty" side of the storm. That means that the squalls (lines of thunderstorms) off of the gulf will be intense, bearing loads of water. The dirty side produces sudden tornadoes and down drafts that twist off the tops of trees and pushes them down. Tons of wood fall with one large green tree. The wind will change directions since the circulation of the wind is in a circle. A hurricane is an extremely low pressure cell that spins counter clockwise. So the dirty side brings the the storms directly off of the gulf. If the eye passes over The Woodlands, there will be a quiet time in the middle of the storm. It seems like the storm is over, The sun comes out and there is no wind or rain. In a few minutes, the winds will shift to the opposite direction and be as fierce or fiercer as it was before the eye. There will be sunshine and in a very short few minutes, the storm resumes. Avoid going outside during this time if you can and if you must do not go far from your home. It is dangerous. If the eye of the storm passes over land north of Galveston, we will still receive strong winds, but the rain will not be as big of a problem. You can tell where the eye is by the direction of the wind.    

    After the storm

• Mosquitoes become a terrible nuisance. Rain continues for day(s) afterward. Take precautions against mosquitoes such as emptying accumulations of water in bird baths and other areas. The little daytime pests will stay close to their birthplace. 
• There are few functional services to your home, but you can expect to have natural gas and water in urban areas this far from the coast. It is hunker down time for days while services are gradually restored. Children need games to play or some other entertainment. Do what you can do to restore services. Clean up outside. Cut up tree limbs and organize the vegetation waste on the street to help trash collectors who will come weeks later. Help neighbors.
• Cook outside unless you have a gas oven and stove. Do not bring your grill inside the house to use.
• If you need help as the storm departs the area, in The Woodlands, go to your nearest local fire station, if you are able, to get help.  An alternative is to go or communicate with your nearest CERT representative. These people are first responders. Of course if you have a functioning telephone or other services available, use the normal means of getting help. 

Hurricane Health & Safety Tips