txags11 said:
As I sit here watching this, I feel pretty nervous, knowing this is just the start of hurricane season..I guess just take it one storm at a time..
Those of this who have lived in hurricane areas for a while (or our entire lives) have learned to distinguish between storms. There are those (like this one) that knock out power and cause some damage, but in the grand scheme of things, are just one or two days of inconvenience to most people.
Next up would be the Harvey-like storms. The flooding that caused was miserable for a lot of people. Flooding is about the worst thing that can happen to your home. If you happen to live where flooding is a low risk, though, you don't have to worry about this one. This is hit or miss, depending on where you are in Houston.
Then there are the Katrina-type storms with a 30+ foot storm surge. These are down-right scary and truly deadly if you don't evacuate. But storm surge mainly affects people right along the coast up to a few miles inland. Those of us in the Houston burbs aren't really in danger from a storm surge. Now, the widespread effects of such a storm will be felt all over the greater Houston area, in terms of power outages, fuel and food shortages, etc. But not living within a few miles of the coastline is the best way to reduce this risk.
Wind damage to things like your roof and fence, while a PITA, are fixable.
Power outages suck, but other than buying a generator, there isn't much that can be done about them except suffer through.
Inevitably one day a "big one" will hit. Best advice is to live somewhere that mitigates your risk (to the extent that you can) and evacuate when that risk is no longer tolerable. Most important, help your friends and neighbors out when they do have damage.
