Reflecting on Ike

"Just like Tina Turner, I was slapped around by Ike but I survived," is the new catchphrase competing with "y'all" and "howdy" round these parts.

More than a week since the hurricane pulled into town Houston is slowly getting back to normal. Ike may have spared downtown from the expected devastation but other areas of this state were not so lucky. Parts of nearby Galveston have been practically wiped off the map causing many deaths. Remnants of local businesses found floating miles away from their original home have become a depressingly familiar sight.

Broadly speaking the evacuation effort was a success. Local government issued a dire warning for residents to leave Galveston or face "certain death" and a curfew was implemented in Houston. Of course in the event of any natural disaster some die hards refused to leave their homes but lived to tell the tale. They were the lucky ones.

For those who survived the tragedy unfolded not during the storm but after Ike passed. Carbon monoxide poisoning has been responsible for several deaths in particular the dreadful loss of four year old lad Joshua Aguirre. The youngster died after a fuel operated generator was left running in his family home and he inhaled the deadly fumes while sleeping.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6006076.html

At these moments politics and electioneering are put into perspective. Direct campaigning has been suspended indefinitely while the local Obama headquarters remains boarded up. Political volunteers have been making calls to check on supporters of Barack and blockwalking local housing estates. We've been handing out flyers with essential post hurricane information to every home - regardless of their political persuasion. Petty politics go out the window in the aftermath of a disaster or at least they should.

As for my own hurricane experience it was relatively uneventful. Cooped up in a friend's house in the museum district we gazed out the window (from a safe distance) and listened to the storm. Our greatest drama was being sans power for over a week but hey we talked more, read books and improved our skills on the grill. Oprah and Dr Phil can wait for a while.

Natural disasters seem to bring out the best in human nature. My host told me he had never spoken to his neighbours more than in the past week, generators were shared and community barbecues were a welcome distraction. Texans are a resilient bunch. With a history of hurricanes they have to be.

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I shall be resuming the normal political musings in the next few days on this site. Many thanks for the several emails of support and concern from readers which are always welcome. There will be some media content attached soon so keep clicking back for the latest. 42 days to go.
Pic by Art Cizek