Food for Thought: In the Eye of the Hurricane

Along Came Dolly:

When Hurricane Dolly hit Brownsville, Texas, last week, I didn't pay any more attention that to track the storm on the internet and hope we'd get a bit of rain out of the deal. Especially because the storm couldn't make up its mind whether to be a tropical depression or a tropical storm or an out-and-out hurricane, I am afraid poor Dolly did not get much respect from me. I smiled when my Utah family would ask me how we were surviving the storm. Didn't they know that was like asking them how was the weather in Las Vegas? Besides that, Dolly scarcely deserved the notice. Katrina and Rita, now those were hurricanes.

Then, my son's mother-in-law sent me this log about their vacation down to San Padre Island, and I was reminded once again how important it is for us all to be prepared, even for such a seemingly inconsequential thing as a tropical depression. Dolly charged up to a Category 2 right before landfall, and the damage she wrecked on south Texas racked up into the billions. Even with the lessons one would hope we here in southeast Texas learned during Hurricane Rita, it seemed another round of the same.

When I asked her permission to post this, Deana responded:

It really was a good lesson in preparedness. We had food with us, but had to run out before the storm and get food that didn't have to be cooked (we did lose power early in the storm). Even then, it didn't last long. The store was running out of things quickly, but we did manage to get some essentials and, luckily, two lanterns for light. Thankfully, we had enough gas in our cars to get out of the storm area---it was at least 100 miles to the nearest available gasoline.

Here's Deana's description their experience with Hurricane Dolly:

A vacation down to South Padre Texas became an adventure we won't soon forget. After a couple of beautiful days on the Texas coast, warnings were sent that a Cat 1 hurricane was on its way from the Gulf. We tried to monitor the storm. The last report we heard from the local news was the storm has weakened to a tropical storm and that is would blow over in a day or so. We decided to stay in a day or so enjoy the beaches once again. Soon after, we lost power and with it all communication and information. As it was, the storm strengthened to a Cat 2 hurricane. We hunkered down in our condo.

South Padre island took a direct hit from the eye of the storm. The wind velocity reached 115 mph! Water flooded the condo – we were on the first floor and so we spent the day Wednesday sandbagging inside the condo and constantly mopping up the water that came in under the walls and from the ceiling above. Luckily we made some friends from Pennsylvania in an adjoining condo which also decided to stay. They provide us a dry place to rest from the water and wind.

When the storm subsided 24 hours later the billions of dollars of damage had been done to the small resort town. Shingles littered the ground everywhere. Almost 50% of the roofs of dwellings had been damaged. Fences – wooden were destroyed and steel gates were ripped from their hinges and tossed across the road. Many store fronts had their glass shattered and their store interiors blown to confusion. We saw at least a dozen telephone poles that had been snapped in two and are sure there were many more. Metal street light poles were bent and blown over and many of the street light fixtures lay in the streets shattered. Traffic lights were ripped from their wires and thrown in the streets. Signs were all obliterated. Fuel pumps were stripped of their casings and the many fueling canopies were torn apart and thrown into their parking lots. The damage was amazing to see.

On our drive home we saw that Port Isabel – just across the Launga Madre also experienced a direct hit and was also very badly damaged. Port Isabel, Brownsville, and other low lying cities were completely flooded. A small city just north of Port Isabel was completely under several feet of water.

I have included just a few pictures of the damage – even after seeing the results of Katrina and Rita it still is amazing to us what a storm can do.

We are all safe and enjoyed our time on vacation and our adventure and thank you all for your prayers on our behalf.

Blog of the Week: Prepare Today Newsletter

Another Perspective:

This is a collection of information to assist others in their preparedness efforts and to help them be ready for the challenges which are coming.

The Prepare Today Newsletter is a blog authored by a ward preparedness specialist from California. It provides a slightly different view of emergency preparedness, particularly since Californians face an entirely different set of hazards from their environment. They have fires and earthquakes, we have hurricanes and ice storms, etc. Added to the other resources available to us, this blog adds its bit of harmony to the same tune we know so well.

Here is a snippet of one article, a bit of commentary entitled "Musings of a Ward Preparedness Chairman":

Why is it so many saints are unenthusiastic about getting their food storage and emergency supplies?

For some it's a matter of money – both too little money and, curiously enough, too much money. The challenge for those with limited funds is more understandable than those who have what can only be termed "abundance". We live in an area with large numbers of prosperous members who don't have their food storage – why?

This is something I've wondered about a lot and recently gained additional insight from reading the observations of an online forum moderator named NeatBrian.

Read the complete article.

Things to know:

URL: http://preparetodaynewsletter.blogspot.com/
Author: A Californian ward preparedness specialist; otherwise anonymous
Emphasis: Emergency Preparedness
Rating: 4/5

Link of the Week: Home Storage Online

LDS Home Storage Helps Online

• LDScatalog.com: If you need a simple and easy way to get started or augment your home storage, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes it quite convenient. The prices are extremely competitive but higher than they are at the individual Home Storage Centers where customers assist in the packaging process. Via online catalog the following products are offered:
• #10 cans of:
• hard red winter wheat
• pinto beans
• white rice
• quick oats
• Home Storage Starter Kit, in addition to provident living pamphlets and teaching aids, containing:
• 2 #10 cans of hard red winter wheat
• 2 #10 cans of white rice
• 1 #10 can of pinto beans
• 1 #10 can of quick oat

• ProvidentLiving.org: A much wider range of products are available at the Home Storage Centers. To expedite your visit and assist in planning ahead, the Church has made available online an order form to be completed in advance, valid at HSC's in the United States and Canada. Its use is simple.
• Access the form. You will require the software, Adobe Reader, available for download free of charge.
• Fill in your pertinent personal information at the top of the form.
  
• Select each product (rows), the quantity desired of each size available (columns of #10 cans, pouches and bulk). Of note, the HSC's often have difficulty keeping up with the sharply increase in demand in recent weeks. It's a good idea to call ahead or contact your ward preparedness specialist to determine the products immediately available.
  
• The total cost of your purchase is recalculated as you move from field to field. However, the cost of any individual product is not calculated until you exit that field.
• Save, Print, or Reset the form when you have completed your selections. Save individual configurations of purchases on multiple forms for future use.
• Complete your purchase when you go to the HSC with the printed form in hand
  

Things to Know: Online purchase URL: http://www.ldscatalog.com Home Storage Center Order Form links:

• USA English
• USA español
• Canada
  

Sponsor: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Emphasis: Home Storage, Preparedness
Rating: 5/5

Steadfast Faith in Christ: Change, Change, Change

Smooth as Silk?

We seem to take for granted the coming and going of the missionaries in our ward, and look at each new transferee as an opportunity for a new subject of conversation at the dinner table. "How long have you been out?" "What area were you in before you came here?" "Where are you from? Oh, really! My second cousin one removed is from there."

But, have you ever wondered how that all comes about? It seems smooth enough to us from the outside, simply because the next time we see 'our' elders, it has been out with the old and in with the new. But, it's not always that simple for the missionaries themselves, especially when one factors in the leadership positions which may require filling and changing with each new transfer. (Never mind what has to happen in the mission office!)

This week, Elder Freeman gives us a blow-by-blow of a particularly complicated transfer which came just as he was starting to see some progress in the people he was teaching in his new area. But, he was destined for just six weeks in that ward and is now off to new horizons and more demanding climes. However, he manages to survive it all and end up with his characteristic upbeat attitude.

Here's a quote from the end of his letter:

Nevertheless, we've got a lot to look forward to. Last night we met a guy named Ryan Freeman, of Irish decent, no relation though. He looked like he could use our help and he invited us back. We weren't sure how sober he was but we hope to go back before next week. Then, last night we called an investigator they'd been working with and got an appointment for tonight.

So, we're being taken care of and it's not quite as hard as I feared, yet. We've got good roommates and a real nice apartment. I'll keep you updated.

Of note, in missionary-speak, 'whitewash' means to transfer both missionaries at the same time, which makes coming into a new area a challenge. Neither missionary knows the area, the ward, their contacts, etc., having only the records of the previous missionaries to go by. I believe this is the first double whitewash Elder Freeman has experienced.

Recipe of the Week: Super Easy Tomato, Garlic & Basil Pizza

From Debbie Tingey:

YOU WILL NEED:

• Your favorite Pizza crust (I use the Boboli Brand that you can buy at the store.....the pre-made stuff. Sometimes I make it home made, and that is good to. It is just easier to use Boboli if you can)
• 2-3 tomatoes (depending on the size)
  
• 1 clove garlic or substitute ~1 Tbls to taste
• 1/4 C fresh chopped basil or 2-3 Tbls dried basil to taste
• 3 Tbls olive oil
• 1 1/2 C Mozzarella cheese
  

1. Press the clove of garlic into the olive oil and set aside.
   
2. Slice the tomatoes, chop the basil and grate the cheese.
3. Brush the olive oil and garlic over the pizza crust
4. Add remaining ingredients.
   

If you use the Boboli crust: Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. (Watch for the cheese to turn golden.) If you make the pizza crust, bake it according you your recipe.

Cool, and enjoy.