Carey Giudici, trip@careygiudici.com
Almost a week after Hurricane Ike, millions of Houstonians still cope with the loss of power, damage to their homes and inconsistent information about support services.
Most agreed that the storm itself was much less of a problem than what has come afterwards.
George Campos said that after paying $150 per day in gasoline to run his generator, he was now getting electricity from a neighbor. He added that two radio stations were finally broadcasting regular updates on public POD sites and other services.
“This information is helpful, but it would be even better if one station was broadcasting it all the time,” he said.
Elvis Mendoza said it was very difficult to keep his three growing sons fed, when he can only buy bread, juice and soda.
“I don’t know of any radio stations where I can get reliable information about where to find supplies,” he said in Spanish.
Carol Brady said she had power again 48 hours after Ike passed through. The only damage at her house was to a fence, and that was already fixed.
“We’ll be living with Ike for a long time, no question,” she said. “But I haven’t needed the radio to get information. And my ex-husband’s power is still out, so I made him breakfast yesterday. When he drank the first hot coffee he’s had in days, he got real happy!”
Debbie Shulman wasn’t in such a good mood. Her power is still out, and she can’t get any estimates from CenterPoint about when she might get it back. Family members from a coastal resort town, San Leon, lost their home to Ike. They’re staying with and searching unsuccessfully to hear news on the radio about anywhere outside Harris County and Houston. Without good information, they’ve have to drive back to the coast every day and retrieve some of their belongings while assessing the damage.
Ms. Shulman was most critical of CenterPoint’s inability to estimate when her power will be back.
“Come on, they know,” she said. “If they just tell us it’ll be three weeks, I could go to Dallas and stop waiting around in the dark like this. My idea of camping is a room at the Hilton with a mint on my pillow, so six days with no electricity has been horrible!
In Houston, citizen impatience appears to be growing faster than the sources of useful information.
1 user commented in " Information Limited, Frustrations Grow "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackback“My idea of camping is a room at the Hilton with a mint on my pillow …”
That is the problem with people like Ms. Shulman. They have completely unrealistic expectations about the aftermath of a disaster. That is why it is called a disaster and not a storm or an inconvenience. Then when their unrealstic expectations are not met, they get mad and frustrated. I’d be real curious to hear what pre-disaster preparations were made by her.
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