Natural disaster

 I've been thought some natural disasters.  

I was lying in bed reading a romance novel at 5:04 PM one fine Tuesday when a 7.1 earthquake hit about 40 miles from my home.  All the furniture was jumping around and the bookcase almost took me out.  I lost a potted plant.  I was on the second floor which was swaying quite dramatically.  

That was only 15 seconds but it was notable to all who experienced it because one minute you're just living your life and the next you're fighting for it.  People died, it was pretty bad but not as bad as the 1906 quake.  

Then Tropical Storm Allison.  June, 2001.  Ron and I were at the Post Office Processing center getting ready to accept the business.  The rain was astronomical.  We left around 10 - attempted to, and couldn't due to the flooding.  Ron's Dad was going to give us a ride and said everything around their home was flooded and he couldn't get out.  Ron called Yellow Cab and Metro bus and they laughed at him.  

It was supposed to be a secure government building but we were able to spend the night there without badges.  

The next afternoon I told Ron we had to walk out, I couldn't spend another night there begging Postal Workers to please let me out of the cafeteria so I could use the bathroom.  

We left and walked out about 9 miles, down the elevated part of 59, which was shut down.  All the offramps and onramps were flooded.  I had cash in my purse so we were able to get snacks about halfway.  When we got to Crosstimbers and Jensen we called Ron's Dad who said he knew where that was and he could get us.  

His parents were sheltering Ron's cousin, his wife, their two daughters.  They had come to visit but got stuck in Houston because I-10 flooded going east.  So they got the extra bedrooms and Ron and I slept on the floor in the living room.  

I was just happy I didn't have any problems using the bathroom!  

The next day we heard the buses were running again so we had Ron's Dad drop us at the transit center and took the bus home.  

Notable: Metro bus kept running and many buses flooded out, passengers were stranded.  One lady I believe gave birth on a bus.  

Next big one was Hurricane Ike.  I was effectively on my own.  My parents were out of the country.  Ron was sick, and, from what I remember, spent most of the week drunk in bed.  So I just sat up that night listening to things crash and the wind blow.  

The next day I looked outside and all my neighbors roofs were in tatters.  I had a yard full of shingles but my roof was fine.  Praise God!  

Hurricane Harvey.  2017.  They told us in advance it would be bad, the storm would get trapped between two high pressure systems, sit on the city, and dump astounding amounts of water, which it did.  The floodwaters rose in the street up to my porch even, but did not enter the house.  

Picture an angel standing in my doorway much like Gandalf in Lord of the Rings "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"  Thank you, Jesus.  

Ron didn't believe it until I told him the water was on the porch.  Notable: a colony of fire ants invaded the bathroom and bit us every time we used the toilet.  Someone suggested I mix borax (which I had) and sugar.  It helped.  

But, again, I was pretty much on my own for that one, too.  Ron drunk in bed aain.  

Now it's just me and the cats with a hurricane on the way.  

I keep telling myself it's no different than all the other times with Ron passed out but a time like this it's nice to have a loved one.